MADRID, 30 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Spanish midfielder Aitana Bonmatí was “very proud” to receive the 2023 Ballon d’Or, an award that is “a dream” that comes to her after having had “an exceptional year at a sporting level” and made it clear that Spain is a country that has “a unique talent” and who “works every day to be better”
“I am very proud to receive the Ballon d’Or. It has been an exceptional year at a sporting level and although this is an individual award, football is a collective sport, so I would like to extend my gratitude to my colleagues, workers at Barça and at the selection, because it is clear that without all the successes achieved this year I would not be here today,” said Aitana Bonmatí in her speech.
The Catalan wanted to thank “the three clubs” in which she has played, CD Ribes, CF Cubellas and, “above all”, FC Barcelona, ”for betting” on the section “when no one believed” and for giving her “the opportunity to be a professional footballer.” “Who would have told me that when I was a girl that I would play in a full Camp Nou, we are a world-renowned club,” she stressed.
The one from Sant Pere de Ribes did not forget her family and friends, mainly her parents Rosa and Vicent, present at the gala, nor “all the nominees, especially the Spanish representatives.” “As models, we have a responsibility on and off the field and we must be more than athletes to fight for a more peaceful and equal world,” she warned.
Bonmatí, “a little nervous” and “without sleeping for a few days,” confessed that this award was “a dream” and something to “value a lot.” “I am lucky to play for a great club and in the national team, in both teams I have the best at my side who make me better every day, and also the best staff. At Barça we have been reaching the top for three years. final of the Champions League, that is very complicated and speaks of the mentality we have. I am confident that it will continue for many more years and that we will achieve more titles,” he stressed.
“Spain has a unique talent. It is true that in recent years we have stood out more at club level, especially with Barça, and this year with the national team, and it says a lot that we have won the Ballon d’Or at home for three years. We are a country that lives football a lot and that works every day to be better,” he continued.
Finally, he said he had “no words” for the praise received by Pep Guardiola. “I always say that I feel very proud to have been born on the same day as him, who is an idol for me. I didn’t see him play, but I did see him live that glorious time that he gave us at Barça with Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets and Messi “, which were one of the happiest days of my life. That I praise you and compare you with Iniesta, my favorite player along with Xavi, is unique,” he said.