The Best Version Of Myself

Fátima Pinto, Portugal

For the UEFA Women's EURO 2022, Goal Click collaborated with 12 international women’s footballers from across the national teams of Europe. The players, from Netherlands and Denmark to Portugal and Switzerland, documented their football lives in the weeks leading up to the tournament – finishing club seasons, playing in cup finals, national team training camps, international friendlies, and even the first matches of the Euros.

Fátima Pinto plays for Sporting CP in Portugal and represents the Portuguese women’s national team.

Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your football journey?

My name is Fátima Pinto and I grew up on this little island called Madeira, which is actually the birthplace of Cristiano Ronaldo. I started playing football when I was 6 years old. Each and every day, before, between, and after classes I would play with the boys from my school.

When I was about 9, those boys invited me to join the school football team, which was named “Juventude AC”. I played for Juventude AC until I was 12y and I definitely believe that playing with the boys during those 4 years helped to build the player I am today. I fully enjoyed that experience and I must say to have learned very much while playing with them.

When I was 13, I had to move to a girls’ team named “GD Apel”. This was a truly hard change for me. I was used to having training sessions every day and to work really hard with the boys but from the moment I joined the girls’ team, I would only have two training sessions per week. On rainy days those two precious sessions were, most of the time, cancelled (and I would be very unhappy about that!)

I wanted more. I did not want another hobby. I wanted to be a football player. As so, I asked my previous coach if I could keep practicing with the boys - and so I did!

At 16, I had my first call-up to the Portuguese national team. I did one training camp and was immediately called into the U19 Euros final squad. I was dreaming while awake.

I was used to play as a midfielder, but in my first game I played as a left back. The coach said to me: “don’t be nervous. Just play as you play with your friends back in the streets of Madeira.” So I did - and I was considered the best player of that game. I was really happy but definitely not aware of all that was happening to me and how big a competition the European Championship was.

After this experience, I felt that going to play only with girls in my hometown was a step backwards. They only played 7x7 games and there were only 5 teams competing. Every year, we were Madeira’s champions and that was pretty cool but not competitive at all. I wanted more. I wanted to improve myself for the next time I got called up.

After seeing me play at the Euros, “Ouriense”, who at the time were Portuguese champions, were interested on bringing me onboard. As soon as it came to my knowledge they were interested, I told my parents that I was leaving the island to play football.

My parents were really supportive. I was only 17 years old when they had to let me go so that I could chase my dream. That season, we played Champions League, we won the league and the Portuguese Cup. It was unreal to me.

I remember my first day as an Ouriense player. One of the coaches asked me: “What do you think? Are you happy to be here?”

I answered: “I am so happy that we can practice on this turf!”

He started laughing because he thought that I was making a joke. Actually, the turf was not that good. But what he did not know, was that in Madeira I used to practice on a 5x5 cement field. So for me that bad turf with holes was great.

After one year in Ouriense, I went abroad and signed for a first division club in Spain, Santa Teresa. I played there for two years. It was a hard experience for me, though. I did not share the same ideas as the manager, and he was really disrespectful to the girls. That would mess with me. I hated it. I am quite impulsive when it comes to speaking my mind, so we had some disagreements along the way.

I remember crying a lot. We did not play football - at least, as I would see it - as we just kept kicking the ball forward. There was a time that I was so mentally tired of the way we played and the coach’s attitudes towards me that I wanted to quit playing football.

Then, I got one of the best calls of my life from Raquel (who is now my agent) who was the Head of Women's Football in Sporting Clube de Portugal. She told me they were building a new project with women's football at the club, and they wanted me there.

The second I hung up the phone, I started crying. The dream that I once had when I was a kid - being a professional player - could be real. I could not believe it. Since I did not know Raquel that well, I even called some friends to confirm this new project of Sporting was happening. In my head, it could well be a prank on me. Luckily, it was not!

It ended up being all real and I am proud to say that during my six years wearing Sporting's kit, we won two Portuguese Championships, three Portuguese Cups and two Super Cups.

What did you try to show with the photos? Was there any wider meaning?

I showed my teammates, coaches, staff, and people that help us on a daily basis. I wanted to show our preparation for the Euros and a “look inside” our Portuguese national team camps at Cidade do Futebol.

I love representing my country. It is a privilege to be here, and I am so proud of that. It is the recognition of my everyday work. It is also a reminder to work hard and try to be the best version of myself, as a player and as a person.

What are the current opportunities for female footballers in Portugal?

Now you can be a professional player in Portugal. When I started it was only possible outside of Portugal, so that is a big step.

One big and important change is the investment in younger age groups. We all know those first years are so important in a player’s career. The investment that clubs and the Portuguese Football Federation have made are bringing better conditions for the players. The championship is getting more competitive and attractive for the fans.

What is the future for Portuguese women's football?

The future of the Portuguese women’s football can only be bright! I think the last World Cup was really a game changer for women’s football in general, but especially in Europe. People really started to pay some attention to the women’s game.

There is now much more media coverage, more sponsorships, more adverts with women’s footballers, more broadcasted games, prizes, marketing, and merchandising. There has been a huge development since the World Cup, and I think Portugal surfed that wave pretty well.

The number of registered female players is growing each year and that sets us up for a better, more competitive future. We have been watching top clubs in Portugal more willing to invest in women’s football and I think that the 2022 Euros will bring more visibility to Portuguese players and will motivate the clubs to keep on investing at a national level, both in infrastructure and human resources.

I think that’s really the key: people. This last year with Sporting, I was able to witness how much difference it can make that the people who work with women’s football are not only competent and focused on their jobs, but they are all passionate about women’s football and motivated to raise the game. That can make a difference.