Third consecutive Champions League final: has Esmee Brugts already reached the world's elite?
Esmee Brugts lines up with FC Barcelona tonight at 18:00 in the Champions League final against OL Lyonnnes in Oslo. The 21-year-old Dutch left-back is playing in her third successive CL final and was directly involved in nineteen goals this season, yet the question remains: does she already belong among the absolute best in the world?
From a square in Rotterdam to Oslo
About eight years ago, a thirteen-year-old girl with two braids was playing football in the centre of Rotterdam. She was there for the shoot of a KNVB promotional video about street football, in which former street footballer Rocky Hehakaija was involved as one of the pioneers of the sport. Hehakaija immediately recognised the talent of the young Esmee Brugts. 'Even back then she had excellent ball control,' she recalls. At the end of the day Brugts wanted a photo with her, and so began a friendship that has grown into what Hehakaija herself describes as 'a bit of an auntie vibe'. Tonight that football aunt will sit proudly in the stands in Oslo, watching her 'niece' play a Champions League final with one of the best women's football clubs in the world.
A key figure at FC Barcelona
After her years at PSV, Brugts made the move to FC Barcelona in 2023, where she has since become an undisputed starter. As a wide defender she was directly involved in nineteen goals this season. Together with Polish player Ewa Pajor and Norwegian Caroline Graham Hansen, she is one of the few non-Spanish players guaranteed a starting place at the Catalan giants. Laia Bonals Ruiz, reporter at El Periódico de Catalunya, is impressed by her development: 'It's almost impossible, but she gets better with every game. She is crucial to the team — she's always there.'
World elite — or not quite yet?
Nevertheless, Bonals Ruiz is not yet ready to place Brugts unconditionally among the absolute world elite. According to the Catalan journalist, the Dutch international still has room to grow, particularly in an attacking sense, and needs to become more consistent. A nuance she immediately adds herself: it also depends on who you compare Brugts with. Barcelona's squad includes Alèxia Putellas, a two-time Ballon d'Or winner. 'Hardly anyone can reach that level,' says Bonals Ruiz. Hehakaija sees it differently, though she admits she is biased. Her reasoning is straightforward: this is Brugts' third consecutive Champions League final, she has already won one, and she is always in the starting line-up at one of the best clubs in the world. The day before the final, Putellas also spoke glowingly about the Dutch player, calling it a privilege to play alongside Brugts.
Cup final as a warm-up
Brugts arrives in Oslo in fine form. Last weekend she scored in the cup final, a 3-1 victory over Atlético Madrid. Reportedly, members of the coaching staff joked after that match that she might as well go ahead and score in Saturday's Champions League final too. Should she manage that, there is every chance that not only her football aunt in the stands, but a far wider audience, will definitively regard her as a world-class player.
Related
Source: Via NOS (GNews)
Comments
- Be the first to comment.