There's been a lot of talk about the boom of women's soccer in Spain. A sport that interested no one until four or five years ago now draws huge TV audiences and generates excitement.
Spain is the current world champion and is two steps away from being crowned European champion for the first time. La Roja is a world power.
Everyone boasts about Spanish women's soccer. However, the harsh reality is very different.
There is no boom in Spanish soccer as such. Spanish LaLiga is a dull league with no level. One team dominates and the rest just play supporting roles.
In reality, the boom is about Barça's women's team. It wins everything in Spain and almost everything in Europe.
The national team has simply recruited its players and adopted its play style to conjugate the verb "win." It's that simple.
It's not Spain, it's Barça
That's what's happening. The level of Spanish women's soccer is very poor. Barça wins everything without even stepping on the gas, and the rest are far away and out of reach.
One after another, scandalous thrashings keep happening. Real Madrid took five years to win a clásico, although, of course, relying on the referee's wildcard, as usual.
Now everyone jumps on the bandwagon of these girls who captivate. But it's not Spain, it's Barça.
The one with four Ballon d'Ors is Barça. The goalkeeper is from Barça, the defense too, and the midfield and the attack.
Barça DNA is in the national team's line-up, in which only two players, Olga Carmona and Esther González, come from outside. They're either the ones who are there, the ones who were there, or the ones who will be there.
Cata Coll, Ona Batlle, Irene Paredes, Aleixandri, Patri Guijarro, Aitana, Alexia, Claudia Pina, Salma Paralluelo, Vicky López, Jana... Mariona Caldentey, with blaugrana blood after 10 years.
It's true, they're all Spain. Many seem to forget that, without Barça's power, Spain would be a third-world country in women's soccer. However, when it comes to boasting about the national team, no one wastes any time.
Women's soccer raises Barça's wage bill
That's the case because Barça has been working with the girls from the grassroots for a long time, with top-level coaches and clear ideas. Those coaches need to be paid.
Those coaches raise the club's wage bill and allow Tebas to laugh at Barça to its face with absurd demands.
Everyone boasts about Barça's women's soccer by changing the jersey. Someone has invested to reach this situation.
Good foreign players, but few. The foundation is local girls, from a young age.
There they all are, running around with Spain and taking it to the top. The coach could field all eleven from Barça if she wanted. She almost does.
In fact, Spain plays its best when it has the most Barça players in its line-up.
What Barça does for all Spain's national teams
The same people who shout demanding punishments for Barça for fair play are now puffing out their chests with the girls. For what Barça does for women's soccer. For the basketball, handball, hockey, futsal, and even soccer national teams, the Government came out in its defense in the Olmo case.
Persecution can't be the reward for a club's investment in the glory of its country's national teams. Does that deserve punishment?
Of course, Real Madrid will keep investing in Swedish, German, Brazilian, Dominican, French, Norwegian players and whatever else is needed. Always hoping that the checkbook will do the trick.
Of course, demanding that there be more Madridists, used to losing, also in the women's national team. They're not there, nor are they expected.