Lourdes Díaz, the only woman from Extremadura who has played with the senior national team: “Jenni’s thing has no color with what we live through”

Lourdes Díaz (Badajoz, 1981) is the only Extremaduran soccer player who has played official matches with the senior team.. The former player of Puebla, Sevilla and Llanos de Olivenza was five times international between 2002 and 2003, although it was linked to the rojigualda since He debuted in the lower categories in 1995. [por aquel entonces sólo existía la Sub’18]. “I remember that when they called me for the first time my mother wouldn’t let me go to Barcelona. The selection was concentrated on the CAR and I looked very small,” recalls the protagonist in MARCA. “For me, representing the national team has always been a source of pride, the most. There was not a game that the anthem didn’t play and I didn’t cry,” he confesses.

He debuted with the senior team on January 23, 2002 in a friendly against Sweden that ended goalless and was played at the La Condomina stadium in Murcia.. “I didn’t expect to play, much less as a starter. “I think I played a good game and, despite there being no goals, it was a fun game,” summarizes who had Auxi Jiménez and Rosa Castillo as references. “I was lucky to play with Auxi, whom I admired a lot. Maybe I was faster than her, but we complemented each other well,” he says. “We had a generation of impressive soccer players that has nothing to envy of today,” he highlights while naming players such as Laura del Río, Vanesa Gimbert, Raquel Cabezón, Alicia Fuentes, Maider Castillo, Olga Moreno or Arantza del Puerto.

The player from Badajoz played again against Italy in Pozoblanco (0-1), against Russia in Molina de Segura (2-1), against Iceland in Reykjavík (3-0) and against Holland in Zwolle (0-1). “I have a box full of clippings, photos and even the laminated calls that arrived at the club. Our games were rarely televised, but when they did my mother recorded it on VHS. I also have two boxes full of t-shirts, although I had to give up many of the national team due to commitments,” points out the ‘9’. “In the lower categories and in the club I had no problem choosing a number, but in the national team it was difficult to take it away from Auxi, Laura del Río… so I chose the number 18 which adds up to the same,” he emphasizes with a laugh.

another time

Not everything was positive during his time in the national team.. “Problems like the one that Jenni (Hermoso) has experienced have no color with what we lived with at that time with Nacho Quereda,” he warns. “I have cried a lot. And I have seen people call their house to come pick them up because they couldn’t stand it. “I thank him for the opportunity he gave me at the time, but I think he didn’t treat people the way he should,” he says. “Before you kept quiet because if you spoke you would stop going with the national team. We had no support, no loudspeaker or anything,” he says.

Lourdes belonged to the legendary Irex Puebla, which won the League once (1999/2000) and was twice runner-up in the domestic championship and the Queen’s Cup.. “I had many offers to leave, but I was never interested in leaving. I had offers. Antonio Descalzo – Levante coach – called me many times to go play in Valencia, but I felt very supported by my team and the club. I only went to Seville for a year once I finished my degree, but the experience lasted only one season,” he remembers. “We had to live through a hard time, we had to play in the mud, but I feel very proud to have fought so that today others can enjoy more opportunities and facilities,” she asserts.

Fifth game in Extremadura

This Friday’s match against Canada at the Francisco de la Hera in Almendralejo will be the fifth that the women’s team plays in Extremadura (he played in Plasencia in 1999 against Sweden; in Badajoz in 2015 against Portugal; in 2019 in Don Benito against Brazil; and in 2021 in Cáceres against Morocco). “They have us abandoned by the hand of God. My land hurts me. It should host more matches, both men’s and women’s. I think there are good fields and very good players. “I think what is missing is help, money and desire,” he resolves.

Outside of Lourdes, Three other footballers born in Extremadura have come to play with the senior team. Ana Pérez Mingorance (Cáceres) did it with the unofficial Spanish team in 1972 -four games-, while in the case of Yannel Correa (Badajoz) was international with Uruguay and Nerea Aguero (Navalmoral de la Mata) with Argentina.