Words are running out to describe this team. The Barça women's team has once again made history, both on and off the field. Pere Romeu's squad has gathered 60,067 people at the Camp Nou – an absolute record since returning to the stadium, for both men's and women's teams –, Alexia Putellas has reached 500 matches with the blaugrana jersey and, on the field, has once again thrashed – and crucified – Real Madrid, for the third time in a week. 6-0 at the end of 90 minutes in Barcelona and 12-2 on aggregate in the tie. Barça advances with a firm step to the semifinals for the eighth consecutive season and will face Bayern Munich.

“Alexia is Barça”. That is how Irene Paredes and Patri Guijarro – two of the captains – summarize Alexia Putellas. Almost 5,000 days after wearing the Barça jersey for the first time, the Mollet native has once again made history at the Camp Nou, where she has reached 500 games in the blaugrana shirt. This is yet another example of what a key player represents in the growth of the Catalan club. When Alexia debuted with Barça on August 24, 2012 – after playing for Espanyol and Levante to grow and establish herself in the First Division –, Barça had not yet played any Champions League matches, had just won their first league title – now they are on their way to their eleventh – and only had two Cups in their trophy cabinet – on May 16th, they could lift their twelfth.

Five points is what separates Barça from winning their seventh consecutive Liga F after beating them 0-3 at the Alfredo Di Stéfano stadium. Ona Batlle opened the scoring with a long-range shot that deflected off Rocío Gálvez and broke through the defensive wall set up by Madrid, and Alexia Putellas –with Barça's 100th goal against the white team– and an own goal sealed the match. Graham Hansen, who started after being a substitute on Wednesday, had a great game.

Alexia Putellas is the big name in this final stretch of the season. The captain's contract ends next June, although she has an option for another year. The player from Mollet del Vallès is very happy at Barça, "the club of her life," but she isn't thinking about her future right now. Alexia is highly motivated and focused on the remainder of the season. The midfielder has stood out in the last two victoriesHis three goals have given him a lot of confidence ahead of the most demanding matches. The club explains that they are in "ongoing talks," but according to ARA, the renewal will not happen immediately.

Barça and Atlético de Madrid will face each other again on Saturday, May 16th at the Gran Canaria stadium. It will be a rematch of last year's Copa de la Reina final – with a 2-0 victory for Barcelona – after the Blaugrana lived up to expectations against Badalona Women following a 0-0 draw in the first leg (4-1), and Atlético Madrid eliminated Tenerife on Tuesday (2-1). But the first goal of the match – and of the tie – was a long time coming. Alexia Putellas opened the scoring just before halftime, and from then on, the game slowed down. The captain, from the penalty spot, made it 2-0, while Kika Nazareth and Ewa Pajor completed the scoring. Lice Chamorro scored Badalona's lone goal (4-1).

Xavi Llorens (Barcelona, ​​1958) is the quintessential unsung hero of Barça. A pioneer of the women's team – which he managed between 2006 and 2017 – Llorens has also been involved in futsal and youth football, allowing him to boast of having been Leo Messi's first coach at the club. "I've always been told that a pétanque team will be formed and that I'll have to start it. What I like is being in the shadows, doing less visible work, and going almost unnoticed," he explains to ARA. The coach – who has played various roles in the game of pétanque – laid the foundations for a Barça team that won three Champions League titles. "We just had to work and convince the players that what we wanted to do was win a lot of things," he says.

Another victory for Barça in La Liga F. Their seventeenth win of the season. Pere Romeu's team – with a rotated squad – comfortably defeated a Sevilla side that barely crossed midfield (4-1). Kika Nazareth opened the scoring with a no-look shot, and Sydney Schertenleib, Salma Paralluelo, and Kika again completed the rout. Alexia Putellas, who came on in the 60th minute, was busy providing assists to help maintain the ten-point lead over Real Madrid before their visit to Los Blancos in the Copa de la Reina quarterfinals (Thursday at 9 pm, single-leg match). This wasn't the only gift from the captain to the fans at the Johan Cruyff Stadium. Barça supporters were also treated to a surprise: a handwritten letter from Alexia Putellas thanking the fans for their support. This initiative is part of the creation of the new brand for the footballer from Mollet del Vallès, in collaboration with Nike. The logo features a crown – she is known as the Queen – an eleven in honor of her jersey number, and an A, representing her name. The Barça captain continues to break records – not only on the field – and joins the ranks of athletes like Michael Jordan and Leo Messi, who also have their own clothing lines. She was, in fact, the one who presented the Spanish Super Cup trophy – which they won on January 24th in Castellón against Real Madrid – to the fans.

It was a big week for Barça women. After seeing Aitana Bonmatí win her third Ballon d'Or, Pere Romeu's team dispatched a defensive Espanyol side in the derby at the Johan Cruyff Stadium (2-0). The blue and white team managed to shut down their opponents for much of the match thanks to Romane Salvador's saves, but the quality of Alexia Putellas and the great goalscorer Ewa Pajor ultimately won the day.

Paris surrendered at the feet of a Catalan woman. Again, for the fifth time. The French capital dressed up for another year for the Ballon d'Or ceremony, the award given by the French magazine France Football and which recognizes the best players of the season. A historic gala, because Aitana Bonmatí won the Ballon d'Or ahead of Mallorca's Mariona Caldentey, who came in second. Alessia Russo, a double European champion with Arsenal and the English national team, finished third. In the men's category, it was a celebration for PSG: they were chosen as the best club, Luis Enrique won as the best coach, and Ousmane Dembélé won the grand prize, the Ballon d'Or, ahead of Lamine Yamal, who came one step away from causing an upset. The player from Mataró became the youngest player to climb the podium, doing so at 18 years old. Until now, the youngest had been Brazilian Ronaldo in 1997 at 21 years old.

The Spanish women's national team had been eliminated in the quarterfinals of three consecutive European Championships. This happened in the 2013, 2017, and 2022 editions. In fact, they had only reached the semifinals once in the tournament's history, in 1997, but the format was different back then, and this round involved reaching the semi-finals directly from the group stage. In other words, Spain had never won a Euro Cup knockout match until this Friday, when the team led by Aitana Bonmatí, from Sant Pere de Ribes, and Claudia Pina, from Montcada i Reixac, defeated the host nation, Switzerland, 2-0, in Bern. It was their two moments of brilliance that decided the match.

A crank against Portugal (5-0) and a scandalous thrashing of Belgium (6-2). The Spanish national team, led by Barça players who are enjoying a good moment, such as Alexia Putellas and Claudia Pina, continues to advance steadily in the Eurocup. After a first half that was more tight than expected and with the return of Irene Paredes to the center of defense, in the second half the Spanish steamroller overcame a Belgian team that, with very little, managed to give Montse Tomé's team two scares.

The Women's Euro Cup kicks off this Thursday with Iceland vs. Finland (6 p.m.). Sixteen teams will battle it out to face Finland in the final on July 27th at Sankt Jakob-Park in Basel, with Spain one of the main contenders for the title. Montse Tomé's team will be looking to lift the only trophy they have yet to win after winning the Nations League and the World Cup. England and France are the other two big names to watch.

The Camp Nou will fill up again on April 22. After registering a new world record for attendance for the quarter-final match against Real Madrid Barça has decided to reopen the gates of the Camp Nou for the semi-final match against Wolsfburg on the eve of Sant Jordi. Tickets went on sale at midday on Monday and, in the first nine hours – with access only for members – 50,000 units were booked. This Tuesday tickets went on sale for all fans. The virtual queues were very long – up to 15,000 people.

Catalan women's football has achieved in a very short time an impact and a level that has placed it at the top of the world, to the point that today the best player in the world is a Catalan called Alexia Putellas. The footballer from Mollet was crowned this Monday with the Ballon d'Or in a ceremony in Paris in which up to five Barça players were nominated, evident proof of the absolute dominion Barça exerted during last season. Putellas's achievement is unprecedented even in men's football, were no Catalan has ever won the award. Xavi came third just ten years ago behind Leo Messi and Andrés Iniesta.

There were 10 minutes to go in the final and the Barça players, on the bench, were already changing into their blue and red jerseys. Like Cruyff's players in 1992 at Wembley, Lluís Cortés's players wanted to lif the club's first women's Champions League dressed in their colours. On a historic night, which will be remembered for years to come as it will inspire generations, Barça overwhelmed their opponents. They had a chance to make history, and it did not go to waste. With exquisite football, Barça steamrolled Chelsea (0-4), winning their first Champions League title in a match which was very similar to the last final they played. In this case, however, Barça went from victims to executioners.