Vicky Losada: “Espanyol has always been my biggest rival”

Vicky Losada once said she would never play for another Spanish club besides Barcelona. Now, after a decade abroad, she is preparing to face Espanyol in a Badalona Women shirt, and says the change feels less personal than she once imagined.

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I always said I would never play for another team in Spain other than Barça, but many years have passed. Only Marta Torrejón remains, so I no longer feel it so personally. Even though I am wearing another shirt, for me it is still the same. Espanyol has always been my biggest rival. I have only played one or two clásicos against Madrid.

“I always said I would never play for another team in Spain other than Barça, but many years have passed. Only Marta Torrejón remains, so I no longer feel it so personally,” Losada said. “Even though I am wearing another shirt, for me it is still the same. Espanyol has always been my biggest rival. I have only played one or two clásicos against Madrid.”

Losada, born in Terrassa in 1991, captained Barcelona to its first Champions League title in 2021 and became one of the pioneers of Spanish women’s football by seeking professional opportunities abroad. She played in the United States, Italy and England before returning home this summer to lead Badalona’s project.

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It is like a family, a very young team, with a lot of joy. On the pitch I have also been very surprised that it is a team that wants to play football.

She describes her new club as a young, cheerful team that feels like a family. She has also been surprised by its desire to play football. Her role resembles the one she held at Brighton and Bristol, clubs that had only recently entered professional football. She wants to help younger players while learning roles that may prepare her for retirement.

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We are very fortunate that a fund like this is investing in women’s football. We have to feel privileged, but things take time. Money does not change everything overnight.

Losada says the investment fund Mercury13 will give Badalona stability, but cautions that money alone cannot change everything overnight. The club wants to reach the top six in Liga F and become an example on and off the pitch. She also says England remains ahead of Spain in television coverage, infrastructure, club structures and player conditions, helping explain why some players move there. Of Alexia’s decision to leave, Losada says it was mentally difficult but consistent with a player who knew she wanted to go at her best moment.

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They want to build a professional club that is in the top six of Liga F. We should be an example on and off the pitch.