Aitana: “We don’t need memories of the past to motivate us”

“We don’t need memories of the past to motivate us,” Aitana said ahead of Barça’s meeting with Arsenal. The midfielder would rather focus on the match to come than draw motivation from the painful final played in Lisbon. In her view, the game at Spotify Camp Nou is motivation enough for her team.

Aitana regards Arsenal as a leading opponent and expects an important match. “Playing Arsenal at Spotify Camp Nou is enough motivation; we don’t need to go back two years. There will be two different teams, and it will be an important match,” she said. The aim, she added, is to perform well and claim the victory.

She warned against underestimating the English side, whatever its recent form. Aitana pointed to the quality of Arsenal’s players and described the fixture as one of the major occasions in world women’s football. Barça, she said, will stick to the same playing idea, while using the game to show its level. She also noted that there is still a long season ahead.

The match will carry added significance for Barça’s women’s team: it will be their first at Spotify Camp Nou. Aitana hopes the supporters will give them strong backing and help the side secure the three points. She values the connection built with the fans over the years and the chance to share this venue with them, since the team cannot play there every weekend. “It will be another blaugrana night,” she said.

Aitana also spoke about her return from a difficult ankle injury. She is gradually regaining her rhythm and feel, and stressed that recovery after a long spell out should not be taken lightly. “You can’t come back as if nothing happened. I’ve put the injury behind me and I’m happy with my progress,” she said. She is shaping up to start against Arsenal.

Her message on the result was clear: “We have to win in our own way. We have a lot of confidence in ourselves.”