Judith Verdaguer Sánchez: “I never gave up on my dreams”

Catalan, born in 1997, Judith Verdaguer Sánchez joined Venezia FC on the eve of the 2022/23 season after gaining high-level international experience. The Spanish player narrates the beginning of her career and the path that led her to the lagoon.

“Football became part of my life from the age of seven. I started playing with the boys and did so until I found a women's team, where I was noticed by RCD Espanyol scouts, who took me to their youth sector.

Turning 18, the landscape of women's soccer at the time worried me; I feared I could not make this passion my job. I started thinking about a plan B, but I didn't feel ready to abandon my biggest dream. I packed my bags and moved to the US, where the most prestigious colleges offer scholarships for student athletes, and graduated with a degree in International Business while continuing to play. After completing my studies, I returned to Spain to play in the first and second divisions, with Zaragoza, before coming to Venice.

This is my first year in the lagoon, and I am happy to have taken a wonderful opportunity to learn about different playing styles as well as a wonderful country like Italy, which I had never visited. The Venezia FC Femminile project is new, but with the support of the ownership we are laying the right bricks to get to the highest level. European soccer, which is very technical, is quite different from American soccer, which is more physical, but even in Europe, the differences between the various leagues are significant. In Italy, in women's soccer there is more running, counterattacks are very fast, while in Spain we tend to do a more linear game building, with more possession.”