Barcelona star Aitana Bonmati has urged Spain's Liga F to do more to elevate women's football in the country.
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Bonmati criticised Liga F for lack of exposurePraised WSL and NWSLRecently penned extension with BarcelonaFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Bonmati has returned to Spain fresh off winning her second consecutive Ballon d'Or but the 26-year-old is not happy with the situation in her home country. Barcelona's star midfielder says Liga F are not doing enough to elevate the league's presence and believes they should be doing more to help women's football gain a reputation similar to England's Women's Super League and the United States' National Women's Soccer League.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT BONMATI SAID
Speaking to ESPN, Bonmati said: "The league in USA, they are doing the things good in terms of marketing and communication and they want to be the top one, as well as [the WSL] also in England. So I think these both leagues are one of the best in terms of treatment, how they treat the women's football, how we deserve.
"I always say the same about my league. I'm not happy how they treat us because I think they have a product… the footballers, a good product because we are winners of the Champions League three times and also World Cup winners and Nations League winners. So you have the product to explode that in terms of marketing and commercial to make money because it is important to make money to develop.
"And I think there is a lot to do here and I would like to have a more competitive league because this is the best for the people who are watching us and also for us to be better every year. If you compete in a good league, you can compete with the best players, with the best teams and you can be better."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Bonmati's harsh words may be a wake-up call for the executives at Liga F, who will want to ensure they keep hold of their fine crop of players. Spain have dominated both across Europe and at international level in recent years but risk losing their stars if they do not satisfy their want to grow with the women's game. In England, the WSL is getting increased funding, more coverage and higher attendances due to how it is marketed, a department the women's game in Spain is lagging behind in.
Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR BONMATI?
Spain and Bonmati will be back in action at the end of the month when they face South Korea and France. As for her career with Barcelona, they sit five points clear of Real Madrid after nine games in 2024-25.