Unavailable to discouragement despite the terrible moments that his first men’s soccer team goes through, Barça continues to receive individual distinctions. This Monday there were three. Pedri and Lieke Martens were awarded by Tuttosport, who crowned them Golden Boy (best U21 player of the year) and as Golden Player Woman of 2021, respectively. The Dutch woman, who received the award from Edwin Van der SarShe thanked her colleagues for the award. “It was a fantastic year, but without them it would not have been possible.” Pedri, still injured, closed the very long Tuttosport gala in which, among others, Robert Lewandowski and Antonio Conte were also awarded. The Canarian, who has barely played this season after a very complete course last year, his first in LaLiga (he won the Cup, the Olympic silver and reached the semifinals of the European Championship with the National Team). TO Pedri, which was greeted telematically by Cesc (another Golden Boy winner) they reminded him again of his failed test with Madrid. “I have already spoken of that anecdote. All things happen. I am in the club where I want to be and I thank the president and the whole team for helping me. Barça is the best team in the world and we are going to take it to glory as it deserves “.
While Pedri and Martens, who were accompanied in Turin by the president, Joan Laporta, and by the football director, Matthew German (there was speculation with a meeting with Mino Raiola to talk about Haaland), received the Tuttosport awards, in Barberà del Vallès the protagonist was Alexia Putellas, who received the Creu de Sant Jordi, one of the highest distinctions in Catalonia, which recognizes people who, due to their merits, have provided outstanding services to Catalonia in the defense of its identity, especially at the civic and cultural level. Alexia made a protest speech: “I want to have a space for women who were pioneers. I ask the girls not to stop and to keep fighting for their dreams. Finally, and leaving aside the awards that have come lately, the true triumph will come when we achieve that there are one hundred percent opportunities for boys and girls in the world of sports and in the world in general. For that to happen, we need the Government of Catalonia and society in general to accompany us and lead that change with us. We have a responsibility to lead it because we have come to stay. “