Barcelona defender Fernández makes Clásico debut after Everton stint: "Mentally, Ive changed"

Martina Fernández will play her first Clásico on Sunday as a Barcelona starter, returning to the club as a proven elite defender after her standout season at Everton. The 22-year-old center back left Barcelona’s youth system on loan to Everton in January 2025, earned an immediate starting role, and was signed permanently that summer before Barcelona reacquired her for this campaign.
Since arriving in England, Fernández has been a fixture in Everton’s lineup, starting every league match and logging the most minutes of any player under manager Pere Romeu. She described her return to Barcelona as a homecoming, telling *La Vanguardia* she had not realized how much she missed the club until her first two training sessions back. “Mentally, I’ve changed a lot,” she said. “When I left, I was more like a girl in my head. Everything I experienced there—living abroad, being alone, far from family—made me mentally stronger.”
Fernández will make her Camp Nou debut in the Clásico, a match she called “super special.” She expressed confidence in Barcelona’s fans, dismissing concerns that attendance might dip without Alexia Putellas. “I still trust the culés. For me, they’re the best fans in the world—they always show up,” she said. She also praised Barcelona’s resilience this season despite injuries and World Cup absences, stating, “We’re still the best team in the world, and we’re proving it.” Adaptation to England was difficult, she admitted, but the experience hardened her for this moment.
Follow us for live European news




