#fuck you rfef

[putellas14]

[theitaliansalad]

we might have to start considering the fact that Mariona caught the dum-dum bug that circulates around Arsenal.

[samkerrworshipper]

las 15.

mapi leon x reader, alexia putellas x reader (platonic)

warnings: the spanish federation ick

erm look at me posting something 😮 anyways enjoy haha i kinda hate it but need to feed yall somehow

“You need to be aware of the consequences of what could happen if you sign this document.”

You stared down at the mahogany surface of your lawyers desk, it was dark, sanded, smooth and shiny. Contemporary, but it also looked old, like a heirloom. It distracted your from the non stop drawl.

“I don’t care, I’m signing it.”

Your eyes travelled along the surface, lookinbg at the different waves of wood and the way that the dark colours marbled together.

“The RFEF could come for you, they could try and take your license. You might not compete at the world cup, the press will come for you, Vilda will come for you, Barca could reduce your playing time, it could be the end of your career. There are other negatives.”

You’ve thought about all of them of course, how could you not?

“I’ve already said it, I don’t care. Let them come for me, let them do whatever they want. I am done with it all. Fourteen other players have signed it, no? I will be the fifteenth and that is final.”

You weren’t a big fan of your lawyer, he was old and money oriented. He also didn’t have your best interest in mind, his sole focus was earning you as much money as possible, which had been fine up until today.

“So what? You plan to be the best in the world and never play international football again? This will ruin your career, it will put an end to the Ballon D’or campaign, it will change things for you, you can’t just do this because your girlfriend does it as well, this will be detrimental for you.”

The wood grooved at the edges, flattening out and curving so the edges weren’t too sharp.

“I refuse to stand by and submit myself to abuse. That’s what happens every time I go to that place, every time I go to camp I submit myself to abuse, torture, horrific conditions. The fact that you would even dare imply that I would do this for anybody but myself is preposterous. I am better than the condition I am being subkmitted to, I deserve better than to be objectified and treated as if I am dirt on that man’s shoe and I refuse to be treated as such. I have standards for myself and the people around me and I refuse to live by these for much longer. I’ll draft up the letter, I’ll send it to you for editing purposes and once your done you will send it to the RFEF, consequences be damned. You should be glad that I lasted two more windows then everyone else, honestly I’m ashamed that I didn’t do this earlier, but I’m ready to take a stand with everybody else now. I don’t want to play in a World Cup if it means this is how I will live my life.”

You looked up at your lawyer, hoping the fire burning in your soul was reflective in your eyes.

“This is a bad decision, you are thinking with your heart and not your head, this is unlike you.”

You pulled your eyes from the mahogany, standing up from your seat slowly.

“No, I’m thinking with my own interests, not yours, not my managers, not my bank accounts. I’m thinking with my mental health, my emotional health and my physical health. For the first time in my life I am taking time to focus on myself, so tyeah maybe it’s unlike me, but I’d like to think this might be the a better version of me, I’ll email you my letter, all you havr to do is forward it, if it’s such a struggle don’t even bother reading it, I don’t care what you have to say, I’m legally obligated to make you aware of any contractual issues so here I am. Give a fuck, don’t give a fuck, it doesn’t change anything for me, I’ve made my decision and nothing or nobody will make me change my mind.”

You didn’t wait around to hear what he planned to say in rebuttal, exiting the stuffy office as quickly as your legs would allow.

You made it to your car before you felt the tears flooding down your face. Even now, even after you’d tried to speak out you still felt like you were being silenced, like nothing had changed. That’s why you were doing what you were doing, why you knew this was what you needed to do. It didn’t make it any easier though, knowing that no matter what choices you made, even if they were for the good of you there were still going to be people around you who condemned them.

You were supposed to be at training, but you’d taken the day of to finalise all this bullshit. It was frustrating, knowing that the choices you were making for the good of yourself could end up being harmful to your career in a multitude of ways, it was all so fucking hard.

Everybody was at training, and yet here you were balling your eyes out in the carpark of your stupid fucking lawyers office.

If you hadn’t hit rock bottom at the last camp, the this was it, this was your final straw.

It was all too much, you’d been holding out for too long, but the mixture of the other 14 girls refusing to come back and Alexia’s injury had been enough of a motivation for Vilda to try and ruin your life. It had started with extra training after your sessions, then sessions in the mornings, then separating you from the rest of the team, limiting your diet, gym sessions, changing your schedules to everybody elses, punishing you for nothing, treating you like you were a slave to the Spanish Women’s team.

You were the best midfielder they had, excluding Alexia, and she was hurt, you were the scapegoat for the team, you were responsible for the wins and the reason for the losses.

You knew that with your leave, somebody else would end up taking your role, probably Aitana who was far to young to deal with that kind of pain, and you felt bad, you felt more guilty than you thought possible, but you couldnt do it for any longer, you couldn’t act like it wasn’t killing you on the inside for every second that you spent away with those people.

You hated it, you hated feeling like nothing, you hated feeling worthless, you hated living your life like it was pointless, you couldn’t do it for any longer, not when you were giving up every single part of yourself to keep yourself together.

You couldn’t stay how you were, crying in the drivers seat of your car milling over the memories of your last camp, you needed to leave, needed to go somewhere, needed to talk somebody.

Before you really knew what you were doing you’d started driving, letting the tears drip onto your lap and the steering wheel as you frantically drove your way through the city.

You couldn’t be alone, but you also couldn’t handle all the eyes of your teammates, so you drove to the one other place that you could think of where you hoped somebody would be.

You tried your hardest to wipe the tears from your face, but they kept falling, the sleeve of your shirt getting damper by the second as you tried to wipe up the evidence of your breakdown. It was useless, and eventually you gave up, stepping out of your car and ducking your head as you walked towards the lift and navigated your way through the apartment building.

The person you were looking for didn’t answer the door, instead you were put face to face with Olga.

“Hola chica, Ale didn’t tell me she was expecting visitors.”

You bit down on your lip, tapping your foot against the floor as you peeked around Olga, searching for the person you were seeking out.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t tell her, I can go home, I know she’s been busy with her rehab, I don’t even know how I ended up here.”

Olga tugged at your arm before you could spit anything else out, tugging you through the door and closing it from behind you.

“Nonsense chica, you’re very welcome here, Alexia is sitting out on the balcony doing her exercises, she’ll be more than happy to have your company, just head on through, your always welcome here.”

You nodded at Olga, smiling at her as much as you could with your lip still stuck between your teeth.

“Thank you, thank you so much, I really appreciate.”

You tried to ignore the tears that were still dripping down your face, it didn’t feel like you were crying, even though you were, it more felt like you were shedding a layer of yourself, the layer that was holding all of the trauma that you’d been holding in, like it was your way of getting rid of it all.

Alexia’s apartment was meticulously clean as ever, but you spotted her out in the sun easily.

She was standing outside, in a pose similar to ones you did in your yoga sessions.

She looked at peace, like she was calm, like she was serene, the complete polar opposite to how you felt and you really didn’t want to burden her with your problems, but you were here now anyways.

You tiptoed over to the glass sliding door, pushing it open, causing Alexia’s head to peak up at you. She looks at you with curiosity, but doesn;t move, instead her head nods you towards one of the outdoor lounges beside her, which you beeline for.

She stays in her position as she addresses you.

“The appointment with your lawyer didn’t go well then?”

You did a double take as you stared at Alexia, shocked at the information she’d somehow managed to obtain.

“You don’t take me for a idiota do you? Mapi told me you had a appointment you were keeping quiet about this morning, it doesn’t take a genius to figure it out who it must have been with, considering recent events. Although your girlfriend wasn’t smart enough to work it out herself.”

Alexia stayed in her stretch, looking at you as if to prompt you to tell her more.

“Yes, I had a appointment with my lawyer, Alexia.”

Alexia smirked to herself, she was one of the most obersvanet people you knew, nothing got by her, you weren’t all that surprised to find out that this hadn’t.

“You’ll be joining the group then?”

You hadn’t really comes to terms with it, let alone saying it out loud.

“That’s the plan, should be official by tomorrow.”

Tears were still dripping down your face, you couldn’t find yourself caring though.

“Good for you. You deserve better, we all deserve better, may we all hopefully make a change.”

Alexia wasn’t officially a part of the movement, but she was everyway besides a signature as equally involved as everybody else.

“It just feels like i’m letting the team down, that I’m letting everyone down.”

Alexia nodded at you, finally coming out of her stretch and walking over to sit down next to you.

“You’re doing what’s good for you chica, your doing something that is going to make you happier, that is going to make your life better. Nobody else matters beyond that, trust me.”

Alexia looked at you, like she was genuinely struggling to help you out in the moment. She had been your mentor at Barca for forever, you seeked out her advice more than anybody elses, especially in this moment.

“I don’t know how to do it anymore, it’s like he was trying to ruin my fucking life, like his whole purpose for everyday was to make my life a living hell, and I just couldn’t do it anymore. I couldn’t walk around camp acting like it was fine, I couldn’t smile at cameras and talk to the press and tell them about how great I was feeling when it was all lies, all I wanted to do was leave, or sleep, or die, all because of his and his staff. They were hardly feeding me, hardly letting me sleep, hardly giving me a break and expecting me to perform at the same level as everybody else, if not better. I just couldn’t do it anymore Ale, it was too much.”

Alexia’s arm placed itself on your knee, squeezing your covered skin.

“You shouldn’t have to, you needed to leave and you did, you made the right decision chica, you made a impossible decision that will make your life 100 times easier, it doesn’t make you weak, it makes you so incredibly brave for being able to identify that you were being treated wrongly and that you needed to remove yourself from that space.”

The tears kept falling, your pants were slowly becoming soaked with the raw emotion.

“Mapi did it because of the abuse, because she had a legitimate reason, I’m leaving because they worked me a little bit harder than everybody else, it feels like I’m overreacting.”

You could feel Alexia rolling her eyes from beside you.

“Really? Has Mapi told you that?”

Mapi had told you that you deserved the world, you deserved everything you wanted, you deserved to be treated like a queen, not how the RFEF was treating you. She’d told you the decision was yours, that she would support you no matter what you did, but she’d also told you that after every camp you came back with a little bit less of yourself, that Vilda was stripping parts of you away to use at his mercy.

“It’s not the same thing, Patri, Pina, Mapi, they all have good reasons, they’ve all been hurt, Vilda is just trying to make me better, trying to make me worthy.”

Alexia’s hand squeezed tighter.

“You’re lying to yourself and you know it. As long as he is in charge, you aren’t going to get treated how you deserve, none of us are. We’ve all paid our dues, yet they don’t give a shit, they break us all down until we’ve got nothing left to give. They broke me down until I did my acl, if you hadn’t of left they would have done the same to you. It’s nonstop, even if it isn’t the same kind of abuse as Mapi, it’s still abuse, they still rip out every part of you in the process. Each time you come back you have less of yourself to offer, but they keep taking, and taking, they make us feel nothing. It’s a waste, it’s a waste of the wonderful life we’ve all been gifted. We deserve to be happy, we deserve to be free of the pain.”

You nodded your head, you’d been avoiding telling Mapi about all of this. You were conscious that she was still working through a lot of her own trauma, and you didn’t want to reopen scars that were only just beginning to heal.

“I don’t know what to do Ale, I sign the papers, I write the letters and I’m taking a stand, I’m trying to make a change. I stay, I wreck it all, but I keep my career. It feels like I’m at a crossroads with myself, and I can’t talk about it weith Maps because god forbid shes already been through enough with her own struggle through it all, she doesn’t need me on top of that.”

Alexia stood back up, getting back onto her mat and pushing herself into another stretch, all whilst she maintained eye contact with you.

“Mapi’s talked to you about her struggles, si? She’s burdening you with her own problems, yet it doesn’t feel that way, because you love her and you’d do anything to make her pain less. I guarantee she’d feel the exact same way. You’ve been through a lot, none of us will ever be able to completely comprehend what you’ve been through, but if you started talking to your loved ones about it we’d be able to support you better. Or a therapist, I know Barca has been giving you sessions, but I mean a real psychologist, not just a person who tells you that you need a day off. You need somebody to help you, to actually make you feel like you deserve better than how they treated you, because I know that you know that but I don’t think you really believe it.”

The tears were slowly coming to a standstill, slipping less frequently down your face as Alexia talked to you.

“I don’t want to make her hurt any more than she already has.”

Alexia just looked at you, with that double eyebrow raise and little crinkle in her forehead.

“If you think that Maria wouldn’t do anything for you, even if it meant sucking every single inch of pain from your body and putting it into hers, she would do it and she would do it with a smile on her face. Her whole world, her whole solar system revolves around you and she’d want you to talk to her about this. She knows better than anybody else what you’re experiencing, she’s literally been where you are, so why not talk to her about it?”

It was true, for as long as Mapi and you had been together she’d tried to fix every single thing, she would do anything to make you feel better, this didn’t feel the same though.

“She deserves to live in a world where Vilda, where the RFEF, don’t affect her anymore. She signed the petition, she’s cleaned her hands of it all, and I should have done it with her, but I didn’t. I chose to keep playing for the benefit of my career, because I was greedy and decided that a Ballon D’or and any kind of accolade I was a shot at was more important then taking a stand and I hate it. I hate that now that I’ve won things that suddenly it’s all hit me that I don’t like what’s been happening, and I don’t want to support it. Mapi doesn’t deserve to go through it a second time, all because I was greedy.”

Alexia switched sides on her stretch, the sun was radiating off of her olive skin and her blonde hair, she looked ethereal.

“Have you told her anything about it?”

Alexia was frowning, like she was shocked by your actions.

“She knows that I was struggling at camp, she told me I was welcome to talk to her. After the last one she knew something had changed, she told me she was worried and I shook her off, because I thought she was being overprotective, but she was right, she had reason to be worried, I wasn’t okay. I’m not okay, i don’t know how to process it all.”

Alexia nodded.

“Go home, tell her what’s happening, see what she says, I think it’ll be a lot better than whatever you’ve thought up. Mapi has been my bestfriend for years, she’s dated my sister, she’s dated my friends and I can confidently tell you that she loves you more than any of them, you’re her do or die, all she’ll want to do is support you, please just go and talk to her.”

Alexia looked at you with such conviction and honesty that you couldn’t find it in you to try and fight her on the topic.

“Thank you Ale, I needed this, I needed to talk to somebody, needed to feel less crazy.”

Alexia did one last stretch before standing up, pulling you into a tight hug before you could pull away.

“You’re not crazy chica, you’re going through a very real, very hard time, and you deserve to have the people around you show you how much they love you.”

Alexia let go of you, shoving you back towards the door.

“Go talk to your girl, and sign those papers, and be happy, enjoy life, enjoy peace. You deserve it, chica.”

You nodded into Alexia’s shoulder, letting go of her and slipping back into her apartment, leaving her to get back to her stretching.

You shivered when you spotted Mapi’s car already parked in her spot. You knew you’d be cutting it close with getting home earlier then her, but you’d held a silent hope that you would be the first home. You hesitated to exit your car, scared of what the inside of your apartment held. You weren’t scared so much, more a little bit tentative of the conversation that you were about to have, knowing that it could majorly impact your relationship. In your heart, you knew that Mapi would love you no matter what, but it didn’t calm the nerves inside of you as you pulled your keys from the ignition, pulled out the papers that your lawyer had given you and exited your car.

The whole walk from your car, to the elevator and then down the hallway to your apartment had your heart thrumming inside of your chest. Your hands were quite literally shaking as you pushed your key into the door.

You toed your shoes off at the door, slotting them down beside the door before slowly walking your way through the entrance. It wasn’t hard to find Mapi, she was right in front of you, sitting down at the island bench, patting Bagheera and eating a post training salad. You knew that there was one meant for you still sitting on the shelf of your fridge, from when the two of you had meal planned yesterday. She looked so undisturbed, with the afternoon light coming in through the gaps in the blinds and the general silence that you were about to break.

You announce yourself by slinging your bag down against the wall, a loud enough noise that seems to wake Mapi from her happy daze.

She smiles as soon as her eyes set on you and it only makes the weight in your gut feel ten times heavier and the pain in your heart ten times worse.

You wanted to turn around and walk right back out the door you’d just walked through, but you couldn’t, not with the way that Mapi looked at you, like her whole day had been made by your appearance.

“Hola bebita, how was your meeting?”

Mapi’s smiling ear to ear, quite literally, you swear you can see every single one of her teeth. It had hurt you to lie to Mapi about where you were going today, telling her that you’d had a crucial appointment with your manager about some media things, it wasn’t a direct lie. You had met with your manager, instead of it being positive though, it had been quite the opposite.

You didn’t have any words to reiterate to Mapi, so instead you just picked up the papers that were tucked away in your hands and placed them down on the island infront of her.

Mapi looked at you with confusion for a few seconds.

“Just read them, you’ll understand it more once you have.”

Mapi didn’t hesitate, picking up the first piece of paper and scanning over it, before moving onto the second, then the third and so on, till she’d made it through the entire stack.

You stood anxiously on your toes the whole time, balancing from one foot to the other as you contemplated how Mapi was going to reply to this sudden change.

When she did finish, she looked up at you, a lot of questions hidden behind her curious eyes.

“I’m resigning, or requesting they don’t call me up. I don’t want to play for a federation that doesn’t care about me. I’m sorry I didn’t do it earlier, but I wasn’t ready and I’m sorry I’m bother you with it now but I’m also sorry I didn’t tell you about it earlier, I met with my lawyer for the first time today to sign the documents and write my statement. If it all goes to plan then they should be out in the next week. I don’t want to do it anymore, I can’t do it anymore, I’m sorry.”

Mapi blinked a few times, like you’d just blindsided her completely, and you figured you had.

“I didn’t even really know it was happening until after last camp, and I just realised that I was so exhausted and so tired and so sick of it all that I couldn’t do it again. I should have done it earlier, I should have been a part of it all from the start but I was scared and I still am scared Maps. This is supposed to be my job, I’m supposed to be grateful for the opportunities I’m given and yet I feel like I’m a fraud and I’m lying when I say that because I’m not grateful and I’m not happy and I can’t do it anymore, I just can’t. I’ve been praying every night that I get injured, so that I get a break like Ale, and I don’t want to feel like that anymore.”

Mapi just stood up and pulled you into her arms, silencing the rambling and making you realise that you were now crying again.

She slowly led you towards the couch, bringing you into her arms as you tried to take control of yourself.

It felt like every piece of anguish, every piece of fear, every piece of internal hatred was slowly being pulled from your body and it felt so good, like you were somehow being healed.

Mapi wiated until you were coherent enough, until you felt more resurfaced, and less like the bloodn was rushing through your ears and every though of self-doubt was spirally through the different ridges of your brain.

“Princesa, you’ve made this decision for you, si? Not because of me, not because of anybody else, because you believe this is best for you?”

You nodded into her chest, enjoying the feeling of your own skin pressed directly to hers.

“I’m sick of them making me feel this way Maps, I don’t like it, I don’t think it’s right.”

Mapi’s body was surrounding you, her scent, her feel, her everything, and it was all you’d needed today, everything that Alexia had assured you would make you feel better.

Mapi’s salad was forgotten on the counter.

Bagheera was somewhere else.

It was just the two of you, just the two of you to face everything.

“We’re put into boxes, as women, men try to make us be everything and yet nothing. It’s not right, we’re expected to be as good as the men, but we have to behave eloquently, say our pleases and thank yous and never be ungrateful for the piss poor conditions we put up with. We’re supposed to be passionate, but we’re not allowed to over react in any way. We can only underperform, not overperform. There are no expectations for us, because we’re women and we’re supposed to be worse than the men, but they’re are also so many expectations for us to meet. It’s okay for you to be done with that, there is nothing wrong with you saying no to constantly being abused. You’re not a fraud bebita and I’m here for you no matter what. You’re my girlfriend first, a person second and a soccer player last. It doesn’t matter, none of it matters, you matter, you’re feelings and how you feel is what matters.”

Mapi’s hand pulled your head from her neck, her lips connecting with your forehead with ease.

“I’m not doing it anymore Maps. I want to be strong, I want to say no. I want to be a part of the right side of history. I don’t want to sit around pretending everything’s fine when it’s not fine. It’s nowhere near fine and until there is a change it won’t be.”

Mapi nodded, pressing a series of kisses to your forehead.

“Then we’ll work it out, you’ll keep me in the loop and we’ll figure it out together, no more hiding these big feelings from me. We’ll go and see our therapists and take soe time off and do whatever you need to feel safe and happy, because what matters is you, nobody else, si?”

You nodded your head once again, enjoying the same smile that her face was covered in. her lips migrated down to your cheeks, pressing kisses to the rosiest parts, pushing the tears away.

“I’ve got you bebita, we’ve got each other, we’re going to be fine, we all are.”

[pers1st]

she's got a way (she got away)

inspired by chappel roan's the subway!

pairing: alexia putellas x reader

summary: after the World Cup, your mind is set on leaving Spain - Alexia doesn't expect you to leave her too

It was clear, from the moment the Euros ended for the Spanish national team, that this situation would, at one point, escalate. You had been sure of it, despite the fact that all throughout the tournament, you hadn't been able to focus on anything but your girlfriend's recovery. Her knee was in pain, and so was her heart, and you were in England, unable to help due to the strict rules Jorge had set up.

Along with Irene, Mapi and Jenni, you were one of the most experienced, as well as one of the most vocal players. Your manager was slowly losing the team - it was evident that no one would really listen to a thing he said anymore, and he needed you to keep them in check. At least that was your theory as to why he appeared in your room almost every night, asking you the most absurd questions, and calming his mind with the thought of you keeping his back.

You didn't, though. It was merely the worry clouding your head that had you unable to speak your critiques, as you had done before. Jorge didn't need to know the reason, though - you were quiet, that was all he needed for now.

Alexia welcomed you back to Barcelona with open arms, though she noticed the bags under your eyes and the residue of salt on your cheeks. It was hard to miss - the fact that you were completely and utterly done. You were done.

You wouldn't go back to the Spanish National team. Not like this, and not without Alexia.

Your girlfriend was your biggest rock, and despite the fact that she was undergoing her own struggle, or perhaps that was the exact reason why, the two of you leaned onto each other more than ever. Set under pressure by the RFEF, the only way for you to escape was to lean your head on your lovers shoulders and close your eyes. Alexia didn't need to hear. She knew what was going on, without you ever speaking it out loud, and just before the World Cup, she started fighting hard for the federation to make up for their mistakes, and finally give their players a bit of fucking attention.

Still, she had to beg you. Had to beg you to come back, promising she wouldn't leave your side, promising things would be different, better. And they were, for a little bit.

The moment you allowed yourself to believe that your voices had been heard was a fleeting one. The referee blew her whistle, the English players fell to the ground in disappointment, and Alexia sprinted towards you full charge.

A moment later, when you were lifted into the air, and touched in places that left your skin burning, it was gone again. That little faith, the tiny bit of hope. It was gone. And a part of you was, too.

You had your medal. You had your picture with the trophy, you had a week of alcohol.

But still, the World Cup was tainted, and the horrifying response by not only the Spanish federation but also the Spanish press, and people, they made everything else unimportant.

You had been holding off on extending your contract. You had told the club you weren't sure yet-

You had been sure. Before the World Cup, the whole discussions and meetings had been merely a strategy to have a little more compensation for the work you did - it had been your agent's idea, but you had agreed either way.

Now, you weren't sure.

Spain felt different, in a way. You didn't believe that the country wanted you anymore, partly because you had been very vocal about what had happened, partly because the RFEF had told you so. Despite Rubiales' resign, they wanted an apology, a public one, for the comments and statements you had published. Otherwise, they didn't want you anymore.

That fateful email slipped further down with every new email you received, and by the time you told Alexia about their threats, the transfer window was almost closed.

It was rainy, that night. It never really rained in Spain that often, especially not in September. Your girlfriend had hoped the two of you could sit on your balcony and enjoy a glass of wine, for once. But it rained and you sat on the couch and before Alexia could place her drink on the sofa, something within you broke.

You didn't want to leave - you wanted Spain, wanted Barcelona, wanted Alexia.

Tears fell from your eyes so quickly Alexia didn't know what to do, almost spilling her beverage all over the couch in order to get to you.

"Amor, what's wrong?", she asked, over and over again, until all she could do was wrap her arms around you and hold your shaking frame until you calmed down enough to say something. Anything. She really just wanted to hear your voice.

"I think I have to leave", you breathed, finally, just when Alexia had believed you to be asleep.

Silence remained in your shared apartment.

And it seemed even more present when your last things had been moved to Manchester, and you were gone for good.

Your voice still sounded through the hallways, usually as the of two of you cooked dinner, separated by the ocean and phones on the counter, loud speaker enabled. You had vowed to each other to speak regularly, FaceTime if possible, and make visits as often as possible.

Alexia couldn't get used to it, though. It was quiet.

However, the changing room was louder than ever. With every week that you played in the color blue, the girls had something new to talk about. Alexia couldn't participate, because as much as she wanted to, it only reminded her that another week without a phone call had passed. You had said you were tired, yesterday, and you had said so the day before as well.

Moving was big. Especially if it was to another country. Alexia believed that you were tired, she really did.

"She scored another, on Sunday. Did you see?", Mapi pointed around the room animatedly, laughing along as Pina enacted the way you had put your entire force behind the shot, almost falling over her own legs as Cata leapt to the side, pretending to miss a shot.

"It was so good! She is shining!"

Unsatisfied with the acting performance of her own team, Alexia decided she needed to see for herself. Barcelona was playing this Friday, and since your game was on a Sunday, she would have enough time to fly over to Manchester with Jana and watch you and Jill in person.

It was a surprise, and she could see in your eyes as you gazed through the family section, that you genuinely were surprised. Leia was standing next to you, arm across your shoulder, finding her own friends in the crowd shortly before warm up would begin.

You radiated, waving to Leia's parents, shortly before your eyes caught those of your lover. Though you hadn't seen them in a while, you recognized them instantly, and your smile dropped for a split second, before it grew even wider. Waving your hands through the air, the stadium seemed smaller, all of a sudden. Alexia felt a rush of warmth throughout her body. Then, you turned around, focussing back on the task ahead, the way you always could.

Alexia could see it, then. You were happier than you had been for a while. She knew the weight that had pulled you down over the past year, and despite the fact that she was genuinely relieved to see you get on so well, it also inflicted a pang of something else.

Was it jealousy? Was it fear?

Jealousy that Manchester gave you something Alexia never could?

Fear that you would come to the same conclusion?

Alexia couldn't tell, but she could tell, as the stadium roared with each of the goals you scored, that you were happy. Jumping into the air to celebrate a goal you merely would've smiled for in Barcelona, all of your teammates crowding you happily, tapping your head and laughing along as you jogged back into position - you were different.

You had changed, silently, right in front of Alexia's eyes. She knew it was for the better.

A brief talk after the game followed, an excited kiss over the barrier, an apology as you rushed to the changing room to get changed, promising to meet her in the lounge after.

Then came the reassurance.

No, it's fine, I don't have to go for drinks with the others.

No, really, I want to have a nice evening with you before you have to leave again.

Of course I want to know how things are in Spain.

The word left your lips as though it sliced your tongue in the process, and despite the fact that you watched Alexia's brow furrow for the split of a second, the both of you never mentioned it again. The conversation dulled out, and despite the fact that Alexia was going to meet Jana at the airport hours later, she slowly began gathering her things.

You didn't stop her.

You brought her to the airport, and she promised Jana was on her way already. You wouldn't need to wait with her.

The previous goodbye had been different. There had been tears cascading down the both of your faces, whereas this time, there was merely a little glimmer of wet in Alexia's lashes.

There had been promises and plans, when you had left Barcelona. Plans to visit, promises to call, to make this work.

Now, you didn't even know when you would come back to Spain. If you would come back to Spain.

Your Catalan was rusty already, a hint of an accent coming through, that shocked Alexia at first.

She knew it was for the better, though. You weren't sad to watch Alexia leave, and Alexia would learn to live with that. It took two hours until Jana came. By the time the two walked towards their gate, Alexia's tears had dried. By the time the plane touched down in Barcelona, your lover had made up her mind to call you later. By the time she got to training later, she could only answer Mapi's question -

How is she doing?

With a wet "She got away."

Mapi didn't even question her best friend's answer, didn't furrow her brows at the prospect of her two best friends' breaking up, she merely offered a bitter smile.

Good for her, Mapi thought, too scared to voice her words out loud for the fear of hurting Alexia. Unbeknownst to her, your ex girlfriend thought the same exact thing.

[didalexiabreakupwitholgaisback]

se acabó initial thoughts (part ii - final) - one thing is clear, the documentary did not sportswash the face of rfef, the opposite in fact, and it's worth the watch, as heavy as it is! 🙏:

what was quite profound was the recounting of the meeting with jorge vilda during the world cup qualifiers when aitana starting saying that they thought the group was unified, but then players started changing their story and said things that contradicted what they had told the other players before. and then the documentary would pivot to the faces of ivana, olga, and teresa. chills. 😤

and then olga says that she doesn't even want to give her honest opinion for this documentary 🙄

at least tere had the balls to say that she had the culpability of not saying something to the players earlier so they didn't feel so blindsided.

but at the end of the day, when irene calls you disrespectful, you know you have fucked up. 😬

the filtrations and leaks by rfef are vile and despicable. they only did that to embarrass and persecute the players even more.

i'm happy that andrea peláez participated in the doc to give the media's role in this because they were henchmen of rubiales and only threw more mud at them. only a handful of journos (like andrea) reported fairly and were on the side of the players.

honour to lola gallardo and sandra paños who gave up everything and did not hold back in the doc.

and yes, i absolutely think that this is what led to the rift between laia and aitana, 100%. laia did it so she could get playing time. it is what it is.

alexia was one of the facilitators to get some of the players to return to the selection before the World Cup and start the work from within to get some changes made.

and the scenes with irene, alexia, and jenni together were the most powerful, laughing and crying together. 🥹 we are so lucky to have these dinosaurs as our true captains and references! 🙏

so ultimately, there's nothing new in this documentary that we don't know already. but do i still think watching this documentary is worth the while? yes, absolutely. it's so important to hear this straight from the players themselves.

[danilixouz]

She says she chooses based on “performance”. Montse makes it very clear that this is not for sports reasons. She knows she cannot take out Alexia and Aitana as they are the best. She decides to remove Irene Paredes??? She’s been our captain for many years and has given us so much! Irene is also currently one of the best center backs in the world rn. Jennifer Hermoso not being called up either is fucking bs. She sends a clear message to the players “Be quiet.”. She’s gradually removing players who spoke out.

Irene Paredes Out

Jenni Hermoso out

Lola Gallardo out

Esther González out

Sandra Paños out

Mapi Leon out

Do you see a pattern?

These amazing players could win everything but wouldn’t be called up because they annoy RFEF.

Mapi Leon: “I have a way of life and VALUES…I cannot go back if the situation doesn’t change.” - RAC1 (12/6/2023)

Montse Tomé: “Mapi still feels she doesn’t want to join the national team, and we respect her decision.”

Ana Crnogorcevic and Vero speaking up about this.

Translation: “being a starter in the best club... it must be because of performance, right?

(I ask for a friend)”

Gracias por todo Leyendas siempre serán capitanas. ❤️

[ellatoone7]

Don't know if you've seen the Videos of Alexia at the airport getting followed by paps. Would you write a fic where reader is also playing on the national team and is together with Alexia. Maybe Reader is just as famous as Alexia. When Alexia gets swamed by paps (which by the way reader hates cameras) reader all but drags Alexia through the crowd. And after making sure Alexia is ok she gives the paps an ear full about being a bit nicer.

Respect (Alexia Putellas x reader)

A/N: I can’t even begin to imagine what the girls must be feeling right now. The most horrible situation to be put in. Those girls are truly the biggest inspirations to everyone! 🫶

The situation was absolutely impossible. Alexia knew that, you knew that, your teammates knew hell the whole world knew that. You watch Alexia retype the statement over and over again, you can’t possibly fathom how she manages to fit the injustice of what’s happened in one A4 page.

Alexia has been silently seething since the call up, you didn’t think she could get angrier but you were proven wrong when Patri and Mapi’s name popped up.

You walk over to your exhausted girlfriend hoping to offer some comfort, “Baby, you need to get some sleep.” Your arms rest on her shoulders as you watch the fight leave Alexia’s body.

“I don’t know what to do.” Your girlfriend looked to you for an answer knowing that you wouldn’t have one either. Instead of telling her it will be okay, you try to offer as much support as you possibly could.

Your head was absolutely pounding with all the thoughts running through your head. The anger was always there, it never really left. Even hearing the name of that fucking federation sends you into a frenzy that you try to contain.

The fear was new, sure you had always known that the RFEF were an absolute piece of shit but you never thought it would get this far. You were nearly positive that it ended with Rubiales and Vilda going down but you know that was naive thinking.

After hours of deliberation, you and Alexia knew that there was no other choice but to go. Your career wasn’t something you were overly worried about knowing that you had made the most of it while you could but the thought of leaving the younger girls behind to suffer scared you more than anything the RFEF could ever do to you.

That’s how you find yourself walking through the airport, the arm wrapped around your waist tightens as Alexia spots the press hoping to god she would somehow be able to find the both of you invisible.

You stayed close to your girlfriend, you had never been a fan of the cameras even more so now when you’ve been forced into this situation.

Alexia stayed calm knowing that her getting angry would help no one, her main priority right now was getting you through the mob of people safely, it was the only thing she could control at the moment.

“Just breathe, Mi amor. Ignore them.” You hear Alexia whisper as she places a reassuring kiss to the crown of your head, wanting to just get it over with as she walks towards the media.

The minute they catch sight of the two of you, you’re swarmed. You tuck yourself impossibly close to the blonde, you try to calm yourself down at the amount of questions they throw your way.

Alexia keeps her eyes forward, occasionally glancing at you making sure the reporters keep their hands to themselves. You hear Alexia respond calmly to a few questions thrown her way but you can see that your girlfriend is quickly getting overwhelmed.

No one else would be able to tell with the mask she’s perfected over the years but you can see the slight panic in her eyes as they dart around the place.

You know that her arm that’s wrapped around your waist is as comforting for her as it is for you, you discreetly place your own hand over hers letting her know you were okay.

She glances down at you nearly tripping over a stray lead of a camera, she immediately apologises and your heart aches at how good your girlfriend is even in this horrific situation.

As your gate finally comes into sight, you hear her answer to one particular question, “How are you feeling?”

“Well bad.” Your heart shatters at her defeated tone, you know this has been slowly eating away at her. There is only so much pretending one person can do and you know she’s quickly reaching her limit.

They give you room to breathe once you have finally reached your gate, she waits for you to go first but you insist that she does as she has her details ready on her phone.

She shoot’s you a grateful yet slightly worried smile, not feeling secure with leaving you behind even if it’s for less than a minute. You kiss her cheek letting her know that you’d be fine and also to thank her for unnecessarily taking the brunt of the press.

You watch her walk through the gate and once she’s out of sight you turn to cameras, the rage that you had tried to put aside for your teammates' sakes flamed up at the sight of your distressed girlfriend.

The press catches on to the fact that you haven’t followed the older girl and immediately fires questions at you. You ignore every single one of them wanting to make sure they understand every single word you are about to say.

“We are in an impossible situation, one you couldn’t even imagine. The last thing we need is you people sticking your cameras into our faces when you don’t know the half of it. I will not stand here and watch as you create more false accusations to add fuel to the already massive fire. Alexia is an absolute saint for putting up with all this shit give her some room to fucking breathe and have some respect for this horrific situation we have been put in.”

You don’t think you have ever spoken to a camera as much as you just have, you knew there could be some repercussions but you find yourself not caring as the tension eases just a little bit.

The press have gone dead silent, no doubt in shock as they witness your normally shy and composed persona switch before their eyes.

With one last deadly glare you make your own way through the gate, desperate to get away from their prying eyes but also desperate to feel your girlfriend's touch.

“What took you so long? I was getting worried.” You felt slightly guilty seeing the concern on the already stressed girl's face. You cup her face soothingly as you press a soft kiss to her lips. She visibly relaxes as her hands find your hips, “Are you okay?” You nearly cry at the question, how can she ask you that when she has the weight of the national team on her shoulders.

“I am now that you are here.” She cracks the first genuine smile of the day, holding you close to her as she relaxes knowing no one is watching.

“We are going to get through this, Alé. I promise you.” You reassure as you tuck your face into her neck, she rubs a hand down your back, “I’m not going to stop fighting.” You sigh knowing that she would destroy herself if it meant everyone else would be okay, the love you feel for the brave, selfless woman overpowers every other feeling.

With one more firm kiss you make her another promise, “And I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

[yamumsyadadd]

Las Blancas v Barca

teresa abelleira x barca!leon reader

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It wasn’t supposed to be a secret, or to come crashing down in the way it did. 

Tere wasn’t that much older than you, just four years. It was less than AMC and Mapi’s age gap but to your big sister, Tere was ancient. 

You officially met Tere when you were called up to the Spanish squad after the Las 15, at barely 18 years old it felt like a huge responsibility, and it was. Mapi had resigned from the team, as had fourteen other players. It look a lot of difficult conversations with Mapi, your parents, and Irene before you accepted. Even though Mapi had she she didn’t want to hold you back or hinder your career in anyway, you could tell there was a part of her that was disappointed. Not in you, but in the RFEF. 

It was the beginning of the rift between the two of you and that’s why your relationship with the Las Blancas player was kept a secret. From everyone. 

“Hi! I’m Tere, you’re Mapi’s little sister right?” 

“Yeah, y/n. Nice to officially meet you.” We shook hands in the lobby of the RFEF accommodation quarters. 

“Vilda asked me to show you around.” You walked around for a while, Tere showing you the lounge area, the cafeteria and the kitchen room. “It’ll be good to get to know you when we aren’t battling against each other on the field!” She laughed and you knew then you were in trouble. 

Ever since that first day at camp, you were in deep. The curly haired, freckled face girl forced her way into your heart. No matter how hard you tried, she was always in your head, even when you were back in Barcelona and she was in Madrid. 

It was in Australia after the World Cup final when all the feelings came out. 

“Tere! We are world champions! World fucking champions!” The alcohol was coursing through your veins at the point, slightly aware of what you were thinking but the ability to stop yourself wasn’t there. 

“We are! And there’s no one else I’d rather do it with.” The skin under her hands made you tingle.

“You’re so beautiful.” It was meant to be a whisper but it was the complete opposite. 

Her lips came crashing down onto yours. It took a few seconds for your mind to register that this was a real thing and not just one of your many frequent dreams. Those few seconds was all it took for Tere to pull back, looking slightly horrified. 

“Oh my god. I’m so sor-“ it was your lips that shut her up. The only way you could describe the feeling of kissing her was like coming home. You both got carried away before she gently stopped. 

“Go on a date with me?” You agreed embarrassing fast. 

The dates were hard to navigate once you were back in Spain but you made it work and now, almost a year later, you were happy in your relationship even if it was a secret. 

It was the first camp back after the disappointing loss that followed the Olympics. Spains first, and potentially last. Finishing fourth and losing the bronze medal game was heartbreaking, for all those involved. There were photos that showed you and Tere looking a little more than teammates but not enough for anyone to truly say anything. But that didn’t apply to Jenni. 

As much as you loved her, she irritated you more than anyone else. Her reasoning was that she was just as much your sister as Mapi was and since Mapi wasn’t there to give you shit, she did it on her behalf. 

It was meant to be just gentle teasing, all in good nature. But after a while it got to you. Instead of being mature and actually discussing it with your girlfriend, you just completely ignored her. 

“Y/n!” Her footsteps were getting closer so you started walking faster, “amor!” She caught up to you easily, grabbing your wrist to spin you around, “why are you ignoring me? What’s wrong?” 

“I can’t deal with it anymore!” 

“With what?” 

“The-the teasing, the jokes, everything! At first it was whatever but now? Now they kept saying how much Mapi would hate it, ‘Barça v Real on the field but lovers in the bedroom’, not everything is about fucking sex.” 

“Hey, hey, it’s okay. I can ask Jenni to stop?”

“No, god no. Then she’ll know it’s true.” Tere dropped your hand, a look of hurt flashing across her face. 

“Is that really so bad? People knowing that you’re my girlfriend?” 

“Tere we both agreed, we wouldn’t tell anyone.”

“Are you ashamed of me? Is that it? I know that Barça and Real have a huge rivalry but I didn’t realise you would be so ashamed to be seen with me.” 

“Tere wait!” It was no use, she was already gone, “that wasn’t even what I meant.” 

Begrudgingly, you decided to join the dinosaurs in the rec room. Jenni and Misa were playing pool and Alexia and Irene were on the couch. You forced yourself between your two captains, head following onto Alexia’s shoulder. 

“You okay nena?” Irene poked your cheek. 

“No I messed things up.” Both girls gave you a curious look, encouraging you to carry on, “I may have said something that I shouldn’t have to someone and it hurt their feelings but my feelings were hurt first and now they are mad at me.” 

“Is this person someone who is important to you?” 

“Very. I love her, so much and I want everyone to know how much but it’s hard.” 

“There’s a difference between private and a secret. Which one does this girl fall under?” 

“A secret.” You mumbled out, knowing that chastising you were going to receive. 

“I’m going to take a wild stab in the dark here and say that you and this mystery girl agreed to keep your relationship a secret during the World Cup but now she wants to tell people?” Irene gave you a knowing smile, all you could do is nod your head. 

“I think you’re overdue for a proper conversation with Tere.” Your head shot up at Alexia’s words, eyes wide as if you’d been caught with your hand in the cookie jar, “she’s a good person. I would say great but she plays for Real. Go talk to her.” 

You shot up on your feet, quickly hugging and kissing both their cheeks and then you were off. It took a lot of grovelling and the promise to slowly start telling people. 

There was a plan in place, it had been throughly discussed and agreed upon but that all turned to shit as soon as you entered the locker room after the first El Classico game of the season. 

Everyone was extremely happy, as usual. Standing there, at the door way, you just blurted it out. 

“I’m in love with Teresa Abelleria and we have been dating for a year.” The entire room fell silent, everyone slowly turning to look at you, but all you could do was stand there like a deer in headlights. That was definitely not the plan. 

“What?” It was your sister’s voice that cut through the silence. 

“I, um-“ 

“A year? An entire fucking year and you kept this from me?” Mapi had started to make her way towards you, fury filled her face. 

“I was planning on telling you. I was. But I needed time to figure it out myself and not have anyone butt in with their unwanted opinions.” 

“My opinion doesn’t matter to you? That’s a bit rough. Your opinion matters to me, y/n.”

“Mapi that’s not what I meant and you know that!” 

“Then what did you mean! Use your fucking words!” She yelled. Everyone in the locker room was just watching it unfold. 

“Ever since I got called up to the senior team you’ve been disappointed in me! After every single game you always tell me what I need to do better, never once have you said ‘you played well today’ it’s always critical! So I’m sorry that I didn’t want to give you something else to criticise me for.” You turned and slammed the door open. 

After mindless walking, you found the Real Madrid locker room, you knocked before you entered, not wanting to walk in on anyone naked or worse, a useless pep talk. Tere noticed the dry tears straight away, pulling you into her chest and whispering reassurances in your ear. It took a while before you calmed down. 

“Talk to her amor. Listen to her and talk to her. I’ll see you tomorrow yeah?” She kissed your cheek and squeezed your hand before leaving. 

The bus ride was tense. Mapi and Ingrid were talking in hushed voices, occasionally glancing over towards you but you never noticed, too far in your own head. 

“Y/n can we please talk?” Mapi asked nervously after you’d all gotten off the bus. 

“I guess.” You shrugged your shoulders, following her line of sight to see Alexia and Ingrid looking over. 

“I was mad at you for keeping a secret but that wasn’t fair of me. You have every right to keep your relationships private and not tell me.” 

“Okay, good night.” 

“No! Wait! You said, you said I have been disappointed in you since you were called up but that’s not true. Absolutely not true, I am so proud. I’m just scared, scared that they will treat you like they treated me and the others.” She took a deep breath before continuing, “you have always been the biggest light. You are so pure, so full of sunshine and I didn’t want them to take it away from you but in being scared, I didn’t realise I would be the reason that you lost your light. So I’m sorry, so incredibly sorry and I’ll spend everyday making it up to you.” 

“Okay.” 

“Okay?” 

“Yeah. Tomorrow Tere and I are going out for breakfast. Do you and Ingrid want to come?” 

“YES!” Mapi shouted, jumping onto you and wrapping her limbs around. 

Breakfast the following morning was tense. Mapi looked angry, Ingrid just ignored her and continued to ask Tere questions to get to know her, actually caring about her answers. 

“Mapi, I need to apologise to you.” Tere said nervously. 

“What?” Mapi looked taken aback. 

“Throughout the whole Las 15 issues I didn’t stand by you. I did things and said things that I regret. I am so sorry for that, if I could I would go back and change everything. Stand by all of you from day one. The club- they wouldn’t let us. It was them or you and I didn’t want to lose my position on the team.” You gave her hand a squeeze for reassurance. It was a conversation that you had both many times. 

“Thanks for apologising. It hurt to know that my own national teammates didn’t have my back. Truly, I wish you all the best but I will never return. I hope you’re looking after my little sister when she’s there.” 

“Of course!” 

“Good because if you hurt her, I will ruin you.” She said it with a big smile on her face and Tere audibly gulped. 

“Maria!” 

It definitely took some time for Mapi to see you as a grown up in a relationship and there were some arguments about the age difference but all in all everything went smoothly. On camp, Mapi made the dinosaurs watch over the both of you. Never allowed to have time alone with Tere. The dinosaurs took her under their wing, just like they had with you. 

[sunshine-theseus]

Mi Corazón | Olga Carmona x reader

Word Count: 2.4k Summary: you’re in the military, she plays football. You both have busy schedules, but you’ll always find time for each other. Warnings: angsty, fluffy. I’m learning Spanish but I don’t know an awful lot so I’m sorry if it’s incorrect😭, and if it’s a long conversation I’ll only write some things in Spanish. Request for: @thedarknessempress and @realsociadadferminofan - i'm pretty happy with this one so i hope you like it!

I hadn’t expected it to be this hard every single time. Of course I knew I’d miss my family and friends, but six months always felt longer than it seemed.

And then there was Olga. We already struggled to find time to ourselves before I was deployed but now it was a whole other issue. There were time zone struggles and she was getting ready for the World Cup while I was working with my platoon and showing people that I deserve my rank.

After years of work, I recently got promoted to Teniente (Lieutenant), so this mission was a big deal in proving to the higher ups that they hadn’t made the wrong decision. Olga understood but was reasonably upset that I wouldn’t be able to support her at the beginning of the World Cup, especially with the struggle the girls have had with the RFEF and Vilda.

The last time we spoke it was tense. Things were getting difficult in camp as they approached the quarter-finals and when I told her my deployment was being extended a few weeks, conveniently ending days after the finals, she broke.

“Qué? What do you mean it was extended?! Can they even do that? You promised you’d make it if we got this far!”

“I’m sorry Ol. You know I want to be there more than anything.”

“This keeps happening. How can I trust a promise when I know you could be deployed or called to work on some plan at any point?”

“Mi corazón, that is not fucking fair. You knew what me being in the Air Force entailed when you met me. I requested this time off specifically so I could be there but there was nothing anyone could do! They need me here. I’ll be able to use this for extra time off another time. Just for us.”

“But I need you here!” her voice shakes, and I nearly break; tell her ‘Fuck it I’m on my way’.

“Olga…”

“Vete a la mierda” were her final words and then the line goes dead. (fuck off)

That was over a week ago. I texted and called her more times than I can count. When she didn’t answerr the first few, I messaged Ona, asking her to at least update me on how she’s going.

‘She is ok, very sad.’ Is the first message I get in return from said left back.

‘Felicidades!’ they win their quarter-final match (congratulations)

‘She is missing you’ is what I get in return.

‘can you tell her I miss her too?’ I don’t get a reply that night and her updates continue to be few and far between as they progress through the semi-finals all the way to the finals, against England.

~~~~~

“Deja de mirar tu teléfono” Alexia scolds me as I stare at the picture of Olga, Ona and Alexia, arm in arm together after their semi-final win (stop looking at your phone)

“What if she doesn’t want to see me Ale?”

“No seas estúpida! She loves you, she is just upset. Maybe saying your deployment got extended was not your best idea.” she chuckles as I glare at her, sitting on the uncomfortable plastic chairs right behind the substitution bench. (don’t be stupid)

“I didn’t know how else to surprise her.”

“They are coming out! Pull down your cap so she cannot see you.”

“I’m still in uniform Ale. If she doesn’t recognise the outfit, she won’t recognise me.”

“Oh, just do it!” I follow the pink haired girl’s instructions and slouch in my chair.

But then I see her. For the first time in 6 months, I see her and all I want to do was run onto the pitch and pick her up and kiss her. But I can’t, I refuse to ruin the surprise after literally risking my relationship for it.

My soul focus the entire game is Olga. The way she seems so free when she plays, the way she moves. When she scores the first, and only, goal of the game and pulls up her jersey to reveal the name of her best friend’s mother I nearly cry. Even in one of her biggest moments, she honours the other people in her life.

The final whistle blows, and we cheer as the girls fall to their knees and hug each other, others comforting the English girls. After a minute or so, Ona runs over to pull Alexia and I over the barricade and I rush over to stand behind Olga who is hugging Esther, who catches a glimpse of me and smiles before pulling away from the hug.

“Felicidades mi corazón!” (Congratulations my heart)

“Qué?” she whips around at the sound, and I don’t get to say anything else before she’s jumping into my arms.

“You’re here? But y- your mission got extended?”

“Is that what I said? Whoops! I meant to say ‘I’ll be here’.” I kiss her on the forehead, then set her back down and she slaps my arm before glancing at her team.

“Go celebrate, I’m not going anywhere.” Olga hugs me once more before going to hug her teammates and comfort some of the other players, a large smile on her face.

I then stand with the other family and friends, Alexia’s arm tightly around me, as the team is presented their medals and the trophy.

Joy is rushing through until I witness Rubiales kiss Jenni, but I try to focus on the win, catching Olga as she comes barrelling back toward me after they take team photos.

“I’m sorry for yelling on the phone. And ignoring you.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I was coming. I just wanted it to be a surprise.”

“But you didn’t even know if we would win the semis.”

“Mm I’m kind of psychic, I actually knew ages ago.” Olga giggles and pushes me lightly.

Then her family approaches us, sadness looming behind their smiles. I leave them alone to talk but it doesn’t take long for Olga to fall into my arms as she cries.

“Shh mi vida. What’s wrong?” I hold her tight as I rock us back and forth, rubbing her back.

“Mi papa murió” I stop abruptly and pull away, taking her face in my hands as I stare in shock. (my dad died)

“Qué? Cuando?” (What? When?)

“Viernes.” (Friday)

“What do you mean Friday? No one told you?” she only shakes her head before pulling me back into her.

“Lo siento mucho Ol. I’m so sorry. He would have been so proud” (very sorry)

~~~~~

We get back to Madrid after celebrations with the team. The funeral is a few days after and I spend most of the time taking care of Olga, refusing to let her do anything she doesn’t need to. Most mornings I make her breakfast, then wait to see if she wants to do any activities, then finish off the day by making dinner.

I then decided we both deserved a small holiday, so I brought her to my hometown, Dénia, on Spain’s east coast.

“Bebé! Do you have the towels?” Olga shouts from the door as I struggle to pull on my second sandal.

“Sí! I’ve got everything, don’t worry.” I walk towards her and peck her on the lips before opening the door, ushering her out.

Olga swings our hands back and forth between us as we make our way down to the beach from our hotel.

“Can we build sandcastles?” she looks at me with those big, whiskey brown eyes and I find it impossible to deny her anything.

“Of course we can.” And so we set up a spot, and while she gathers some water, I start packing sand into our buckets.

Every now and then a kid comes up to us, asking for a photo with the ‘Heroe de Fútbol’ who got us that trophy. Other kids have no idea who she is and just want to help us build a big ass sandcastle, and we tell them jokes and play into whatever fantasy they’ve made for the structure.

‘y las dos princesas se casan y viven felices para siempre!’ the little girl finishes her story. (and the two princesses get married and live happily ever after)

Lucia, as we learned her name was, quickly switched the prince for a princess after momentarily being confused when she asked if we were ‘friends or friends’. Her mum tried to apologise but Olga laughed and just took hold of my hand as we listen to the story.

Not long after saying goodbye to the girl and her mum, Olga and I pack up and head back.

“What do you want to do tonight bebé?” I ask as I unlock the door.

“Movie night? All those kid stories make me want to watch Disney.”

“As long as we get to watch The Princess and The Frog”. I head to the kitchen to start on dinner when I feel Olga’s arms wrap around me and I turn around.

“What’s up?” I stare down into her eyes, so full of love.

“Thank you. For coming home early and for this holiday, for taking care of me.”

“I’ll always take care of you mi corazón, even if I have to get dishonourably discharged, if you need me, I’ll be here. And if I really can’t be, I’ll do whatever I can to help.” I lean down and capture her lips in my own, our love for each other radiates through the kiss.

“Te amo.” She pecks my lips again (I love you)

“Te amo.” I turn back around to continue with dinner and Olga curls into my side, following me around the kitchen, always leaning on me.

It can be so hard to find time like this together so when we have it, neither of us want to be apart from the other. I never want to be apart from her.

~~~~~

Our holiday goes on for another couple of days, and we decide for our last night we would have a romantic dinner at Mala Vita, a restaurant in the Marina, overlooking the water.

“Are you ready?!” I yell through the bathroom door, waiting for Olga to finish getting ready.

I’m about to knock again when the door creaks open and Olga steps out.

I choke as I catch sight of her. Her satin red dress clings to her perfectly, her muscles are softly defined, and her loose hair frames her face. Her heels make her taller, but she still has to lean up to plant a kiss on my cheek as my mouth continues to gap open.

“Perfecta hermosa! Elegante!” I kiss her with every word before we head down to the taxi, my arm tightly wrapped around her shoulders. (Perfect beautiful! Elegant!)

“You don’t look too bad yourself.” She lightly pokes me in the side as she takes in my own outfit.

When we arrive at the restaurant, it’s golden hour, and Olga begs to do a small photoshoot, asking an older couple to take some photos of us together.

I hold her close and look her in the eyes before dipping her, both of us laughing as the older lady cheers and takes a photo.

Then Olga turns her back to me as she adjusts her hair, and I drop to one knee and hold out an object that could change everything. I see the couple smile to each other and continuously take photos from Olga’s phone out of the corner of my eye. I smile to myself, I hope to one day be like them, with the girl in front of me.

It takes Olga a few moments to turn around, ready to hug me. It then takes her a few more moment to realise I’m not standing in front of her, her eyes dropping to meet mine as I grin up at her. Her hands are then quick to cover her mouth.

“Olga Carmona García, you are the light of my life, and I would do anything for you. When you kicked a football into my face, I couldn’t even imagine this is where we would be 2 and a half years later. I am more in love with you than I have ever loved anything in my life. I want to grow old with you and love you for eternity. Por favor hazme la mujer más feliz del mundo y sé mi esposa” in mere moments Olga falls to her knees, pulls me in and kisses me passionately. (please make me the happiest woman in the world and be my wife)

“Sí! Sí, lo haré!” she cries as I slip the ring on and kiss her again. (Yes! Yes I will!)

“Sois una hermosa pareja” the lady says as she hands Olga’s phone back to her. (You are a beautiful couple)

“Gracias.” We wave goodbye to the couple before heading into the restaurant.

“I love you so much.” Olga whispers as she takes my hand, admiring the ring on her other hand.

“Not as much as I love you.” I kiss her forehead before we sit down.

“I have another surprise…”

“Qué?” her head quirks to the side in that adorable way that makes my heart clench, and I know what I’m about to say will be the best decision of my life.

“I got offered a job..” I can tell Olga is about to ask how this is a good surprise, so I rush on.

“As a lead trainer of the Air Force Academy in Madrid.” I grin at her, waiting for her to react.

“W- what does that mean?”

“I’ll be in Madrid permanently, unless of course you move clubs, then I’ll move. But most importantly we’ll have more guaranteed time together.”

“But your dream has been to be a high rank in the Air Force for basically ever!” I can see her begin to look distraught.

“It was my dream. But I’ll never want anything more than to be with you. And being in the Air Force basically guarantees we only ever have 6 months, if that, together every year. I don’t know about you, but I can’t live without you for that long for the rest of my life.”

“I can’t either.” I take her hand.

“I want this Olga, I promise. And if I get bored of being on the ground, I can always become a commercial pilot. Then I’ll always be a captain.” I smile reassuringly at the love of my life.

“Siempre serás mi capitana.” I lean over the table and kiss her once more. (You will always be my captain).

“Te amo.” She whispers as we part.

“Te amo mi corazón.”

[housemusic4lifeee]

I feel so bad for the spanish players, you can see how exhausted and drained mentally they are at this point. Fuck the rfef and their stupid coach. Poor Alexia i just know that penalty will haunt her, revenge era at barca this season.

MONTSE TOME COUNT YOUR DAYS‼️

[woso-dreamzzz]

Ik u said not to ask about the kids and their reactions (AND IM DEFO NOT ASKING THEM)

I just hope that every kid gives their parent/parental figure/sister a big ole hug and lots of kisses

So...What have we learnt from this match?

Alexia should be starting for Spain which isn't something I thought needed to be said

Montse doesn't deserve her coaching license

A team can only get through on individual talent for so long

Montse ain't shit and the girls deserve a new coach

Alexia should be fucking starting!

Montse is trying to get fired or something because it's either that or delusion

I hope Montse knows she can just hand in her notice rather than attempting something like this again

Barcelona, once again, carries Spain like no other

Time wasting remains the most annoying thing in football

The rfef needs to get their shit together and finally finish bringing Pina and Mapi back into the fold

If you have Alexia Putellas on the bench and you're losing, bring her on at the start of the second half!

And finally, Montse must be closing her eyes and picking a starting eleven at random

Not that I ever want to see Sarina leave England or anything but imagine the power of a Wiegman Spain. Spain just needs a good coach that isn't a walking rfef mouthpiece and they'd be unbeatable

[lucawrites11]

I am from Germany and I am not the biggest fan of the USA but I have to admire their teamwork during their equal pay. Many media portray them as arrogant and most of them are not. For me the way they support the LGBT rights and many causes has been one of my top moments. They had many controversies but this is something that I would love to know from them as how they got all the players to co-operate on one single topic unlike spain team (i hate rfef but sometimes think if the result would have been different if every player supported that 15 players)

But football sometimes gives good news too like denmark football team refusing hike in their pay and supporting their women team to get equal pay unlike us men who don't have anything to show for themselves and wearing the four star shirt which happened due to us women

But at the end of the day it all comes down to federation and well it is same in almost all countries especially for women... Do you know any federation who is less corrupt or had less controversies... Mine is Sweden i think .. what about you??

there's so many complexities to the case of spain and why not everyone supported las 15 but i am not the expert @didalexiabreakupwitholgayet is and i would recommend reading their navigation post and their posts on the las 15 and the complications with real madrid. unfortunately, some people are selfish and what their chance to play with the national team and others fear what will happen to young players without senior supervision

i love what the uswnt has done in the past but i feel as though that spirit has left a lot of the team honestly how they advertise the four star shirt as men's makes me wanna scream the men haven't done shit. i more dislike america as a national rivalry and not as what they've done for women's football. i have always loved the underdog so seeing the downfall of such a big team (as long as it's not my own) is something i enjoy to watch. i LOVE watching the uswnt old matches under jill, it's the perfect example of possession based play in a 4-3-3, tactical perfection

what denmark men have done is so good, i think that there needs to be so much more equality in pay and conditions. jamaica is one example at the moment

honestly i think football is all just dirty and corrupt, we've seen fifa, they are a fucking mess. money corrupts, it's that simple. i think some are just less corrupt than others. i think doing a good job with investment right now: Scottish and English FAs (the English FA is currently spending money to try and keep Reading women alive, they could let them fail), Sweden has always been good, Canada especially with the establishment of a national league (i think we'll see a lot more young talent and i'm excited about that) and i think norway and germany were good in the past but they have gone downhill recently. the bundesliga and toppeserien have so much potential but so much under investment

[fc-bayern-clownchen]

okay, so I haven't said anything about this until now frankly because I have been processing it, because the situation is downright insane and i have been seething with rage.

but what the spanish federation is doing to jenni hermoso is some of the most infuriating, disgusting, vile, behaviour I have seen in football.

jenni hermoso was sexually assaulted by luis rubiales, president of the spanish football federation (RFEF). he kissed her without her consent, which is sexual assault. period.

and then rubiales and the RFEF have the unmitigated gall to say that not only was it "consensual", but that hermoso is lying for saying that she was assaulted.

they are saying that a victim of sexual assault, AN ASSAULT THAT WAS CAUGHT ON INTERNATIONAL TELEVISION, WITH MILLIONS OF WITNESSES, is lying.

luis rubiales and the RFEF want to sue jenni for standing up for herself and for daring to fight back. the people on twitter (mostly men, and that doesn't surprise me) are analysing her body language to justify it and say that she wanted it.

why is the victim's word not enough? why is her integrity the one under scrutiny, rather than the attacker? if a woman whose assault was caught in full view on camera with millions of witnesses will not be believed, what does that say about us?

"why didn't she fight back?"

"she should have said something."

"she could have spoken up right after."

"we believe victims, they should speak up."

"well no one saw it."

"don't you see that she wanted it?"

we always, ALWAYS, say shit like this, and we are doing it now, when the evidence is literally staring us in our faces.

fuck the RFEF, and fuck everyone who refuses to believe jenni hermoso.

te creemos jenni, y estamos contigo.

[didalexiabreakupwitholgaisback]

Respectfully would disagree, while what she did is no doubt incredible and took an insane amount of courage I’m not sure that qualifies as humanitarian. Not compared to people like Alexia and Frido who do global work with their foundations/charities. Again, not throwing shade on Jenni I am just unsure how that qualifies as humanitarian work.

oh please go fuck yourself because you literally are throwing shade and being extremely passive aggressive. as if working with underprivileged children is the only criteria to be a humanitarian? 🥴

look up the definition of humanitarian work. it's "concerned with or seeking to promote human welfare." is fighting back, preventing and condemning misogyny and sexual assault not important to human welfare?!

but let's talk about spain and the world of women's football. the fact is that misogyny, machista culture, and sexual assault are massive problems in spain and women's football, at the highest of organisations to the smallest of pueblos. you only have to look at zambia and the lack of action there as another example.

if you knew anything about spain or rfef, it's a hotbed of corruption and nepotism that allows bad behaviour like abuse and sexual assault to go unpunished. to think that vilda and rubiales would be gone a few months after the world cup was inconceivable.

the fact that jenni took a stand and essentially has made herself a persona non grata in spain to the point that she still to this day receives death threats and is scared for the well-being of her family to bring these cretins to court is something to be recognised.

because jenni isn't doing it for herself. what she's doing is benefitting all the girls and women in spain not just in the world of football but across multiple sectors. this was our #metoo movement. victims of sexual assault have to tell their story hundreds of times before you even get to a courtroom and re-live their trauma again and again. you don't just do that for kicks. but for the implications on the future.

and if you are too stupid to appreciate that, then i feel sorry for you. 🙄

[ikram1909]

https://www.tumblr.com/ikram1909/764173319761231872/words-cannot-explain-how-much-i-despise-this

DLF better hope me and him never cross paths because the first glance I ever get of him I’m going to send my fist right through his nose and mouth. He’s such a fucking cunt, he has absolutely zero accountability. Words can’t even possibly begin to describe how much I hate him, I don’t think I’ve hated a coach as much as I hate him. Not only is he a bad coach tactically, but he doesn’t take responsibility for his mistakes or the wellbeing of his players. And Spain’s definitely not going to get rid of DLF anytime soon since they won the Euros, not unless the national team goes through a period of horrendous form but even then I wouldn’t put it past the RFEF to keep DLF just because he’s one of their yes-men.

You put my feelings about him into words fr I despise him

[emotionalsupportsoccerball]

Fuck the RFEF. At every turn they’ve continued to make worse and worse choices. Instead of backing their players they’re choosing to back their disgusting and corrupt male staff and humiliating themselves in front of the world.

I wish I could say I was surprised but I’m mostly just appalled and grossed out.

Protect the players. Support the players. Stand with Jenni and the team, always.

And remember that this news can be rough and messy and triggering and it’s probably going to continue to get worse so if you need to take a break and just get offline for a while, I encourage you to do so and take care of yourselves. Unfortunately, the news will still be there when you get back.