Ainhoa Marín says Europe is driving the Real forward

“I didn’t expect any of the good things that are happening to me; Europe motivates us,” Ainhoa Marín says. Happy at the Real and excited by the European tie, the forward says the prospect of playing a match like this gives the group a special lift. A summer signing in Liga F Moeve, she says competing in such a game is more exciting than training.

“It’s important that we can turn the match in our favour with a win,” she says. Marín has not thought much about the return leg yet: the team will deal with what awaits in Turkey afterwards. For now, her aim is clear: give everything and come away with a victory and good feelings. She says the team is motivated and welcomes the chance to compete and express itself on the pitch.

Marín also says she is feeling very well, despite blaming herself for not having settled the match against Espanyol. She says she has recovered well and points to the team’s growing understanding on the pitch and its increasing grasp of what Gorka and the staff ask of them. After the Espanyol match, she regretted the chances that could have been finished and hoped they would go in this time, bringing a victory to Zubieta.

Marín does not want the focus to rest on her alone. If Fenerbahce opted to mark her individually, she believes, other players could help decide the match. “It’s not me or nobody: everyone contributes exceptionally,” she says. She is comfortable both out wide and in more central positions. Playing on the wing comes more naturally, but the chance to develop other parts of her game was one reason she chose the Real.

Her move was also driven by a wish to take a step forward in her career, surround herself with people who could help her and keep learning. Marín says she has found an environment where she feels comfortable and is being supported. She is delighted to play with teammates of great quality and believes that dynamic is helping the team show good versions of its game, while allowing her to experience things she could not have imagined.