A life-size bronze sculpture depicting a girl looking proudly, excitedly and full of hope at San Mamés has been erected on Licenciado Poza Street as an icon symbolising equality in football.
On 25 May, from 18:00 (Spanish mainland time), the San Mamés stadium in Bilbao will, for the first time, play host to a UEFA Women's Champions League final, the most important women's football club sporting event in Europe.
A life-size bronze sculpture was erected in Bilbao on the morning of 6 March, at the end of Licenciado Poza street where it meets Luis Briñas street, an area fans pass through on their way to the stadium. The statue represents girls like Nahia,a girl who looks proudly and excitedly towards the stadium, with her foot on a ball and dreaming of playing the finals in emblematic stadiums with the support of her fans and one day becoming a European Champion, just like other girls have achieved.
In this way, 'Nahia' will become an icon of the UEFA Women's Champions League 2024 Final and a symbol of equality and values such as respect, inclusion and diversity in football; the intention of the statue is to serve as a role model at the forefront of commitment to equal opportunities in sport, and is presented with a plaque commemorating this year's final.
The event was attended by institutional representatives of UEFA, the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the Basque, Alavesa, Guipuzcoa and Biscay Football Federations, Athletic Club, as well as football club representatives and other prominent figures in women's football in the Basque Country, who posed with the sculpture created by artist and sculptor Juan Villa, in collaboration with Capa Esculturas.
Then, in the North Hall of San Mamés, the 'There's so much at stake' campaign was presented, with this sculpture forming the centrepiece of said campaign. The event also included a brief conference featuring the participation of the young referee Arantza Gallastegui; the Deportivo Alavés women's team sports director, Dafne Triviño; the former Real Sociedad footballer, Aintzane Encinas; and the first Basque football coach, Ana Astobieta, along with other surprises, such as a video of the current Basque World Cup champion player, Irene Paredes: "I was also that little girl who dreamed of playing the Champions League finals in venues like San Mamés. Thankfully, all of that is changing and I am proud to belong to this generation that is changing the rules of the game, but even more so of all those who fought before me to allow us to be here today."
Nadine Kessler, the UEFA Head of Women's Football, said in a video: "Spain is currently one of the world's focal points for women's football and I can think of no better way to celebrate women's football than by pitting the two best clubs in Europe against each other in Bilbao, in a stadium as majestic as The Cathedral. All the sporting world's eyes will be on us on 25 May. We hope to create even more history for women's football.
The event also announced that tickets for the UWCL final will go on sale this Friday, 8 March, at 12.00 noon and can be purchased at: https://final2024bilbao.com.
