Nona Pérez: "We're even younger than Barça, we believe anything is possible and that we'll never lose."

BarcelonaTwo seconds. CN Sant Andreu only dominated the scoreboard of the Women's Champions League final for two seconds, the last. And so they were crowned European champions for the first time in Piraeus (Greece). by defeating CN Sabadell. The MVP of the final was Nona Pérez (2003), a Sabadell native who shines for Sant Andreu. The international player welcomes ARA to the club's headquarters, where the trophy is on display at the entrance. Since the trophy disappears for a while during the photo shoot, she takes the opportunity to take photos and send them to her teammates: "I stole it, I have it," she jokes.

If you win titles, do you want more?

— Of course. If you win, you can't do anything else but win. It's kind of addictive. It's hard, right? But once you win, you don't want anything else.

It was Sant Andreu's second final round. They finished third in 2024 and are now champions, upsetting CN Sabadell, who were looking to win their eighth Champions League title.

— Let's see, I think we were the least favorites to win the final four. A year ago, we lacked experience, but this time we were in fantastic physical form. The level improves every year, but we knew it was ours. In 2024, Sabadell overwhelmed us; they have a lot of experience. But this year, we weren't afraid of anything. Besides, they have experience, but we have youth, which is a huge factor.

They even went three goals down, but they never gave the impression they were nervous. Did winning two Copa de la Reina finals with Sabadell, coming from behind, help?

— When you're behind, it's never nice, but I thought, "Don't you relax if you win by three? So let's get to work!" Javi Aznar, the coach, told us it would be a low-scoring final, with few goals. That's what it was, so scoring three goals in just a few minutes to react is a real achievement. The fact that we're young helps: we believe anything is possible. But it's not a given, right? It comes naturally to us, we never think we can lose. We play without the scoreboard in mind, and that works in our favor. In the end, they hit the post and we have the last ball, and Queralt scores, who has that character... she's 17 years old. And she pulls back a goal with two seconds left.

I don't like to compare sports, but I hear you and think about the Barça football players. Young people, fearless, like you.

— Yes, in that sense, both are young teams. Do you know what our average age is?

Which?

— 22 years old. We're even younger than Barça. Think of our veteran as Marina Cordobés, who's just turned 28. This young team gives you a magnificent energy; we always think we can win, we don't think about losing. We have that enthusiasm to work hard, to train, and to come to the club. And being from the same generation, you share hobbies, we go out to dinner together...

In the final, players who don't usually score goals, like sisters Elena and Ariadna Ruiz, shone.

— When opponents defend them, they create space for the others. And we're lucky that in water polo, we all attack and defend. And we're incredibly prepared, everyone on the team. Javi gives us that confidence so that, even if you're alone, you'll have the confidence to score.

—

You're from Sabadell. You live in Sabadell. You trained at the CN Sabadell. And you beat the CN Sabadell.

— I trained there, and I'll always remember that. My father was a ski instructor, and I've always played sports, but when I went to the club to swim, I saw water polo and thought it was fun. In the end, if there's a ball involved, it's more entertaining. I did a test, they saw I had strong legs from skiing, and they told me to play water polo. And I was delighted. I owe a good part of who I am to them; it's the club that has best looked after women's water polo. But I had to leave, and now I've been away for two years. When I face them, it's easy; you want to win. I've found a family-friendly club in Sant Andreu, magnificent, and in the locker room, we're a group of friends. For many years, Sabadell has been the benchmark for looking after the base and with seven Champions League titles. But now it's our turn. Javi Aznar has been doing a good job at Sant Andreu for years, and now the success is coming. We want to win more Champions League titles. It will be difficult, since luckily the level is rising and we have other clubs like Mataró working well. If there's rivalry, it's a good thing. If we have close finishes, our sport wins.

Now the challenge is to win the League for the first time?

— Yes. It's the thorn in our side from last year. And a title that rewards perseverance. We'll fight tooth and nail if necessary to win it, even though it will be hard. Last year, Mataró defeated us and hurt us.

A year ago, you were also on the verge of going to Paris, where you won gold. What a season, you...

— That was a huge experience. Paris is a memory I'll remember forever; that's what winning an Olympic gold medal means to an athlete. It was exciting, as some of my teammates had been fighting for a medal for years and finally got it. The younger players enjoyed it, but it was special to see the ones who'd worked hard for many years reach the top. Players like Anni Espar, who for me is the greatest role model. For me, she's the definition of excellence: hard work, discipline, organization, methodology... I've always wanted to have her mentality.

Anni has played in Australia and the United States to learn and improve. Have you appreciated that?

— I thought about it. I could study in the United States, but then I thought again. The best clubs are here in Europe.

What's better? An Olympic gold medal or a Champions League title?

— In a short time, I've won gold in Paris and now the Champions League, a different title but just as beautiful. Have you seen how the club members look at the cup when they enter the facilities? You see the girls who want to be players, excited when they look at it. You see the lifeguard who calls out the eighth notes for you in the pool is happy. You see the grandmothers congratulate us. It's beautiful.

Before the final four, CN Sabadell issued a statement denouncing the fact that the International Federation pays the men's European champion eight times more than the women's. How do you see it?

— The difference is terrifying. It's no longer the prize; I think it's a more structural problem. The opportunities for women, the broadcasting of matches, the organization of venues. final fourThey told us that a few weeks before. And the prize money? I highly doubt the boys earn eight times more than we do. It's unfair that the tenth place finisher in the men's Champions League earns as much as the women's champion.

How are you approaching the Olympic cycle leading up to Los Angeles 2028 with your new coach, Jordi Valls?

— We're really looking forward to it, but it's also a change of team; some veterans are leaving. I think it's going to be difficult because people are very used to it. We recently played in the World Cup and finished fourth, without any medals. We've realized that medals don't just come. If you don't work, if you don't put in the effort, if you don't train as hard as or even harder than your rivals, they won't come just because. We're very calm because we know it's a process, but it's true that we're used to winning. And that can be dangerous.