Sports

Aitana Bonmati exclusive: Barcelona’s Ballon d’Or winner tells it like it is

Published

7 months ago

September 20, 2024

Aitana Bonmati exclusive: Barcelona’s Ballon d’Or winner tells it like it is

When Aitana Bonmati won the Ballon d’Or last year, it brought a global spotlight to a player whose genius was crying out to be recognised.

Even now, it would be hard to argue that there is a better female footballer on the planet.

Over the past 16 months, Bonmati has won the Champions League twice and the Spanish top-flight, Liga F, twice with Barcelona. With Spain, she lifted the Women’s World Cup in August last year before adding the inaugural Women’s Nations League in February. Her goals and golden touch make her a leading contender to win another Ballon d’Or this year. Those skills have also attracted interest from the game’s biggest clubs.

While rumours of interest from Chelsea and Lyon were growing, the midfielder was working with Barcelona to renew her contract — one that makes her the highest-paid player in women’s football history.

This week in Barcelona, she spoke in depth with The Athletic, just a few days after signing a deal until the summer of 2028.

We met at Barca’s sports complex on the outskirts of the city, in a small room in the media centre. She arrived at lunchtime, hastily explaining she hadn’t yet had a chance to eat after a morning of training sessions and meetings.

Now 26, this has been Bonmati’s routine for a few years now: non-stop. But every day she drives back to her home in Sant Pere de Ribes, a small quiet town around 25 minutes down the coast. It is where she has lived all her life.

With a framed picture of the Camp Nou behind us — a ground she will grace again once reconstruction is complete — we talked about her renewal and much more.

We talked about her concerns that Spain’s domestic women’s league is slipping dangerously behind the WSL. We talked about the gruelling schedule for football’s elite players, and her belief that more should be done to protect them. We talked about the rival offers that came in as she weighed up her future — and her powerful connection with Barca and the place she grew up.

The Athletic: When and why did you decide to renew with Barca?

Bonmati: It was a process that started earlier than usual. In women’s football, you normally wait until the end of your contract and then you start negotiating. It was almost a year ago that my agent and I started discussions with the club. That says a lot about its importance.

In every conversation, there are difficult moments — or moments when you don’t agree — but both sides have been very respectful and everything has been handled internally, which I wanted. I didn’t want anybody else to know, and I’m thankful for that. Renewing now, at the beginning of the season, puts my mind at ease. I knew what I wanted and the club has made a big bet — for which I am very grateful.

Bonmati’s new Barca contract ties her down until the summer of 2028 (Nil Colomer)

The Athletic: There were rival offers. Were you tempted by other projects?

Bonmati: I wasn’t tempted to accept but I did listen. When certain offers are put in front of you, you have to listen and think about what is best for you. The priority has always been Barca, they have always come first. I always say that I like to listen and see what’s out there, but there won’t be anywhere like here.

I don’t know if there is another club in the world that moves as many people as we do. What we experienced at San Mames (when tens of thousands of Barca fans filled the stands for last season’s Champions League final victory over Lyon), I don’t know if any other club could experience that. We have achieved great sporting milestones and that gets people hooked. They are beautiful moments.

The Athletic: Which clubs were interested in you?

Bonmati: I prefer to keep that to myself. I don’t need to uncover offers from other clubs. I know I have received interest from several clubs and I am grateful. With Barca, we reached an agreement that makes us feel calm and proud. This is what has made me stay here, apart from the feeling I have for Barca.

Bonmati with her Ballon d’Or award in October last year (Franck Fife/AFP via Getty Images)

The Athletic: Your agent said Chelsea were willing to pay your €3million (£2.5m; $3.4m) buy-out clause. There was talk of interest from Lyon. Barca have made a significant financial effort to keep you. How do you keep your feet on the ground when you see that you can choose where to go?

Bonmati: I value everything that is happening to me. I am privileged. I have the power to decide where I want to be. This has been the result of a lot of hard work. I have worked very hard and I have suffered a lot too.

I always have my feet on the ground. I am a person who takes these conversations very internally with my people and my agent, Cristian (Martin). I always let myself be helped by people who know me well but the decision will always be mine. I have the personality to make it, but I try to listen to the people who love me.

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The Athletic: Was your connection to Sant Pere de Ribes (where Bonmati grew up) and Catalonia important in your decision as well?

Bonmati: I’m a small-town person and I’ve been at Barca for 13 years. It might seem like my comfort zone. All this is important but the most important thing is the football level of the team I want to play for. I am an ambitious person and I want to keep winning.

Barca are a winning team that competes for everything every year. We have won three Champions League titles out of five finals played. This is amazing. I don’t know if right now another club could give me what Barca gives me on a sporting level.

Bonmati celebrates the opening goal in last season’s Champions League final at San Mames (Alex Caparros – UEFA via Getty Images)

I feel privileged to be at home, to have my people close to me and to be lucky enough to grow up in a great club that has made me the player I am today.

The Athletic: When you started playing organised football at the age of seven, could you have imagined achieving what you have already?

Bonmati: Honestly, no. I’ve been finding it along the way. I’ve been making my own way. I didn’t imagine myself being a professional player until I was 17. I was at Barca B and I saw that the club was starting to invest in building a professional first team. I’ve fought hard and my head has taken me to the extremes of hard work and never giving up. But I have not done this alone, I am grateful to the people who have made me better.

The Athletic: You talk about extreme hard work. Have you learned to enjoy the process?

Bonmati: I’ve made quite a big change. Before, I suffered a lot and I wanted to have everything under control. Now I’m not like that, although I’m never going to change completely. I am the way I am. Last year, I learned to enjoy every moment more. It gives me peace of mind, knowing that I am improving as a player, as a person. In the end, you grow up too (laughs) and learn to enjoy moments that are sometimes fleeting.

Bonmati made her Barca debut in 2016 (Joan Valls/Urbanandsport/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The Athletic: As an ambitious person at a club like Barca, how does it feel to be in a league that is below its level?

Bonmati: If I started to look at Liga F, without taking Barca into account, I wouldn’t have stayed here. That’s how clear I say it. It’s sad to see how other leagues are overtaking us at an incredible speed when we have the potential to be a top league — because of the successes of Barca successes and the national team.

If with these strengths we don’t have a sufficiently important league, it’s something to look at. We are stagnating, it’s not getting any better. We don’t even have a (main) sponsor in the league. What interest is being put into this league? Who is running this league? Maybe we should be more humble, take the example of the English league (WSL) and see how they do things. And in the national team the same. If the changes don’t come, it’s a sign that the people who run this league are not interested in moving forward.

The Athletic: What did you hope would have changed?

Bonmati: If I start I’ll never finish — and I’m sure I’ll leave a lot out. We have to fight to make it a more competitive league and that means fewer teams. We have to look at the exemplary leagues in Europe and see how many matches they play.

We are the league that plays the most games. When Spain-based players go to their national team, either with Spain or others, we are the most disadvantaged in the world.

Spain beat England 1-0 to win the World Cup in August 2023 (Elsa – FIFA via Getty Images)

Who cares about our performance so that we can shine in every game? In the Olympic Games, we arrived exhausted because we finished the league on June 15 (Spain then also played two fixtures before the Olympic tournament started on July 25). The United States went to the Olympics halfway through the NWSL competition. That makes us small as players.

The Athletic: There have been other hard times — like what happened after the World Cup in 2023 (Luis Rubiales kissed Spain forward Jenni Hermoso on the lips at the medal ceremony after they beat England in the final, igniting a dramatic reckoning with appalling attitudes towards the women’s game) and Spain players’ struggles for better conditions. When do you think was the hardest moment in the whole process?

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Bonmati: There is never a quiet moment here. You can’t just play football and that’s it. There are always things, you see that things are not done well. I can’t single out the hardest moment because there have been many. There is a lot of wear and tear and there is even more wear and tear when you see that there is still a lot to do.

The Athletic: Let’s talk about football. In the last two years, you’ve been seen playing closer to the box. Do you feel more comfortable there?

Bonmati: Absolutely. I’m more dangerous near the box than far away. The fact that I can be closer to end situations makes me a better player; I can help my team-mates, and they can help me to be better. Playing there makes me a better player.

The Athletic: You have been nominated again for the Ballon d’Or. What does it mean to you? How do you remember last year’s ceremony?

Bonmati: it was a unique day that I could share with people close to me. When I was little I remember seeing Lionel Messi lifting the Ballon d’Or almost every year and suddenly you see yourself there, with the creme de la creme of football. I’m proud to be nominated again. It says a lot about the great work that has been done this year.

The Athletic: How would you describe the art of ‘llegada’ (arriving at the right time in the penalty area)?

Bonmati: You either have it or you don’t. It’s an aspect of the game that I’ve played since I was a kid. I’ve grown up with it.

I consider myself a very skilful player who moves well in small spaces. In the last few years, I’ve been improving my finishing and (effectiveness in) the last few metres by speeding up the play, whether it’s by driving the ball or breaking into space. I try to be a complete player. And the team-mates I have here make me a better player. We all understand the same style of play and that helps a lot. We help each other.

The Athletic: What facets of the game do you enjoy the most?

Bonmati: I really enjoy receiving between the lines. I can accelerate the play by driving with the ball, that’s something that sets me apart. There I can find the last pass or the pass before the assist, which makes it easier for another player to give the assist. I like to help find these crucial spaces.

The Athletic: And at home? How do you unwind when the door is closed and the curtains drawn?

Bonmati: (Laughs) I just don’t have a lot of time. In the last few years, something I’ve missed is having a bit of a holiday. It’s something important to totally disconnect and recharge your batteries, but it’s something that players from teams that play in everything don’t have.

I would like to criticise the calendar and all the organisations that I think should look after the players more. I try to make the most of the time I have. I have times when I read more, and other times when I read less. I try to do things that are good for me, like meeting up with my lifelong friends in my town square. These are things that I like, that make me happy, that distract me and remind me of the Aitana I’ve always been.

(Top photo: Getty Images. Visual design: Eamonn Dalton)

Related Topics:Barcelona Champions League Featured la liga NWSL premier league soccer UK Women's Football Women's Euros Womens World Cup

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Sports

How George Russell finished second in Bahrain Grand Prix with malfunctioning car

Published

8 hours ago

April 14, 2025

Press Room

How George Russell finished second in Bahrain Grand Prix with malfunctioning car

As the Bahrain Grand Prix unfolded and George Russell raced in second place, messages slowly came through on his radio that different systems were failing. Team principal Toto Wolff put it simply: “The car was wounded.”

The Mercedes driver suddenly suffered a brake-by-wire failure, and it took time to find the settings to reset the system, Wolff said. He lost the GPS, and he experienced onboard Drag Reduction System (DRS) issues, which led to his race engineer having to tell him over the radio when he could use the system.

The fear arose that the Briton “would lose the whole dash — which would have meant no buttons, no way to turn any of the settings,” Wolff added. All while navigating the final stint on the soft tire for over 20 laps and keeping a surging Lando Norris behind him, not once losing his concentration. But Russell pulled off the feat.

Sunday’s race might have been Russell’s greatest Formula One drive to date, a performance that Wolff described as “an unbelievable drive” to reporters. And while he did face an investigation after the race for an alleged DRS infringement, the stewards found he gained no sporting advantage, meaning Russell kept his second-place finish — a crucial points haul in a season where Mercedes doesn’t expect to be in contention for the championships.

But each millisecond, each point gain, matters when the margins are this thin throughout the grid. As Wolff said to Sky Sports, “I think it’s the driver who saved the result today.”

What happened to Russell’s car?

Russell admitted during the post-race news conference that he was pleased to see the chequered flag. The Briton had essentially driven in the dark (no pun intended, considering the Bahrain GP is a night race).

The Mercedes driver overcame the initial setback of the one-place grid drop from qualifying and passed Charles Leclerc at the start, holding onto second throughout the race. It didn’t come into question until the final stages as Norris navigated around the Ferraris and started closing the gap to Russell, all while Russell experienced a multitude of issues in his car.

All may have seemed well externally, but internally, a series of failures unfolded.

“It felt all under control for a moment, and then suddenly we had a brake-by-wire failure. So suddenly the pedal was going long, and then it was going short,” Russell explained, meaning he needed to push the pedal further or shorter than normal to get braking action.

“I didn’t know what was going on. The steering wheel wasn’t working properly, so it was really hard fought to keep Lando behind. I think one more lap, he would have got me pretty comfortably.”

A brake-by-wire failure essentially is when the electronic system that controls the rear brakes fails. When that malfunctions, the brakes are done manually by the driver rather than going through a system, which can make it harder to control the car under braking. Wolff likened it to when the power steering system fails in a road car, and to “imagine you have to adjust between one corner having it and the next one not having it.”

“That was just very good skill,” he said.

Well said, Boss 😤 The best things in life are never easy! ✊ pic.twitter.com/adOVTbK0H1
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) April 13, 2025

Then there was the GPS issue. Russell suddenly disappeared from the timing screens soon after the safety car period, a clear sign that something was wrong. His transponder stopped working, and not having that GPS data affected how he could use DRS. Without the data, it became harder to judge the gaps — not just from his side in comparison to other cars, but also for those around him, like Norris.

According to Wolff, the DRS beacon failed, which meant Russell needed to open the system manually. He tried “an override on the DRS,” Russell said, adding, “On one lap, I clicked the radio button and the DRS opened, so I straightaway closed it again, backed off — nothing gained.

“I lost more than I gained, it was only open for a split second, so kind of goes to show you the amount of issues we were having.”

The stewards did investigate the alleged DRS infringement, and they stated, “The connection between the automated DRS activation system and the car failed due to issues with a timing loop provided by an external party.” Manual activation was authorized.

“At the time, the driver was experiencing a brake-by-wire issue and other electronic issues,” said the stewards. “He was at that time advised to use an auxiliary button in the cockpit which serves as a backup radio button but also serves as a manual DRS activation button.”

The stewards confirmed what Russell had shared — that when he tried to use the team radio, DRS was “accidentally activated” when navigating one of the straights. According to the stewards, the telemetry confirmed the following: “The DRS was activated for a distance of 37 metres on a straight of approximately 700 metres. Whilst he gained 0.02 seconds, he gave up 0.28 seconds at the next corner to compensate.”

To be clear, that is a breach of the sporting regulations; however, no sporting advantage was gained so no penalty was handed to Russell or Mercedes.

All of this happened while finishing out the race and holding off a McLaren, arguably the fastest car on the grid so far this season, while on soft tires. Russell shared to Sky Sports how he didn’t have data on his steering wheel during the final stint, making it a compromised run.

“I’m not too sure how that one worked as well,” Russell said. “I saw Charles behind me on the hard and I saw 24 laps to go. I thought, ‘Jeez, how the hell are we going to make this work?’ But we did.”

Russell may have been able to pull this drive off, putting him within six points of Max Verstappen in the driver standings, but why these issues arose was unknown to Mercedes immediately post-race.

“We don’t know, probably some wiring looms in the car or anything else,” Wolff said. “Maybe it was triggered by the failure in the F1 system, and then it caused our system to go a bit bananas.”

Russell limped home with a second-place finish (Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

What does the result mean for Mercedes’ season?

McLaren may be dominating this season, with Oscar Piastri pocketing a second win and Norris having one of his own, but Mercedes has been consistently at the front, with Russell sometimes being the closest challenger, like on Sunday.

Across four races — all different types of tracks — Russell has secured three podium finishes, bringing home third in Australia and China. That type of performance is enough to build confidence within a team, particularly after the difficult stretch Mercedes has experienced with trying to find consistency in the current regulations.

“This was the real sort of test for us. We knew that our car likes the cold conditions, and the competitiveness we showed in China and Suzuka was no major surprise,” Russell said. “But this was going to be the question mark — here in Bahrain. And we’ve had another strong weekend. So it bodes well for the season.”

The Briton said Mercedes didn’t anticipate being close to McLaren in Bahrain, at a track where many expected the Woking-based team would thrive. But then Russell qualified second and teammate Kimi Antonelli fourth, before the one-place grid drops, and Russell said, “Qualifying on the front row was a real surprise.

“And then seeing Lando right up there on lap one behind me, I thought, ‘He’s going to fly off into the distance here.’ Oscar did an amazing job to control the race, but to keep Lando at bay, I was really, really pleased about.”

Mercedes sits 58 points off McLaren in the constructor standings, thanks to Russell’s podium finish. When asked if McLaren was catchable, Wolff shared that he felt the team was missing “a few tenths” on Sunday and wanted to see how future tracks unfolded. He pointed toward how the tide turned last season, with McLaren having a big momentum swing several races after finishing sixth and eighth in Bahrain.

But when Russell was asked if the Silver Arrows were title contenders, he cautioned against the suggestion.

“I’d love to say so, but I don’t think we are, to be honest. McLaren are just too dominant right now. I think this is probably going to be their peak performance — what we saw this week in Bahrain,” the 27-year-old explained. “And what we saw in China and Suzuka is probably their worst-case scenario and they still obviously got one victory from those two races.”

Russell added about the importance of capitalizing on moments and picking up points when possible, like they did in Australia and Bahrain.

When the battles are this close, being in the right place at the right time is crucial. We’ve seen that with Mercedes, as well as the battles in the midfield, so far this season.

“I don’t expect this to continue for many races to come,” Russell said, “but who knows.”

Additional reporting: Luke Smith

(Top photo: Clive Rose/Getty Images)

Sports

JD Vance nearly fumbles Ohio State's national championship trophy during White House visit

Published

9 hours ago

April 14, 2025

Press Room

JD Vance nearly fumbles Ohio State's national championship trophy during White House visit

Vice President JD Vance, an Ohio State University alumni, was eager to meet with the Buckeyes football team at the White House on Monday to celebrate the team’s national championship.

But he needed those Buckeyes to help him out just a bit after nearly fumbling their large, gold trophy out on the White House lawn.

After President Donald Trump, Vance, and head coach Ryan Day said a few words about the accomplishments of the Buckeyes this past college football season, pictures were taken, and the vice president took the opportunity to hoist the College Football Playoff national title trophy.

Vice President JD Vance holds the College Football National Championship trophy as he and U.S. President Donald Trump welcome the 2025 College Football National Champions from Ohio State University to the White House during a ceremony on the south lawn on April 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. Ohio State won the national championship by defeating Notre Dame in the National Championship game by a score of 34-23. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

However, Vance didn’t realize that the black base was nearly a stand for the gold vessel, and it almost fell out of his hands as he went to lift the entire thing.

Luckily, Vance recovered thanks in part to help from head coach Ryan Day and star running back TreVeyon Henderson, who were both quick to help him out.

Vance took the trophy off its stand and felt much more comfortable as the pictures continued on the White House lawn.

The vice president joked on X after seeing the clip of him going viral.

“I didn’t want anyone after Ohio State to get the trophy so I decided to break it,” he wrote.

OHIO STATE SPRING GAME: BUCKEYES HONOR THE PAST, SHOWCASE 2025 TALENT

Other than having the trophy, the Buckeyes also made Trump a custom Buckeyes football jersey with his name and the number 47 on the back in honor of his presidency.

Vance said he was “so proud” to be an Ohio State alumni on this day, while also pointing a finger at United States Senator Ted Cruz, who the vice president says needs to pay up on a bet.

“I want to say just a couple of words about this team because they really helped make a really incredible year even better for this very proud Ohio State alum,” Vance began. “First of all, I made a bet with Ted Cruz over the Texas game, a bet he has still not paid up on. Ted Cruz, if you’re watching on TV — I don’t like losing any bet, but I really don’t want to lose a bet to Ted Cruz. So, thank you all for helping me win that bet against Ted Cruz.”

Vance also admitted mentioning to Trump that he wished to see the Buckeyes face the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the national championship, but it landed on Jan. 20 — the day of Trump’s inauguration as the 47th president.

“The second thing, I asked the president on Jan. 20 I said, ‘Sir, would you mind if I skipped that final inaugural ball to go to the Ohio State national championship game.’ The president said, ‘No, but we’ll have them at the White House.’ So, here we are celebrating their national title,” Vance said, laughing.

“You guys were resilient. You were tough. You represented the state of Ohio well. You represented the whole country well.”

Trump commended the Buckeyes for battling through the 12-man playoff, especially after tough losses to the Oregon Ducks and Michigan Wolverines, the latter of which being Ohio State’s most bitter rival.

Vance even pointed out that someone was wearing a Michigan hat during the ceremony at the White House, and jokingly said he’s going to tell Secret Service that the person had a “dangerous weapon.”

The Buckeyes defeated the Fighting Irish, 34-23, in the national title game, which was capped by a beautiful deep pass from Will Howard to Jeremiah Smith late in the fourth quarter.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

Sports

How do the Lakers match up against the Timberwolves entering their playoff series?

Published

9 hours ago

April 14, 2025

Press Room

How do the Lakers match up against the Timberwolves entering their playoff series?

Season Series: 2-2

Oct. 22, 2024, in Los Angeles

Lakers 110, Timberwolves 103

The Lakers won their season opener as LeBron James and Bronny James become the first father-son duo to play as teammates in an NBA game. JJ Redick’s first win was sparked by the Lakers holding Minnesota to just 42 first-half points. Anthony Davis dominated with 36 points, Rui Hachimura had 18, LeBron James had 16 and Austin Reaves scored 12, the Lakers shooting five of 30 from three-point range. Anthony Edwards led Minnesota with 27.

Dec. 2 in Minneapolis

Timberwolves 109, Lakers 80

The Lakers had a season low for points, playing without an injured Austin Reaves (hip contusion). The team made only six of 31 from three, with D’Angelo Russell making four of them. Anthony Edwards shot just three of 13 , but three different Minnesota reserves scored in double figures off the bench.

Dec. 13 in Minneapolis

Timberwolves 97, Lakers 87

The Lakers offense was only slightly better in Austin Reaves’ first game back from injury. LeBron James was out dealing with a foot injury. Four players not currently on the roster played significant minutes — Anthony Davis, Max Christie, D’Angelo Russell and Cam Reddish.

Feb. 27 in Los Angeles

Lakers 111, Timberwolves 102

Playing with their full rotation, the Lakers held Minnesota to 17 first-quarter points while leading by as many as 17 points. LeBron James scored 33 and grabbed 17 rebounds while Austin Reaves had 23 and Luka Doncic 21 against Minnesota, which was playing without Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert. Rookie Terrance Shannon Jr. led Minnesota with 25 points off the bench. Anthony Edwards got ejected and played just 26 minutes.