Why Barça and Fridolina Rolfö have parted ways prematurely

Barcelona"All good things come to an end, and now is my time to leave this very special club and take the next step in my journey." Thus begins the farewell letter that former Barça player Fridolina Rolfö published on Monday night, which took a good portion of the fans, as well as her teammates, by surprise. "The truth is, I just found out. I went into the locker room, they told me, and I had to leave. I don't know anything else; I haven't been able to speak to her. The truth is, it makes me sad because she was a very important player. I want to talk to her, and if she believes it's the best decision for her, we must respect that." just after the Spain-Belgium Euro Cup match. "We just played. I don't know much, but the only thing I can do is show my gratitude for all the years she's been with us. I think all the fans are very proud of the commitment she's had to the team and I want to wish her the best of luck because she's been a great teammate all these years," she commented.

The fact that the news of Rolfö's unexpected departure took the dressing room by surprise is explained, on the one hand, because the club doesn't usually inform the players if someone is leaving or signing, and, on the other, because the players aren't in the middle of a team dynamic with Barça; instead, most are playing in the E division. The first to say goodbye to her on social media was Aitana Bonmatí, who was also unaware of the news. Aside from being teammates for the past four years, the Ribes native maintains a great friendship with Rolfö. In a message on her social media, written in English and featuring a photograph of the two hugging, Aitana bid him farewell in this way: "One of the best people I've ever met in the world of football. I wish you the best, we'll miss you," and closed the message with two heart emojis.

The reasons for Fridolina Rolfö's farewell

Although one of the positions that the Barça club's recruitment department has been tracking on the market for some time now is that of a young left-back, Rolfö (who will turn 32 in November) still had one more year on his contract and his was not one of the names that were, a priori, on the exit list. However, his departure is explained by the pressing financial needs of the Barça club.

In the Barça offices, they are sweating blood to cut costs and stop having an excess wage bill, which is hindering the registration of footballers. The sports salaries of the women's team, as well as those of the club's professional sections, directly affect the fair play that is conditioning Hansi Flick's squad. That's why the club has been happy to save part of the salary that Rolfö would have received for the remaining season as a Barça player. The Swedish international, who renewed his contract in January 2023, was a significant signing in the summer of 2021. The winger – who initially arrived as a winger, but ended up accumulating many minutes as a full-back in four seasons at Barça – arrived from Wolfsburg having emerged as one of the best wingers on the continent.

On the other hand, the player hasn't been complacent about the year remaining on her contract, although she was upset that the club didn't see her participating in the European Championships favorably due to the sprain she suffered, precisely with the Swedish national team, at the beginning of June. Aside from that, Rolfö has also seen how her role at Barça has been in question this season. Since her arrival, she had been a regular in the starting line-ups for major events. In fact, she says goodbye with thirteen titles under her belt: four La Liga titles, three Queen's Cups, four Spanish Super Cups, and two Champions League titles. She also scored the comeback goal (3-2) in the 2023 final against Wolfsburg at the Philips Stadion. Months later, in September, she suffered a serious meniscus injury in her right knee, which required surgery and left her out of action for almost 300 days.

That same summer, Barça signed Esmee Brugts (soon to turn 22), who plays in the same position as Rolfö and was a long-term prospect who arrived on a free transfer after making her debut at just 17 with PSV. Brugts's progress, coupled with the struggle to regain her form before her serious injury, has seen the Swedish international's prominence threatened. In fact, she was one of the main doubts in Pere Romeu's starting eleven for the Champions League final, although the coach ultimately opted for her. Finally, after 129 matches, in which she scored 38 goals and provided 37 assists, Rolfö has agreed to a change of scenery and begin a new era, which will likely include a move to Aston Villa under Catalan coach Natalia Arroyo, where goalkeeper Ellie Roebuck, who Barça has also terminated, already plays.