Chelsea vs. Barcelona: A date with history as Barça eye first UWCL trophy

Chelsea vs. Barcelona: A date with history as Barça eye first UWCL trophy

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Barça's path to Sunday's final hasn't always been easy and everyone deserves credit

The important thing is the path you follow. The goal doesn't matter, but the journey to it, the experiences and the growth you need to achieve that objective. And although it's true that the target is extremely important -- because the more difficult it is, the more sacrifice it takes to reach it -- it's true that the key to everything is the process, that path that transforms and improves you along the way.

On Sunday, that path leads Barcelona into the second UEFA Women's Champions League final in the club's history. In Gothenburg, they face Chelsea. It's the first final in which they have a genuine chance. It could provide the climax to a journey that started many years ago.

The beginning

This journey began 50 years ago with a friendly match played by The Pioneers. The fight to train on the pitches next to the Mini Estadi. To have access to medical services. To be paid. To compete with the best in Spain. Win leagues. Play in Europe.

That journey in Europe began with Sullastres, Marta Unzué, Virginia Torrecilla and Alexia Putellas being hammered 7-0 by Arsenal in 2012. The first goal in Europe was scored by Marta Corredera, who now plays for Real Madrid. Barça had to fall down and pick themselves up. Wolfsburg, Bristol City. The desire to avoid the big teams in the draw. That's the draw the rest of the teams have now, lamenting their luck if their opponent is Barça.

That path that takes you away from the club to return to score a double in Europe a year later against Twente. Or to go to New York and England to improve before returning to captain a generation of historic players. It's being genuinely professional. It's to have faith in yourself, even when you fall. To lose one, two, three or four leagues and maintain the faith. The path that takes you to Paris to fall not once, but twice. To bemoan the goal from Barbara that didn't go in. The ball that escaped Sandra after she'd saved everything.

It's the path that leads to you to compete with Lyon, a mammoth of the women's game. Falling and getting back up. Changing coaches. Reaching a first Champions League final. Failing again and improving. Learning and returning after losing in the cruelest way in a semifinal. The path involves learning from all of that and sticking to your roots. Winning a league after a perfect season. Overcoming your black Paris beast. Reaching another final.

That path is Kenti, Jelena, Ange, Andressa, Toni, Lieke and Caroline, but also Olga, Ruth, Ràfols, Claudia, Jana, Bruna, Aitana, Mariona and Patri. Every single one of the people that has allowed this group of players, captained by Alexia -- along with Melanie and Vicky Losada, the only ones that have lived this from the beginning to the end -- to reach where they are today: close to being crowned European champions for the first time.

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