City will have 11 representatives at this summer’s tournament, sporting the colours of England, Sweden, Norway and Spain.
As we build-up to the highly-anticipated competition, which will be played across ten English venues from 6 to 31 July, including the Academy Stadium, we shine the spotlight on our Blue stars.
Today, we place the focus on our new left-back Leila Ouahabi...
PLAYER PROFILE
Position: Defender
Birthplace: Mataró, Spain
Date of birth: 22 March 1993
Age: 29
Height: 5’ 8” (172cm)
APPEARANCES
International: 46
Senior debut: v Romania, 4 March 2016
Senior goals: 1
Honours
FC Barcelona: Primera Division champions (2011/12, 2012/13, 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22), Champions League winner (2020/21), Copa de la Reina winner (2011, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22), Spanish Super Cup winner (2019/20, 2021/22), Catalan Cup winner (2011, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019)
International: Algarve Cup winner (2017)
About Leila
City fans will be following Spain’s progress keenly with two of our new recruits on show: Ouahabi and Laia Aleixandri – both of whom will join the Club officially on 1 July.
Widely regarded as one of the best left-backs in the Spanish game, Ouahabi signs from Champions League Finalists and Primera Division champions FC Barcelona.
Born in Mataró, the 29-year-old defender began her football career with Vilassar de Mar as a child.
In 2007, she joined Barcelona’s prestigious La Masia academy at the age of 13 and rapidly rose through the ranks. Spending 11 impressive years with the Club – both as a youngster and then professionally, despite a brief stint with Valencia – our new Blue played an integral role in their eight Primera Division titles, seven Copa de la Reinas, six Catalan Cups, two Spanish Super Cups and one Champions League triumph.
During the 2021/22 season, the Spanish international went down in football history by helping her side win their first treble, establishing Barcelona as the first club in the world with trebles in both men’s and women’s teams.
Tireless, determined and fiercely passionate, Ouahabi is known for her exceptional passing range and ability to regain and retain possession. She has maintained a strong record of clean sheets and is well-respected for her technical and tactical prowess.
Internationally, Ouahabi’s career began with the under-19 squad. The defender made her senior debut against Romania in February 2016 before helping her side to Algarve Cup glory just a year later – when she netted the winning goal in the Final against Canada.
Closing in on a half-Century of caps to her name, Ouahabi also represented her homeland at the 2019 World Cup, where they breezed through the group stages for the first time in Spanish history before losing in the Round of 16 to the United States of America.
After putting pen to paper on a two-year deal at the Academy Stadium, Head Coach Gareth Taylor said: “Leila is a player who has become accustomed to success throughout her career… She has a vast amount of experience in high-pressure situations and will give everything she has to win.”
Will Ouahabi put her new City teammates to the test and mark her arrival on English soil with a medal?
Fixtures
Spain v Finland
Friday 8 July, 17:00
Stadium MK, Milton Keynes
BBC Two
Germany v Spain
Tuesday 12 July, 20:00
Brentford Community Stadium
(BBC Two)
Denmark v Spain
Saturday 16 July, 20:00
Brentford Community Stadium
BBC iPlayer
