Marigol, the first big signing of the Barça women's team
The Mexican star arrived at a Barça team that had just been promoted to the First Division
BarcelonaThere was a time when Barça women's team competed in the Second Division or fought to stay in the First. Years when the great women's football team in Catalonia wore white and blue – Espanyol – and when the stars were not from Barça. Maribel Domínguez, known as Marigol, was Barça's first major international signing. The footballer, born in Mexico City in 1978, arrived in mid-2004-05 season as one of the best players in the world.
“It gave us a huge boost in visibility. We started appearing in the media and it revolutionized women's football,” recalls Natalia Astrain, coach of that Barça. In a season and a half, Marigol played 31 matches with the blaugrana shirt and scored 15 goals that helped the team stay in the First Division.
The Mexican not only helped athletically, but her media impact also allowed the club to close a tour of Mexico and go from playing on an annex field to playing at the Miniestadi to be able to broadcast the matches on television. “It was a signing that opened doors and put Barça Femení a on the international map,” assures Astrain.
The forward arrived in Barcelona, as she could not play for Celaya, a men's team in the Mexican league, after an express prohibition by FIFA. Under the name Mario, Marigol had already played with boys when she was younger. “For two years they thought she was a man,” the player explained in an interview with the BBC.
After her short stay at Barça, in 2007 she signed for Estartit, with whom she was promoted to Primera. Marigol, who retired in 2015, has managed the lower categories of the Mexican national football team and the absolute beach soccer team. In recent years, she has also played matches in the Queens League, the seven-a-side football competition created by Gerard Piqué which is also played in Mexico.
