Alexia Putellas mentioned she hoped to return from a severe knee damage earlier than the tip of this season however refused to debate her future with the Spanish nationwide crew after profitable her second successive ladies’s Ballon d’Or on Monday.
The reward for Putellas, 28, got here after a season during which she was the highest scorer as her membership Barcelona reached the Champions League closing.
| Karim Benzema Wins Ballon d’Or, Alexia Putellas Retains Ladies’s Prize
The prize, awarded at a star-studded ceremony on the Chatelet Theatre in central Paris, can also be a comfort for Putellas who’s at the moment recovering from a severe knee damage.
The damage noticed her miss the Euro in England in July and means she faces a battle to play in any respect this season.
“The knee is doing nicely. I simply have to give attention to recovering and if all the things goes as I hope — and because the docs and my membership hope — I hope to be again taking part in this season,” she mentioned.
There’s a World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in July and August subsequent 12 months, though the presence of Putellas seems in some doubt anyway for causes aside from her damage.
The Barcelona captain just lately printed an announcement calling for change, together with 15 nationwide crew gamers who requested to not be known as up by Spain, amid variations with the coach Jorge Vilda and the Spanish soccer federation.
“All I’m going to say at this time in regards to the nationwide crew is that clearly it’s a subject that makes me very unhappy,” she mentioned.
– ‘Day for celebration’ –
“I believe it must be spoken about however at this time isn’t the day. This can be a day for celebration, a historic day, and that’s all.”
Putellas noticed off stiff competitors, notably from three stars of the England crew that received the European Championship, to take the Ballon d’Or following a marketing campaign which additionally noticed Barcelona win a home league and cup double.
“It makes me much more irritated to be injured, however I’m very pleased to be right here,” Putellas added.
“To retain the trophy is way tougher. After I injured my knee I assumed my probabilities of profitable it had gone however ultimately the jury based mostly their determination on the entire of final season, of which I solely missed one month.”
Putellas scored 11 objectives within the Champions League final season as holders Barcelona reached the ultimate however misplaced to Lyon.
It’s simply the fourth time {that a} ladies’s Ballon d’Or has been awarded, with Norway’s Ada Hegerberg profitable the inaugural prize in 2018 earlier than United States famous person Megan Rapinoe succeeded her in 2019.
There was no Ballon d’Or gala in 2020 as a result of pandemic earlier than Putellas received it for the primary time final 12 months after serving to Barca to Ladies’s Champions League glory for the primary time of their historical past.
Putellas had already received the UEFA participant of the 12 months prize in August.
Whereas Karim Benzema of Actual Madrid was the overwhelming favorite to win the lads’s prize, the id of the ladies’s winner appeared far much less sure.
Beth Mead had been a number one contender after scoring six objectives for England on their run to Euro glory on residence soil, their first main match victory.
Her England teammates Lucy Bronze and Millie Shiny had additionally been nominated, as had Hegerberg, who helped Lyon beat Barcelona within the Champions League closing.
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