Ludmila da Silva is one of the great protagonists at the start of the course. The Atlético de Madrid player is the top scorer in the first third of the season and arrives sweetly in the duel against Barcelona at the Cvitas Metropolitano (Sunday, 4:30 p.m., DAZN). The Brazilian attends MARCA before the duel that will monopolize the spotlight of the day and that could be a new milestone in national women’s football.
QUESTION. Atlético de Madrid returns to the Metropolitano to face Barcelona. How do you live it?
RESPONSE. We are all excited, anxious and motivated. It will be a very nice and hard game, one of those who like to play. In my case, I really want it to arrive because my family, my friends and my boy are coming to see me. It will be important for us to have the support of the fans.
Q. In 2019 they already broke a record by playing in front of 60,739 spectators.
R. Playing again here is like doing it for the first time because it is unusual. This is where the boys play, where the magic is, it is a very beautiful setting.
Q. And do it against Barcelona. Is he an unbeatable rival?
R. This is a very good moment, but we cannot forget the shirt we are wearing and the players we have. It is a big rival for Atlético, but that will make us give the best of each one and we will see a beautiful game. We are very motivated and I think we have a team to beat Bara.
Q. The Catalans have 44 consecutive league victories and 12 wins in as many games this season. Scary?
R. Barcelona is not scary, but I do respect it. We know how difficult it will be to beat them, but we are going to play at home and we have to do everything possible to make our fans happy.
Q. In the rival team you will have Geyse Ferreira, a teammate. Have you talked to her this week?
R. Yes, we talk normally, but more about life than about the game. Geyse is a very young player who has a lot to give to football and has a very nice style. She is a player who scores many goals, but on Sunday [por hoy] be competing with another Brazilian… [Risas]
Q. He has 8 goals in 9 games and is the top scorer in the F League. Is the Pichichi a goal for you?
R. I see myself fighting for it, but it is not something that obsesses me. My focus is on Atlético, on qualifying for the Champions League. I don’t really like looking at how that ranking goes because it feels like you’re competing against other players and soccer is a team sport. I prefer to focus on my work and try to do my best for the good of the team, be it scoring goals, giving assists or contributing from anywhere.
Q. In a third of the season you have more goals than in the entire previous year. Has the Ludmila we knew come back?
R. Ludmila has always been there, but it is true that she was not mentally well and when a player is not mentally well it is more difficult for her to appear. This year I am showing that my football is still there. I have trained a lot, I have focused on what is truly important and I am more confident in what I do.
Q. How will you celebrate a goal if you score at the Metropolitano?
R. I don’t know yet, it depends on the sensations of the moment. But I don’t care whether to score or not as long as we win, eh?
Q. Nice challenge to face Irene Paredes and Mapi Len.
R. They are my nightmare and I hope to be for them.
Q. Would beating Barcelona be a turning point for an irregular Atlético?
R. Beating Barcelona would be important, but every game is important and we have to think that it is like that if we want to achieve our goals. I think it is normal that there are certain ups and downs in the League because the competition is growing and it is logical that in some games you are better and in others worse. We hope to offer our best version against Barcelona.
Q. It is your sixth season at Atlético de Madrid, one of the team’s veterans…
R. [Corta la pregunta] No, no, the veteran is Lola, who is also older than me. [Risas]
Q. How has that Ludmila who came to Atlético as an unknown person and is now an icon for the fans changed?
R. The main difference is my maturity, both personal and football. I have been lucky to have colleagues like Amanda (Sampedro) and (Silvia) Meseguer from whom I have learned many things. Now I want to transfer that to the new arrivals or to the young people who come. Wearing the Atlético shield on the shirt brings with it certain responsibilities.
Q. Speaking of the dressing room, the squad includes players from Spain, the Netherlands, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Nigeria and the Czech Republic. Do they talk a lot about the World Cup in Qatar?
R. Yes, we discussed it and we stung. It is a healthy and cool rivalry. I am looking forward to seeing how it is resolved because football is a box of surprises and anything can happen as has already been seen in a match in this group stage. I hope Brazil wins.
Q. And about the 2023 World Cup, the women’s, with Brazil and Spain among the applicants, do you speak?
R. Also, but not much. We are focused on the team, on performing at our best and achieving our goals with Atlético.
“If you trust yourself, you can get where you want”
Ludmila says that it is the best advice she has ever been given, that she puts it into practice every day and it is what she wants to pass on to all the girls who dream of following in her footsteps one day. The Brazilian, who idolizes Neymar and whose favorite number is 8, dreams of winning the Champions League. She would like to visit New York, she has 291,000 followers on Instagram and she confesses she is ‘hooked’ on ‘Racionais’, the Netflix series.
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