After a long weekend in London following her beloved Barcelona Femení in the UEFA Champions league against Chelsea, Sandra quickly sets her bags down at home and rushes off to training. She’s headed to a football school which she founded in 2015. You would think she would be tired after the six-hour commute, but Sandra is more excited than ever with chants of ‘ALEXIAAAA’ running through her mind. As she pulls up to training some of the team are early, trying to recreate Aitana Bonmati’s double step over and shot across the keeper that she had scored on the previous night.
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"Thanks to Barcelona, I started our era in women’s football in Poland… One of my professional dreams came true at the East Mallorca Girls Cup in 2022, when one of our teams played against the FC Barcelona youth team! I felt proud that we could compete with the greatest team in the world."
HeinekenIt is difficult to follow women's football in Poland, it doesn’t make the headlines, it’s rarely broadcasted, let alone having a local club to support. To stay up to date you need to follow foreign media and social media. Even without the exposure, Sandra found a love for football, then Barcelona and became inspired on seeing her team play live in as many places as possible, and finally an obsession with their captain, and women’s Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas.
When Sandra was younger she began playing football in her hometown of Radzyń. At the time she thought she was the only girl in the world who played football. All her idols were men, all her teammates were boys, and she wanted to imitate them. It was only when she moved to Warsaw to study that she met other girls who played. So after several years playing on various amateur teams with her friends, they decided to start an academy. A safe space for her community to develop their passion, football.
"Barcelona’s Femení team changed everything, of course women’s football was already growing, but Barca made it cool, they inspired me to stay in the game. It's technical football that I loved, but now, one day I hope one of my academy players will lead them to victory in the UEFA Champions league."
Next Match
HeinekenSandra has travelled to Spain, Germany and England to watch Barcelona Femení, saving every Euro possible to afford these trips, which are life defining moments for her. Every time she travels to a game the first thing she does is pack her Alexia shirt. Sandra is quite stylish, but she doesn't mind going full kit for the Barca games. "I never knew women’s football could exist on this level when I was growing up, so there is something about dressing up like Alexia makes me feel connected." Whether she's watching back at home, or travelling away, she always wears the same Barcelona outfit, shirt, shorts and socks.
"I went to Wolfsburg for my first Champions League match in 2022. I remember the moment when Alexia Putellas ran out to warm up and I started crying with joy that my dream had come true. I managed to watch the end of the match in the Barcelona fans' section, I sang and danced with them, feeling like a Culers.” Ever since then Sandra has been on the move determined to watch more live football matches around Europe.
HeinekenOn only her second visit to a Barcelona game, Sandra met her idol Alexia Putellas and she even managed to exchange shirts with her. Unfortunately she was so overwhelmed that when she tried to take the photo, she dropped her phone from the stands, smashing the screen.
When not travelling around Europe on UEFA Women's Champions League nights, she has to rush straight from training back home to catch the games. Whether she arrives for kick off depends on how well training goes, she will only make it after playing well. Sandra invites friends and family to come along, and is always wearing her beloved Putellas kit. From the home, to the latest adventure, Sandra will be wearing her shirt and chanting her idol's name.
"It’s hard to describe what it means to me to see Barcelona Femení and especially Alexia play. It's the manifestation of a dream, I didn't even know I could have. It's the affirmation that anything is possible, and I try to transmit that message to my academy every week. To let my own teams know they can dream big."
HeinekenSandra’s rise within football is inspired by her idols, she has learnt a lot from studying her favourite team and players. The professionalism and technique that has emerged out of Barcelona’s commitment to the game has inspired new fans, who previously couldn't have imagined themselves in the role of protagonists on the pitch. This in turn motivated Sandra and her friends to create a local academy, which is forging a path that Sandra herself never previously thought possible.
When Sandra was growing up, she had never seen a girl other than herself play football. Now she has found both her footballing identity, the catalyst to build others a dream that she never got to have in Poland.
Check out more stories of hardcore football fandom with Heineken via the Hardcore Fan Club Hub.