Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmatí: Liga F needs to follow WSL’s lead

Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmatí has voiced concerns that Liga F is “stagnating” and believes the league should show humility and take inspiration from the Women’s Super League (WSL) to reach its potential.

Despite Spain’s triumph at the 2023 World Cup, the league has struggled to develop, leading several players to move away to the WSL in England, the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) in the United States and the Liga MX in Mexico.

Bonmatí, widely regarded as the best female footballer in the world, has spent her entire career playing in Liga F. Despite Barcelona’s success, she has expressed frustration over the league’s insufficient support and infrastructure, which she believes are holding it back from becoming one of the best leagues in world football.

“Other leagues are overtaking us at an incredible speed, when we have the potential to be a top league, an example of a league,” the 28-year-old told The Athletic.

“We are stagnating. We are not getting any better. The league does not even have a sponsor; what interest is being put into the league? Who is running the league?

“We should be more humble and look at how the English leagues do things, and if those changes do not come then it is a sign of people who run this league not being interested in moving forward.”

Two of Bonmatí’s compatriots and former Barcelona teammates — Laia Codina and Mariona Caldentey — have moved to the WSL in the past 12 months, both choosing to play for Arsenal.

Codina signed for the north London side last season after Spain’s World Cup win while Caldentey moved on a free transfer this summer and is set to make her WSL debut on Sunday against Manchester City.

Caldentey shared Bonmatí’s thoughts over the lack of development in Liga F, where she spent a decade playing for Barça.

“The Spanish League is not going how we would like it,” she told BBC 5 Live Sport.

“When England won the Euros, everyone could see a really big change in the league and we missed [that] in Spain.

“We won the World Cup, and it changed nothing, so I think it [the WSL] is right now the best league to play in.”

Codina echoed her teammates’ feelings, adding: “I really feel that nothing changed in Spain [after winning the World Cup].

“Here, you can see that everything is changing; everything is improving. The clubs are spending more money. Maybe that’s why more Spanish players are coming here because it’s a challenge and an exciting place.

“Of course, in the national team, they ask a lot [about the WSL]. They want to know how it is and how it is going here. I hope that we can bring more people here.”

Earlier this month, Bonmatí signed a new contract with the Champions League holders, committing her future to the club until 2028. Reigning WSL champions Chelsea had expressed interest in the midfielder and were willing to pay the €3 million ($3.35m) release clause, her agent Cristian Martin told Catalunya Radio.

A source told ESPN that her new contract will make her the highest-paid women’s player globally.

“My decision to stay is 100% because of Barça as a club and if my decision was focused on the league instead of the club, then I would not have stayed, this is clear,” she said.