When Spain went to extra-time against England last summer in the quarter-final of the Euros, we all knew they would lose. This team was fragile, they didn't have the strength to cope with the pressure of extra-time.
At this World Cup, though, they have shown a new, stronger mentality. They're more competitive, they believe in themselves — and I think a huge part of that is because of Aitana Bonmati.
Aitana usually makes headlines when she scores but there are so many games when she doesn't and is still so important for this team. She brings that winning mentality, such strong character.
She always talks about wanting to be the best version of herself and I think it's contagious for the others as well. She wants to win, she wants to be the best and knows she can be — but she makes her team-mates believe it, too.
Aitana's not the captain, and I don't think she ever will be but she's an important leader in this team, a different kind of leader. Before the semi-final against Sweden, Aitana had been telling Salma Paralluelo to shoot with her right foot more because she always wasted time shifting the ball onto her left. She told her: "Use your right foot and you will become a more complete player." Salma did and scored, and she told us afterwards about Aitana playing a big role in her development.
I know she says she doesn't like to think about individual prizes, that it's all about winning titles for the team, but Aitana has now won the Champions League and the World Cup this year, and she was the best player in both tournaments. To me, it's clear she should win the Ballon d'Or.
Aitana is still only 25, Salma is 19 and I think the future is really bright for this team. Historically, Spain has been one of the best teams in the world at Under-17, U-19 and U-20 level, we've won a lot of tournaments with the age-group teams. But we'd never been on a run in the knockout stages of a Euros or a World Cup. Now, suddenly, we've won one and I think there is more success to come, with this generation of players that are used to winning at youth level now in the senior team.
We should not forget, however, that some of the best players in this team, and in the world, did not come to this tournament. Mapi Leon, Patri Guijarro, Sandra Panos and Claudia Pina were involved in last year's boycott over issues behind the scenes, including Jorge Vilda's management, and would otherwise have been in the team. They are big players: without Mapi, we had some real problems in defence at the start of the tournament and Patri is the best central midfielder in the world, for me.
I'm really proud of them because it cannot be easy, not going to the tournament and then watching your teammates win Spain's first World Cup while you're sitting at home, defending your values. They would have liked to be here but they believed there are more important things than being in a World Cup or winning a World Cup.
We cannot forget about them because if they hadn't stood up to those in power, we wouldn't be World Cup winners. There have been many improvements in things like training conditions that wouldn't have happened without their protest.
I don't know what will happen with Vilda now. If it's left up to the Spanish FA, he will continue because they believed in him and kept him on even when results weren't good. They'll ask him to stay, for sure, but the decision is in his hands. Winning the World Cup is the best thing you can achieve as a coach and it's unlikely to happen again. It could, but it's so difficult and maybe he'll decide to step aside.
