Top Ad
I DIG Radio
www.idigradio.com
Listen live to the best music from around the world!
I DIG Style
www.idigstyle.com
Learn about the latest fashion styles and more...

Barca's Hansen: Few men play in front of 90k

Written by 
Published in Soccer
Thursday, 21 April 2022 06:59

Caroline Graham Hansen has said not many players -- men or women -- get the chance to play in front of over 90,000 fans as Barcelona prepare to play at a sold-out Camp Nou for the second time in a month.

Barca broke the attendance record in women's football in March when 91,553 supporters watched them beat Real Madrid 5-2 in the Champions League quarterfinal.

On Friday, they host Wolfsburg in the first leg of the semifinal, with tickets selling out in just two days earlier in April -- a further 6,000 were made available this week following returns from the German club and UEFA -- creating hope they could break their own record.

- Lowe: How Barcelona put on 'fiesta of women's football'
- Connelly: How Xavi's return changed Barcelona
- Don't have ESPN? Get instant access

"It was different but I didn't notice the team more nervous than usual," winger Graham Hansen said in a news conference on Thursday when asked if the size of the crowd led to increased nerves for her and her teammates in March's Clasico.

"Nerves are good for adrenaline. I need them a little. It is different to play in front of a full Camp Nou, but how we reacted when Madrid went 2-1 up shows how strong the mentality of this team is.

"Now that we've done it once, we have that good experience for this game. It is going to be special -- there are not many in men's football that can play in front of 90,000."

The 91,553 is not just a record attendance in women's football, but is also the highest crowd to have watched any match in Europe this season, including the men's Clasico between Barca and Madrid, which drew 86,422 spectators.

The interest in Barca's women has been fuelled by their success on the pitch. They won the Treble last season and are on track for a Quadruple this year, with the league and Spanish Supercopa already won and semifinals in the Champions League and Copa de la Reina to come.

They have won all of their 39 games in all competitions this term and their winning run, stretching back to last June, now stands at 44 matches.

Graham Hansen, though, doesn't feel the pressure that comes with the increased spotlight on the team.

"There is no pressure [to win] because we want to win every game," she added. "With this mentality, there is no pressure. We just enjoy playing football."

Coach Jonatan Giraldez, who replaced Lluis Cortes last summer, said he wants the team to go one better this year by winning the Quadruple.

"We want to win all four trophies," he said. "We go out to win every game, so we want to win every game we have left. That's the mentality that I think will take us close to every trophy, but we know it's very difficult."

Wolfsburg represent Barca's sternest test yet this season. They knocked out Arsenal in the last round and sit top of the German league, four points clear of Bayern Munich.

Barca have never beaten Wolfsburg in a competitive fixture and, despite winning the Champions League last year, they still have painful memories of their semifinal defeat to them in 2020, when Giraldez was the assistant coach.

"When there is a chance for revenge, there's a second opportunity to see how the team reacts," Giraldez added. "Everything we've done throughout the season is for this, to be the best team. Friday's another chance and we have to be up to it.

"We don't have to change anything. Our usual day-to-day is what we have to do to win. On a mental level, it conditions things never having beaten Wolfsburg, but the focus we have is on how we are going to play."

It will be just the third competitive game Barca have played at Camp Nou and just the second with fans.

The second leg will be played at the 30,000 Volkswagen Arena on April 30, with the winners meeting Lyon or Paris Saint-Germain in the final.

Read 199 times

Soccer

Van Nistelrooy appointed new Leicester manager

Van Nistelrooy appointed new Leicester manager

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsFormer Manchester United forward Ruud van Nistelrooy has been appoi...

'Welcome Back, Emma': A happy, healthy Hayes is ready for Wembley return

'Welcome Back, Emma': A happy, healthy Hayes is ready for Wembley return

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsLONDON, England -- United States women's national team head coach E...

The top 50 USWNT players right now: Who sits at No. 1?

The top 50 USWNT players right now: Who sits at No. 1?

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThe United States women's national team won a fifth Olympic gold me...

2026 FIFA


2028 LOS ANGELES OLYMPIC

UEFA

2024 PARIS OLYMPIC


Basketball

NBA Cup roundtable: Biggest surprises and disappointments in group play

NBA Cup roundtable: Biggest surprises and disappointments in group play

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsWe're officially nearing the end of group play in the 2024 NBA Cup,...

Nuggets' Westbrook fined for obscene gesture

Nuggets' Westbrook fined for obscene gesture

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsNEW YORK -- The NBA fined Denver guard Russell Westbrook $35,000 on...

Baseball

Dodgers agree to 5-year, $74M deal with Edman

Dodgers agree to 5-year, $74M deal with Edman

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsSuper-utility man Tommy Edman and the Los Angeles Dodgers agreed to...

Dodgers minor leaguer suspended for doping

Dodgers minor leaguer suspended for doping

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsNEW YORK -- Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Jose D. Hernandez was sus...

Sports Leagues

  • FIFA

    Fédération Internationale de Football Association
  • NBA

    National Basketball Association
  • ATP

    Association of Tennis Professionals
  • MLB

    Major League Baseball
  • ITTF

    International Table Tennis Federation
  • NFL

    Nactional Football Leagues
  • FISB

    Federation Internationale de Speedball

About Us

I Dig® is a leading global brand that makes it more enjoyable to surf the internet, conduct transactions and access, share, and create information.  Today I Dig® attracts millions of users every month.r

 

Phone: (800) 737. 6040
Fax: (800) 825 5558
Website: www.idig.com
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Affiliated