We want to make the women's team great and be an inspiration for the girls of Eibar
Alaitz and Olatz, captains of Eibar and two of the team's experienced players
Alaitz Seoane (Ermua, 1991) and Olatz Areitio (Durango, 1994) are captains of the first women's team and two of their oldest players.
Both are defensive players who started playing football as very young girls, initially in mixed teams and later in women's teams.
From that knowledge of the team and with the accumulated experience, they give us their vision about women's soccer.
- What difference do you find between Eibar of other years and this one?
- Alaitz: We have a long staff of technicians and you see a lot of involvement. If a player is injured, the physio and the recovery specialist are on top of their work, and the same thing happens with the psychologist.
- Olatz: It shows that there is a clear commitment by the women's team for grassroots football.
- How has the female Eibar evolved in recent seasons?
- Alaitz: In the previous years, the team was playing to stay. Since last year we fought for the top positions and that shows with more signings, more technical, different training dynamics ...
- Olatz: There have been many powerful signings, team mates who have come from the First Division. That shows in the intensity and pace of the workouts. This is important for the objective of Eibar.
- At the moment they are bringing on the results. Do you see yourself with the ability to be up all season?
- Alaitz: Yes I see possibilities of being up, as long as there are no injuries. The season is very long and anything can happen
- Olatz: We have a very good team and there are options to be up in the table. If we continue working like this, there will be no problems to be up in top positions.
- One goal may be to finish in the top four to move up to the new Primera B. Is it also possible to play promotion to the Liga Iberdrola?
- Alaitz: If we continue on the same line, we can reach the promotion of promotion. Everything will depend on the matches against powerful teams like Alavés. When we play next week against them it will be seen who gets the head of the classification. There is always someone who can enter without being a favourite.
- Olatz: We have to keep fighting. In those first four places we are Alavés, Osasuna, Athletic B and us. You have to be careful with weak teams because they can surprise you in a day that closes well or you have a bad day. You can see that we are strong, but we still do not know how strong the other favourite teams are.
- What is the level of the category this season? Do you notice that the other teams have also been reinforced?
- Alaitz: Those who have reinforced the most have been us and the Alavés.
Olatz: The Osasuna maintains its block and they know each other very well. Athletic B is at their level, they have a very strong subsidiary.
- What message would you send to the girls of Eibar to encourage them to practice soccer?
- Alaitz: That if you really like it, do not be afraid to sign up. There are coaches of our team who will teach you a lot of things and they can go as far as we have come or much farther because women's football is getting stronger.
- Olatz: Women's football is taking more and more strength and each time you see more if you are going to cheer up they're going to have a good time.
- Where do you think women's football is going? Do you think that this upward progression will continue?
- Alaitz: We hope that it will continue to rise and that our effort will be useful and that the girls who play now will achieve something.
- Olatz: Women's football is going better, but the changes are very slow. I do not know how far it will go.
- What does it mean for you to have played matches in Ipurua?
- Alaitz: It was an unforgettable experience. You play at home, you change in the locker room of the first men's team. They encouraged us from the beginning until the game was over. It was incredible. We did not expect to be offered that opportunity. Few girls have played in the stadium of their club.
- Olatz: Of the best experiences I've had in football. There were many people in the stands. It is a dream that you have since childhood to play in a First Division stadium and also in the stadium of your team. We have had that luck.
- Do you see yourself playing with Eibar in the Liga Iberdrola?
- Alaitz: It is not impossible, but ... In addition, there are more demands and displacements. That's where the girls give priority to one thing or another, because it's hard to play in that category and work.
- Olatz: It's very difficult, there's a lot of switching of efforts from one category to another. In addition, the labour issue may not allow you to square with playing in the Liga Ibedrola and with only football its difficult to take care of daily lives.