Football. Maria Estella, born in Sant Feliu de Guxols 26 years ago, is a footballer from Granadilla de Tenerife; the island complex occupies the first place of the First Iberdrola, ahead of teams such as Bara and Atltico.
Having the classification of the Primera Iberdrola in front and not seeing Barça or Atlético de Madrid in first position, for sure, is surprising. And a lot. So far, and against all odds, the one in charge is UDG Tenerife Granadilla. Yes, it is true, the Canaries have played three more matches than Barça, but the reality also says that they only lost against Madrid CFF on the first day and that they have nine unbeaten games. Among this group of footballers who are making history is a woman from Girona: Maria Estella.
Born 26 years ago in Sant Feliu de Guíxols, the power plant lives in a cloud. “We honestly didn’t think things would go so well for us, we’re having a superlative season. We have a great project led by our coach Francis Diaz. The good performance comes from the end of last year when the master arrived. He has instilled in us a philosophy of play that we have made our own, ”said the defender, who returned to the pitch just a month ago due to a muscle injury to his quadriceps. “Right now I’m happy. I recognize the Maria I wanted to see. I have recovered in the best way thanks to the work of our physical trainer, who is very good ». Once in full physical shape to face the next commitments of the League and prolong the state of grace, Estella remembers that “competing against Barça is very complicated, in addition, they have three less matches than us. We have to focus on the day to day and especially on being able to play in the Queen’s Cup. Our goal is permanence.
Maria Estella is fixed in the lineups of Granadilla, but apart from being important on the green, Girona is also off the field. “When I walk down the street a lot of boys and girls stop me to ask for autographs and to take pictures with them. Almost everyone knows us, we live in a small town “, describes the power station on Granadilla de Abona, which has about 50,000 inhabitants and is the fourth most populous municipality in the province of Tenerife. In the Canary Islands, women’s football is much more popular than on the peninsula. “The stadiums are always full. In addition, radio, television and the media in general have a much greater impact on women’s sports. It’s a luxury to get up on a Monday and see how our team appears on the front page of the newspaper in front of basketball or men’s football, “she says proudly.
You could say that Estella was born practically with a ball under her arm. Of the 26 years he has been alive, 22 have been spent on the pitch, so his life has always been linked to the world of football. At the age of 4 he started to make the first shots at a ball when he signed up to play with Cristinenc. “There I stood out a lot. I played with children, ”he recalls. He then went to Sant Feliu, where he also shared a team with children. Those were good years. He competed in a strong category where he played head to head against Barça and Espanyol.
From the age of 12 the team could no longer be mixed and had to join a women’s team. “My mother contacted L’Estartit so she could sign. I stayed there for two years at Nacional, which would be the Second Division “, he remembers. At 16, it was time to make the leap to the first team to play in the top flight. He thus shared a team with the legendary Marigol or Gio Carreras, in the Estartit stage in the Superliga. At the same time, the power station began to study INEF in Barcelona. Consequently, he had to say goodbye to Estartit to sign for Sant Gabriel, and later for Espanyol.
But the best was yet to come. Without thinking twice, Estella wanted to take a risk and gave an affirmative answer to Granadilla’s request to join in 2015 when she was only 20 years old. “When they called me they commented on the project. It was very encouraging. In addition, the team had players of a considerable level. From the first moment I felt very comfortable. It’s the best decision I’ve ever made in my life “, concludes the player, who praises Girona FC’s project in the Primera Nacional. For now, though, his next challenge is tomorrow. Santa Teresa is waiting for them.
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