Former Barça Femení manager, Lluís Cortés, spoke in a recent interview with Flashscore about his days at FC Barcelona. Cortés, currently the manager of Saudi’s women’s National Team, also talks about his current project in the Middle East and about his days with Ukraine women’s National Team, which he joined only shortly before war broke out.
When asked about his transition from Barça to Ukraine, Cortés is very clear; “when you leave Barça, and I knew it already, everything is a step backwards. Because we were in the best club in the world, in the best team in the world, so wherever it was, it’s always a step back. However, you also value other things, like family conciliation.”
Lluís Cortés was in Barça Femení’s dugout in the first two Women’s Champions League finals of the club. About the first one, against Lyon, Cortés explains how they faced it, “we did reach the final with the idea of living the experience and seeing a little what it was like to win and to play in a Champions League final. Olympique Lyon went to that final to beat us, to destroy us, to show that they were the best in Europe. And they showed it and they did it”. However, that game was a turning point for the team, and “after that game we did hold a meeting with the captains where we, as staff, were very clear about what needed to change and what needed to be done differently for next season.”
The next UWCL, against Chelsea, was a whole different story; “the final in Göteborg against Chelsea was spectacular, because in the end winning the Champions League is very good, but winning the first is special”, and he continues, “I do remember many hugs, a lot of joy and within the staff a lot of people saying: “it was worth it”.”
About the current Barça Femení team, Cortés is optimistic, “they are very good and competing very well”, he also stated, “I like the commitment to give chances to young players from La Masía”. The former manager believes that the team can still improve, “I believe that Barça always has room for improvement and that part of the success of the coaches and the players themselves is their ability to reinvent themselves and know how to find a way to be less predictable.”
When asked about the `possibility to face his former team, where he still has many friends, Cortés is not so happy about it, ” it would be difficult for me to play against Barça, especially the current Barça, where I have many friends and it would be difficult for me to go to the Johan Cruyff stadium to play as a visitor, that is a reality.”
