Núria Llansà

Llansà was 33 years old when she played goalkeeper in the first Barça Women's game on 25 December 1970. She used the pseudonym, 'Llera', as she feared the company where she worked wouldn't understand her love for football.

Barça Women goalkeeper (and occasional right back) until the 1973/74 season, when she signed for Espanyol, Llansà lived through the tough period of women's football, when the thought of women in football simply wasn't tolerated by the male chauvinism pervading through much of society. She often had to ensure maniacs in the crowd callously hurling both stones and insults at her while in the goal.

She was the blaugrana women's football manager from 1982, before becoming president two years later. It's worth noting that this wasn't a symbolic or honorary post, rather that Llansà took on responsibility for every blaugrana football team during difficult times when budgets were tight. So much so that she often had to pay herself so the girls had kits and boots, and so they could use public transport. Everything was yet to be put in place at that time, and there was Núria to fill in all the gaps. She looked for places for the team to train, came up with the training sessions, organised travel arrangements, chose the opponents, made sure that every player had a kit, spoke with the national team coach, and did whatever job was needed in women's football at the time, even coaching the side. And this was all done without any financial reward, out of pure love for women's football and for the major effort invested by girls to play under such difficult circumstances. On her retirement in 2003, Núria Llansà left a magnificent legacy, having moved everyone she met along the way.

Career

• Seasons at the Club: 1970-73