Spainâs Alexia Putellas says Olympics is magical
Spanish football is on top of the world right now.
Last year its womenâs squad won the World Cup in a nail-biting final against England.
But, as Alexia Putellas is quick to point out when she speaks to BBC Newsbeat, theyâre not the only ones packing silverware.
The countryâs female under-17s and under-20s teams are also the current world champions.
Oh, and the menâs team won the Euros a few weeks ago, too.
Now Putellas, a two-time winner of footballâs prestigious Ballon Dâor, is setting her sights on another prize.
The Barcelona captain will soon be kicking off Spainâs campaign for Olympic gold.
Male competitors over 24 years old are unable to represent their countries at the sporting extravaganza, but thereâs no age limit for women.
Putellas, speaking after training for the Games in Paris, admits sheâs âso tiredâ from the post-season session.
And while sheâs keen to cap a remarkable run of football success for Spain, she says the Olympics âis so differentâ to other tournaments.
âItâs like magic,â says Putellas.
âThere will be the best athletes from every sport around the world. So itâs incredible to be part of.â
But you can never have too many medals.
âWe donât just want to go â we want to compete and, of course, win,â Putellas says.
The midfielder has got some experience of winning â sheâs helped her club Barcelona to win eight league titles and three Champions Leagues.
She was also a member of Spainâs World Cup-winning squad, and is the countryâs leading goalscorer and most-capped female player.
âYou have to work every day, training,â she says.
âIf you are in love with this, you work hard. And then I think good things will happen.â
A large part of her success, she says, is also down to the resource her club Barcelona has put into its womenâs team.
âI feel like Iâm privileged. Because I go to the club every morning, and I have everything to work hard,â she says.
âAll the facilities, the best coach, the best staff.
âAnd for me I feel bad, because I know thatâs not the reality for all players.â
In England, there have been concerns over the resources being put into the womenâs game.
Some teams have faced financial difficulties, even as revenues rise more widely.
âI hope that everybody takes the womenâs game as seriously as Barcelona,â Putellas says.
âEverybodyâs asking you for a photo or cheering you, itâs so magical, that environment.â
Putellas has previously spoken about institutions needing to show âcourage and leadershipâ to stop women suffering a âlack of respect or abuseâ.
Her team-mate Jenni Hermoso was kissed without consent by former Spanish football president Luis Rubiales.
He is now facing charges of sexual assault and coercion, which he denies.
Putellas feels authorities can do more to support the womenâs game.
âWe are working and I think itâs going better than before,â she says.
âBut itâs never enough.â
She says she feels a responsibility to use her platform to further the cause of women in sport.
âAs a person, Iâm quiet. I love to be with my family and friends,â she says.
âBut also I have a lot of interest related with the sport, not just for being a footballer, for example, being an ambassador and a mentor.â
During her career, Putellas has suffered setbacks and injuries, but bounced back.
She advises other young players to not lose hope in tough moments.
âI feel that sometimes the player has to do things that arenât our job,â she says.
âSometimes our power has to be in the field.
âBut maybe you have another opportunity in another club. Try to work hard, be positive.â
Ultimately, for Putellas itâs the love of the game that always powers through.
âWhy is football so special? Because I think itâs the best thing I do, Iâve been practicing football since I was six,â she says.
âI love the way you connect with your teammates inside the field⊠if you connect with one teammate and pass, pass, pass.
âAnd the moment you score â itâs a feeling that produces happiness,â she says.