WOMEN'S SOCCCER BY: SEAN MASLIN
BARCA LADIES TAKE THE FIRST
F
C Barcelona and first-time ever are two phrases that aren’t used in the same sentence very often. The colossus of club football is very often at the top of the winner’s podium for competitions on both the women’s and men’s side of the beautiful game so when they do accomplish, it is a very special moment. Such was the occasion in Gothenburg for Barca as they defeated Chelsea 4-0 to claim top honors. The victory marked a number of firsts for the competition. Barca’s win was the first for a Spanish side in the competition, breaking a five-year run by Lyon who were knocked out in the semifinals. With their win, the side from Catalan becomes the first team to also
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SOCCER360 JULY • AUGUST 2021
win both the women’s and men’s Champions League. While the firsts are certainly nice, the work that the side has put in to make it happen is perhaps even more impressive. Although they were founded in 1988, the Blaugranes have only been a fully professional side since 2015. Like many clubs, Barcelona’s top brass almost exclusively focused on the men’s game leaving women’s football as mostly an afterthought. That philosophy across seems to be changing with the major clubs like Barca moving towards a more equitable solution between both genders. This season saw three of the major European clubs (Barcelona, Chelsea, and Manchester City) all make major inroads in
