MADRID, 24 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Barça Women’s player Aitana Bonmatí, double winner of the Ballon d’Or, was awarded this Monday by the Generalitat with the Creu de Sant Jordi, one of the most prestigious distinctions in Catalonia.
Aitana Bonmatí received the Creu de Sant Jordi, created in 1981 to honor natural or legal persons who, due to their merits, have provided services in Catalonia in defense of their identity. A delivery that took place at the National Theater of Catalonia, and in which the Barça player was accompanied by the director of FC Barcelona Xavier Puig.
On behalf of the Government of the Generalitat of Catalonia, the Creu de Sant Jordi was presented to him by President Salvador Illa and the Minister of Culture Sonia Hernández.
Aitana was very proud of having received this very important distinction and wanted to congratulate all the winners: “For me it is an honor to be here, collecting this very important award. Those who know me know that I have always had a feeling of belonging towards our land, Catalonia, and for its language, and that is why it is very exciting.
The Catalan pointed out that as a footballer she has been lucky enough to “achieve great successes”, and doing so with Barça, “the club” of her “life”, makes it “more special”. “It is not only because of the importance of the club, but also because of its link with Catalonia. It would be difficult for me to understand Barça without Catalonia and Catalonia without Barça,” he added.
A speech in which he highlighted that he has received “more criticism” for speaking Catalan than “for playing football” and he did not want to miss the opportunity to ask more political institutions to promote Catalan culture and gender equality.
Thus, Aitana Bonmatí joins illustrious athletes with a Barça past who also received the Creu de Sant Jordi, among them Laia Palau (2022), Alexia Putellas and Pau Gasol (2021), Leo Messi (2019), former athlete Tomàs Barris (2028 ), Johan Cruyff (2006) and Juan Antonio San Epifanio ‘Epi’ (1996).