and *finally*, we hear from maria tikas about the decision making process and chronology that happened months and months ago and acknowledging that the timing overshadowed the season:
but the decision-making process began long before that. in particular, last summer. In 2024, after two difficult seasons marred by injury, alexia signed a new contract with barça in a very different context to the current one. the captain was still regaining her form, and that renewal was inevitably influenced by the uncertainty surrounding her fitness and performance at the time, in a situation that no longer reflected alexia’s true stature on and off the pitch. the deal included an easily exercisable one-year option, designed precisely to allow both parties to reassess the situation at a later date.
at the end of the transfer window last summer, with alexia back to her best, PSG made her a very substantial offer and were even prepared to pay her release clause. however, following several discussions with barça, the captain decided to stay. she did so without asking for anything in return, prioritising finishing the season in barcelona and postponing any final decision on her future. it was then that the club and the player agreed that, should the time come when alexia felt her time in barcelona had come to an end, the club would facilitate her departure. although that +1 year was practically a done deal, both parties understood that there would be no obstacles if the captain decided to bring her blaugrana spell to a close.
and the season began with a very clear thought in the captain’s mind: it could be her last. not just for personal reasons, but also because of the team’s current situation. alexia has never wanted to stand in the way of the new generation and understood that barça was already undergoing a natural transition. even so, she has responded with one of the best seasons of her recent career: decisive in the big games, the team’s footballing and emotional leader, and once again a leading contender for the ballon d’or.
she has also experienced moments that shook her to the core. the first came at the spotify camp nou, in the quarter-finals against madrid, on the day of the tribute marking her 500th appearance for barça. it was a night filled with emotion, ovations and symbolism. the second, even more revealing, came weeks later against bayern, also at the camp nou. when she was substituted in the semi-finals, alexia couldn’t hold back her tears. that was when she began to seriously doubt the decision she had been mulling over for months. because there is no perfect moment to leave the club of your life. and even less so when you are still making a decisive impact.
that is why alexia did not inform barça of her final decision until she was one hundred per cent certain. she did not want the speculation surrounding her future to disrupt or distract a team on the verge of winning another champions league title. although it inevitably ended up happening due to the player’s media and emotional profile, internally it was never seen as a dressing room issue. It was simply impossible for alexia’s potential departure to go unnoticed.
finally, the captain realised that it was the ideal moment to come full circle. She is leaving after winning another quartet of titles, having been absolutely vital and leaving the team ready for the next generation. a grand exit, consistent with everything she has meant in the club’s history. now, the future lies far from barcelona. alexia is considering offers from mexico and the united states, although the most tempting offers are coming from england.