The San Juan Verbena Cup

Complies Raquel Cabezón his third week as head of women's football for Espanyol, which tries to return to what was. A champion team. And surely in the San Juan festival this Tuesday will remember that other night of the June 23 when it all started. A dream that came true. And she commanded it, with just 17 years.

Almost by surprise, or at least without entering the bets of many connoisseurs in women's football, unfortunately with a long way to go, Espanyol sneaked into the 1996 Queen's Cup final, which was to be held close to home, in the Terrassa Olympic. But the Blue and Whites, who had not yet achieved any of the titles that would make them great, would not be favorite on that date, since they faced the best team of the moment: Oroquieta Villaverde.

The people of Madrid were the reigning champions and had chained four finals, shows a hegemony that was also transferred to the League, which they had conquered on three other occasions. Its potential swelled when in the mid-1990s took advantage of the temporary dissolution of Atlético de Madrid, today one of the dominators of women's football.

But nothing is what it seems and, with Ramon Català and Xavi Álvarez on the bench, Espanyol gave the chime, with two goals from Raquel Cabezón before the break and another, the lace of Esther Torner, shortly before the end of the game. Although the meeting was held at noon, the celebration lasted until the festival and beyond.

Not surprisingly, it was the first Copa de la Reina for Espanyol who would repeat the following season, again without being a favorite, against Atlético Málaga, and that would end up adding six, the last in 2012. Joana, Sonia, Montse, Dolors Ribalta, Esther Arribas, Raquel Cabezón, Isabel Castanera, Esther Torner, Lorena, Toni and Susana, plus the spare parts for Carmen, Ana and Sandra Sabaté, were responsible for that success of the San Juan in 1996.