Between managing her emotions, reuniting with Barca, and the tactical advantage of playing under Jonatan Giraldez, she opens up about this historic occasion during a video conference organised by UEFA, in which Flashscore took part.
You’re about to face a team you know very well, Barcelona. And Giraldez, your current coach at Lyon, was in charge of Barca during the 2024 final. Were you surprised to see him return to European football so quickly, and how is his approach with Lyon different from what he had at Barcelona?
"Jona has very clear ideas about how he wants to play, and I recognise a lot from the Barcelona days. But of course, he adapts to the players he has here. He makes sure we play his football, with his ideas, while emphasising the strengths of our team and our players."
Facing Barcelona, your former team, with players you know so well: is that an advantage or is it emotionally difficult?
"I think in the heat of the match, you manage to put everything else aside. At that moment, it’s just football. As you said, I know them well, and I also know the level they play at, how strong they are. It’s going to be really, really interesting, and of course special to share the pitch with them. But during the match, for both teams, the only thing that matters is winning."
This is your third Champions League final with three different clubs: Wolfsburg, Barcelona, and now Lyon. How have these experiences been different, and what’s special about your approach to this final with Lyon?
"First of all, I’m very proud to have reached so many finals with the teams I’ve represented in Europe. I think it says something about my ambitions and my career choices - I always want to be where you’re really fighting for this title. I’ve been lucky to play for these three great teams in European football.
"What’s different this time? For me personally, I have experience. I know how to prepare, how to approach a final. The special part is obviously that it’s against my former team, which may make it even more special than before. But now I know how to handle all those feelings and prepare as best as possible to be ready for Saturday."
The final is being played in Oslo, Norway, your home country. Ada Hegerberg and other Norwegian players are on the opposing side. How do you feel about playing this final at home? Have you talked about it with Ada?
"All season long, reaching this final has been so important for us, to be able to experience this. Of course, once the whistle blows, everything will be focused on winning the trophy. But we’re so happy to play this final in our country, in a stadium we know so well. Everything around this match will feel very familiar to me, I’ll have so many friends and family in the stands - it’s going to be a really, really special occasion."
In 2024, you were in the Barcelona team playing against Lyon, and your job was to mark Melchie Dumornay. What do you remember from that duel?
"Yes, I’ve talked about it with some players, because it’s obviously something I remember very well. That was my main task in that match. It’s really special to now be on the same team as her. I have to say it’s nice to have her as a teammate! She’s clearly a threat, someone I really had to try to handle as best as I could in that final."
So, how does it feel not to have to face her anymore?
"She’s an exceptionally talented player. She’s very hard to control because she has everything: physical power, technique, strength… She really has it all. She’s an incredible player, and I can’t wait to see her shine on Saturday."
What confidence do you take from your journey this season, especially from the semi-finals against Arsenal?
"I think we can take a lot of positives from those matches, especially the second leg against Arsenal. We showed a great attacking side, and we were solid defensively. Yes, we need to build on the confidence from those games. Throughout the Champions League season, we’ve had tough matches, we haven’t been perfect, but we’ve learned a lot from every game. Facing different opponents has been a real asset. I feel we’re going into this final with confidence."
You know Barcelona very well. Do you think that gives you an advantage? And is there a particular duel you’re excited about in this final?
"It’s going to be a huge challenge all over the pitch. My main role will be defensive, up against their best players. We’ll need to play a perfect match and be as prepared as possible for this challenge. As I said, I know them well, but I also know how hard they are to stop. I’ll do my best."
Who do you think is the most important player in Barcelona’s system? And how would you describe Patri Guijarro as a player?
"It’s very hard to pick just one. With Barcelona, it’s really about the whole team, the way they work together, the connections they’ve built, and the style of play they have. But obviously, when you mention Patri, it’s obvious: when she plays, Barcelona plays top-level football. She’s without a doubt one of the greatest players I’ve ever shared a pitch with. It’ll be important to see how I do against her on Saturday."
'Special moments'
Do you consider this moment one of the most special in your career?
"I hope so, yes. I hope that after the match, it will be one of the best moments of my career. In any case, everything is in place: it’s in my country, it’s my first season at Lyon, it’s against my former team… There are so many emotions, so many feelings, that it really, really makes the event special. And as I said, I hope that after the match, there will be a lot of joy. I’m really looking forward to this day. It’s also important to enjoy the days leading up to it, to be in the moment with my loved ones."
And what do you think of Kika Nazareth?
"Kika is a wonderful person and player. I’m very happy to have met her, and we’ve become quite close since we started playing together. She’s important in the dressing room, and with the ball, she’s simply magical - a great person."
How can Barcelona be put in difficulty on Saturday? The high pressing, in particular, seemed to trouble them in the semi-finals against Bayern…
"I can’t talk too much about tactics here, I can’t really reveal our plans. But of course, we watch their matches to see where they might have difficulties, and also how we can use our attacking strengths against them."
Jule Brand was decisive in the semi-finals against Arsenal and in the league against Nantes. How do you rate her season?
"It’s really, really impressive to see how Jule has adapted this season. It can be tough at first, but she showed her level right from pre-season. And now, she’s maybe in her best form of the season, which is perfect timing for us. I really enjoy playing with her on the pitch.
"She’s confident, and when Jule is confident, she can be very, very dangerous. She showed that in the semi-final and in the last match. She’s essential to our attacking play, and I also want to highlight her defensive work, which is outstanding. She has a really, really strong mentality on both sides of the game."
What does Wendie Renard mean to this group, and what’s it like to play alongside her?
"I think she was the player I was most curious about when I arrived here, because she’s obviously a huge legend in women’s football. And I have to say it’s a huge pleasure. She makes things so easy.
"She’s someone who always puts the team first. What she says before a match, you really feel it; it touches something in you. She’s one of the best leaders I’ve ever played with. I feel very lucky to play alongside her, because she’s an experienced and exceptional player, but also because her way of being a leader is something I can learn from and really appreciate within the team."
How do you handle facing a team you know so well? Did you imagine, from the start of the season, that this final against Barcelona was possible?
"What’s it like to play against them… I know them, and they know me, and they know our coach, so it goes both ways. I know their strengths, I know how hard it is to contain them, but I’m thinking about how we can manage it. And then it’s also the coach’s job, and as I said, he knows them very well: but it goes both ways, which makes the situation very, very interesting.
"Did I imagine it? Honestly, from the start of the season, I thought it could happen. You never know, but after the group stage, when we finished first and second, we knew we’d be in different brackets. And then I had the feeling it could really happen. So mentally, I prepared myself for this situation. When it was confirmed, when they beat Bayern, and we beat Arsenal, I felt like it was… like it was meant to happen this year.
Keeping in touch
Have you been in touch with your former Barca teammates this week?
"As I said in a recent video, we’re not talking about tactics, football, or who’s available or not. We’re used to talking a lot among ourselves, but now we’ve put that aside. We try to keep things normal off the pitch. It’ll be a special moment to play against them and my former teammates. I haven’t had much contact with them, apart from normal things, like a birthday message for example, but nothing more."
Lily Yohannes, a new signing this season, has she brought something special to the group?
"I think she’s an incredible talent. Since she arrived, we’ve all been really impressed by what she does in training and in matches. We’re very lucky to have her, and it’s just the beginning. I’m really excited about what she can bring us now and in the future. She does remarkable things."
Is it possible to enjoy experiencing a high-pressure final like this?
"Yes, I really think so. I remember my first final: several of the most experienced players came to tell me, 'Enjoy the week'. Because on match day, you’re 100% focused on preparing for the game.
"But during the week, of course, you prepare while also trying to savour the moment. That’s what I’m doing now, and it’s also what I try to pass on to the new players or those with less experience in this kind of situation, because it’s something unique and beautiful to experience, all week long, from the start to the trip to Oslo, up to the day of the final."
How has Lyon’s style of play evolved this season, with the arrival of a new coach and new players?
"Not a huge amount of fundamental changes. We’re lucky to have a really exceptional squad this year, a mix of very talented new players and experienced players who have been here a long time, plus a new coach and new staff with new ideas. I think it was the perfect mix. We managed to understand each other very quickly at the start of the season, and that’s why we’re performing so well now, at the end of the season."
Lyon won a final against Barcelona (Turin) and lost one (Bilbao). What made the difference between those two matches?
"I’m not really a fan of looking back at past finals, but what everyone saw is that we weren’t up to the level in Bilbao. We didn’t win our 50-50 duels. And that’s what makes a final: it starts with individual battles all over the pitch, and we weren’t at our best. The key moments made the difference: they scored the first goal, which was a tough turning point for us, and we couldn’t come back. But that’s in the past, now we’re fully focused on this final."
Jonatan Giraldez knows Barcelona inside out, having coached them. Is that a valuable asset for you?
"We’re really lucky to have him as our coach. We’ve all learned a lot, as a team. Since the start of the season, he’s brought in many new ideas, we’ve changed a lot collectively. And for this kind of match in particular, we’re really fortunate to benefit from all his experience, but also from the fact that he spent a long time on the other side. He knows every player in detail, and of course, that’s a valuable advantage for us."
How is the Champions League experienced on a daily basis at Lyon? We hear it’s almost in the club’s DNA…
"From my first day at Lyon, the first thing I heard about was the Champions League. You feel it at every training session, even during a warm-up, even on a simple jog: everyone gives everything, thinking about that trophy, thinking about lifting it. These are wonderful moments.
"The other day, we were just talking about these moments: how, as time goes by, sometimes you don’t remember them as much as you should. But lifting such a trophy is something incredible. And we’re lucky to have in the team many players who have already lifted several Champions Leagues. I’m really grateful for that, because they’ve also taught me how to handle the weeks before a final, how to enjoy the process.
"This is my third final, and now I can, in turn, savour these moments and try to pass that on to the new players, to those with less experience. Because it doesn’t happen every year. Of course, we’d like it to, but the level of the Champions League is incredible, it gets harder every year. We’re really lucky, and I think we deserve to be in the final. So let’s enjoy this moment."
Final mentality
How do you approach a match of this magnitude mentally and emotionally?
"It’s important to focus on all the work left to do before the final, tactically, physically, mentally, to be ready. But I’ve also learned, thanks to the most experienced players during my first final, that you also have to try to enjoy the moment. It doesn’t happen every year, reaching a Champions League final. It’s something really special.
"So I also try to live these days in a very special way, while focusing on every training session, on every action, so that everyone is as ready as possible. That’s the beauty of the Champions League. We’re in the final, it doesn’t happen often, no matter the competition. Of course, we want to be there every year, but you have to focus on the present. And now, in a few days, we have a big match ahead of us.
What have you learned about yourselves as a team, through tough moments like extra time in the quarters and the comeback in the semi-finals?
"I think it all comes down to the mentality we’ve shown. We’ve had rough patches in some matches, and that’s when we conceded goals or faced the best actions from our opponents. It’s all about momentum, and what we’ve learned as a team is to hold on in those moments, to be stronger when things get tough.
"I think in the second leg against Arsenal at home, we were really dominant after some moments that could have been more critical. We managed the situation well, and that’s a lesson learned from experience, match after match in the Champions League. Hopefully, we won’t have to go through that in the final, but that’s football. Luckily, we won those matches, and now that experience is ours."
What’s the mood like in the dressing room as the final approaches?
"The atmosphere is incredible. Since the start of the season, we’ve had a really exceptional group. Of course, when we train, we focus on what we need to work on to reach our maximum level for the final. But as I was saying, it’s important to enjoy these moments, the days leading up to the final. To savour this feeling: the excitement before the match, while staying focused on every little detail that can make the difference in a final of this magnitude."
What has been the biggest challenge for you personally, and for the group, during this Champions League campaign?
I think we’ve shown what we’re capable of from day one in the Champions League. We’ve had better matches and some less successful ones. I think the away match against Wolfsburg was a lesson for the whole team: when we’re not at our best, we can lose in the Champions League, especially when the opponent plays a great match.
"That’s when we realised there’s no room to let up. When you play for Lyon, it’s not even an option. And then, we showed our character, especially in the second leg against Arsenal at home: that’s very positive and puts us in a good dynamic for the final."
Does this final represent a bigger issue: which of the two clubs dominates European football this decade?
"No, I don’t see it that way. I think it’s simply a great match for everyone to watch. Two incredible teams. Everyone knows the history of both clubs, everyone knows Barcelona has done remarkable things in recent years, and everyone knows Lyon’s record. Everyone can have their own opinion about that. But for me, I’m really focused on the final itself.
"I think it’s one of the best matches you can watch: already in the final two years ago, and also in Turin, they were incredible, very intense matches. The level was exceptional. The history is there, but for me, it’s simply a magnificent football match."
Have you watched the matches where Barcelona struggled, especially against Bayern and Chelsea, to prepare for the final?
Yes, of course, we’ve watched a lot of their matches and a lot of videos. We still have a few days ahead of us. The level in the Champions League was really high, we saw it in the quarters, in the semis, and in our own matches, too. In the matches against Chelsea or Bayern, the quality was very high, anyone could have won.
"We’ve looked closely at the match against Bayern too, since it’s their last Champions League match. But yes, intensity will be decisive in this kind of game. And for me, as I said, the midfield battle will be crucial. They have top-quality players, but so do we. I think it will be decisive to know who keeps control, and to know when to keep the ball, when not to, and when to try a transition. That’s going to be really important."
