This Sunday, the triumphant season of the Barça women's football team had its crowning glory: in the final of the Copa de la Reina - the Queen's Cup - the Catalan team beat Llevant, from Valencia, 4-2, and ended up winning an historic treble: Copa, Lliga, Champions - as some would later chant. And thus the history of Spanish women's football becomes tinted with Futbol Club Barcelona's crimson and blue.
The shame of queen Letizia and Luis Rubiales
It was a match in which the favourites ended up making good the predictions. Having spectacularly walloped Chelsea 4-0 in the Womens' Champions League final, and with the league also done and dusted, the team led by Lluís Cortés imposed its football, its quality and its goals in the Butarque stadium of Madrid's Leganés club. A Barça team with the brilliance to reign and mark an era.
But the problem was not anything to do with the football, as there was a great spectacle on the field, nor connected with the fans, as the easing coronavirus situation meant that there were spectators cheering from the stands, but rather, it was institutional. The great embarrassment was the absence of the key authorities. Neither was the Spanish queen Letizia present to see two great teams fighting for her cup, nor did the president of the Spanish football federation, Luis Rubiales, attend the final. Without any message or excuse. The two top institutional figures connected to the Queen’s Cup erased themselves.
Spanish queen Letizia Ortiz with Luis Rubiales applauding in a previous cup final. / EFE
The response of the Barça players
However, the royal shame found a brilliant response in the action of the Barça footballers. In the absence of Letizia to award the title, Barça attacking midfielder Alexia Putellas took on the role of the Queen of the Cup, as in addition to scoring two goals in the final, her teammates crowned her with a tiara in the press room.
Alexia Putellas, crowned. / RFEF
And later the Barça players themselves staged their own queen's presentation of the cup, although in Barça's joke version the Consort of the Head of State wore a Barça shirt with the number 17 and name A. Pereira written on it. The FC Barcelona players made a guard of honour and curtsied reverently as the trophy was ceremonially handed over. Andrea Pereira herself commented on social media: "I see the queen has changed a lot since the last cup... but here she is."
Beyond the humour of the Barça footballers, the institutional performance in this final was embarrassing. None of the supposed hosts deigned to appear in the final of the Copa de la Reina. But Barça also made history. Neither queen Letizia nor Luis Rubiales were needed in the stands because the absolute protagonists were the members of the Catalan team.
Main image: Vicky Losada and Alexia Putellas celebrating the Cup victory which gave them a first-ever treble for Spanish women's football. / EFE