On March 18 and 26, the quarterfinals of the Women's Champions League will be played. Real Madrid will face the English Arsenal.
There, former Barcelona player Mariona Caldentey plays. A key piece in the Barça that won everything and also in the national team, Mariona left Barça in search of new challenges.
Mariona Said No to Florentino Pérez
Arsenal is in third position in the English league. Ahead of Manchester City and behind Manchester United and Chelsea, which also has the Barça fan Lucy Bronze.
The former blaugrana has scored 6 goals and provided 2 assists in the 13 matches she has played with Arsenal.
Mariona left her comfort zone in Barcelona and headed to England after rejecting an offer from Real Madrid. The white club saw in her the possibility of countering Barça's hegemony.
But Florentino couldn't add her to his cause. Although at least her departure weakens the potential of a Barça that has so far been unbeatable.
Mariona probably said no to Florentino Pérez because she is part of the former hard core of Barça, which is full of anti-Madridist players.
Mariona earned a salary of 300,000 euros at Barça, and Arsenal doubled her pay. To replace her, the Catalan club made the most expensive signing in its history, the Polish Ewa Pajor, for 500,000 euros.
Another One in the Anti-Madridist Club
Goalkeeper Cata Coll recently stated that she feels "more anti-Madridist than Barça fan" and added that "Real Madrid makes me very angry."
In similar terms, the also international Claudia Pina has expressed herself, another staunch anti-Madridist who plays especially motivated when facing Real Madrid.
Now Mariona Caldentey faces another test against Real Madrid. Although this time with a different jersey than Barça's. And she will do it alongside two other internationals: the also former Barcelona player Laia Codina and the former Madridist Maite Oroz.
Mariona Caldentey has confessed that "I cried a lot when I left Barça". She did so after ten brilliant years in which she won absolutely everything and several times. Now it's time to face Real Madrid as a Gunner.
Mariona is triumphing at the highest level at Arsenal