Mariona Caldentey: "Alexia Putellas was our reference, she has been a host"

• Injury Alexia Putellas, Ballon d'Or and star of Spain, breaks the cruciate 24 hours before the start of the European Championship

• History 40 years are everything: from the Swedish triumph in the mud to the 100 million that will move the Women's European Championship

When she returns to

, the 20-somethings she faced as a teenager still remember her.

"'

!' they tell me. It's curious and funny."

She remembers it with laughter

(Felanitx, Mallorca, 1996) from

, where today the

debuts in the

Championship as an applicant.

She will do it against Finland (18:00, TVE), without

, the country's top scorer, and without

, last Ballon d'Or, seriously injured 24 hours before the start of the competition.

Without them, much of the offensive responsibility remains in the hands of Caldentey, a teammate also at

, ​​who talks about all this with EL MUNDO.

In the 2019 World Cup in France, the media wall was knocked down.

Now it's time for sports? The World Cup was a before and after in how Spanish women's football was experienced, broadcast and felt.

Now in England it is even bigger.

In these three years, Barça has won a Champions League, we've broken stadium attendance records... All of that is engaging. Is there pressure? Well, we haven't really achieved anything great with the national team.

We are a strong Barça group and with Spain we have been good at qualifying for the Euro and the World Cup, we have competed against anyone.

It is normal for people to get excited and you have to know how to live with it.

We are the first ones who want to do it as well as possible. Favorites or contenders? I think there are 6 or 7 teams that are contenders because they are more worked on.

It's hard to talk about favourites.

A Euro is six games, the level is even and at the minimum you go out.

We have grown a lot since the World Cup and although we have significant casualties, it is time for Spain to do something big. Speaking of casualties.

It must have been a very tough few hours in the training camp after Alexia Putellas' injury. Yes, we're not going to kid ourselves.

Everyone knows how important Alexia is to this team.

And also Jenny.

Alexia was an important pillar, she is our reference, one of the captains, and she is a sensitive casualty.

But it is football and these are things that happen, the rest of us have to take responsibility, take a step forward and try to make up for that loss.

We have one more reason to play a good role. Does his absence make you smaller or does it triple? It's a big host.

We had to go through that duel, accept it and we are going to try to make us stronger.

Everything good that happens to us will be dedicated to Alexia, Jenni and Virginia Torrecilla, three captains who will not be with us. Do you, who play for Barcelona, ​​assume part of that responsibility? I think players like Aitana, Patri (Guijarro) or me at an offensive level, or Irene (Paredes) and Mapi (León) in defense, we have to take those stripes and take a step forward.

And I am delighted with that responsibility. Has Jorge Vilda, the coach, spoken about the issue with you? There has been no direct message, but we know our role and those of us who remain safe and sound will do our best. A failure and a roof. It's difficult... Not getting past the group stage would be a failure, we ourselves would feel like it.

And in the other direction... I don't put a ceiling on this team and hopefully the road will be long.

How did football come into your life? When I was 5 or 6 years old I started playing on the school team.

My older brother played, my cousin too, my father trained... In my house everything was soccer, soccer, soccer... So when I had the opportunity, I signed up. Now it's his turn to be the top scorer. (laughs).

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