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Mapi León

September 23, 2023

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is León and the second or maternal family name is Cebrián.

María Pilar León Cebrián (born 13 June 1995), known as Mapi León,[a] is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a defender for Liga F club Barcelona and the Spain national team.

Mapi León
León with Barcelona in 2019
Personal information
Full name María Pilar León Cebrián
Date of birth (1995-06-13) 13 June 1995 (age 28)
Place of birth Zaragoza, Spain
Height 1.69 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s) Left-back, centre-back
Team information
Current team
 Barcelona
Number 4
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2009–2011 Prainsa Zaragoza B
2011–2013 Prainsa Zaragoza 64 (6)
2013–2014 Espanyol 30 (4)
2014–2017 Atlético Madrid 84 (4)
2017– Barcelona 153 (11)
International career‡
2016– Spain 54 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 18:52, 16 September 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 15:25, 12 October 2022 (UTC)

León began her career with her hometown club of Prainsa Zaragoza before moving on to Espanyol and Atlético Madrid. At Atlético, she made the transition from a left-back to a center-back under the guidance of coach Ángel Villacampa. León won the first league and Copa de la Reina titles of her career at the club.

In 2017, León was the first paid transfer in Spanish women's football history when she signed for Barcelona from Atlético Madrid, with a fee of 50,000 euros. Domestically with Barcelona, she has won four Copas de la Reina, three league titles, and two Supercopa Femenina. On the continental stage, she has played in three Champions League finals with the club in 2019, 2021 and 2022, winning the 2021 version as part of the first continental treble in the club's history.

León plays internationally with the Spanish national team, making her debut in 2016, in qualifiers for the 2017 UEFA Women's Euro. Since then she has featured in three major international competitions for La Roja in UEFA Women's Euro 2017, 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup and UEFA Women's Euro 2022.

Early life Edit

María Pilar León Cebrián was born 13 June 1995, to parents Javier and Pilar.[2] León was raised with an older brother in La Almozara, a district of Zaragoza.[3]

León started playing volleyball at age seven, and played many other sports as a child including baseball.[2][3] Later she started playing futsal for local team Gran Vía, where she played as a winger.[4][5] Around this age, she was granted a scholarship to go to an art school, but turned down the award to focus on football.[2]

León was discovered by David Magaña, a former Zaragoza CFF sporting director, who noticed her and her brother Javi playing football while shopping in a Carrefour supermarket.[4][6] She began training with the club at age 11.

Club career Edit

Prainsa Zaragoza (2011–2013) Edit

After developing with their B team for two years, León debuted in the Primera División with Prainsa Zaragoza when she was 16.[7] Her match debut with Zaragoza was against Barcelona.[4]

In 2013, Zaragoza made it to the final of the Copa de la Reina, where they faced León's future club FC Barcelona. In her last ever match with the club, León started the final as Zaragoza lost 4–0 to Barcelona, who completed their first domestic double.[8]

Espanyol (2013–2014) Edit

At 18, León joined RCD Espanyol in 2013, where she remained for only one season.[9] Around this time, she began getting call-ups with the senior national team. In addition, she attracted the attention of Atlético Madrid, who finished 3rd in the league in the 2012–13 league season.

Atlético Madrid (2014–2017) Edit

In 2014, León joined Atlético Madrid.[10] In her first season at the club, Atlético finished in second place in the league behind Barcelona, prompting both Atlético and León's debut in the UEFA Women's Champions League. In 2015, León debuted in the UWCL against Russian side Zorky Krasnogorsk, where they were defeated 2–0 in the first leg.[11] Atlético later came back 3–0 to win the tie, but were defeated in the Round of 16 by Lyon on a 9–1 aggregate score.

Within her time at Atlético, León switched from playing as a left-back to playing as a centre-back under the influence of former left-back and Atlético head coach Ángel Villacampa.[3] León won the first league title of her career in the 2016–17 season, when Atlético defeated Real Sociedad on the final matchday of the season.[12] Her performances throughout the season earned her a place in the league's best XI of the season, as well as putting her on FC Barcelona's radar.[13][14]

During the summer transfer window of 2017, Barcelona and Atlético Madrid underwent a two-month-long transfer saga in their negotiations for León. Prior to her transfer to Barcelona, she trained away from the group, and later fell ill during contract negotiations.[15] In her episode of Barcelona's documentary series Dare to Play, Leon recounts how Atlético interpreted this as her faking an illness in an attempt to force through a move to Barcelona.[3]

Barcelona (2017–present) Edit

On 24 August 2017, León's transfer to Barcelona was made official, the club's sixth signing ahead of the 2017–18 season.[16] With a year remaining on her contract with Atlético Madrid, León signed for a fee of €50,000, becoming the first paid transfer in the history of Spanish women's football.[17][18]

In her first season at the club, she won the 2018 Copa de la Reina, her first title with Barcelona. León kept a clean sheet for 120 minutes against her former club Atlético Madrid, as they won the match after a goal late in extra time.[19]

 
León with Barcelona during the 2019 UEFA Women's Champions League Final

In October 2018, León scored her first ever Champions League goal in the Round of 16 against Glasgow City.[20] In 2019, León played the first Champions League Final of her career against Lyon, where Barcelona conceded four goals within the first 30 minutes of the match, and ultimately lost 1–4 against the European giants. Following the conclusion of the Champions League, León renewed her contract with Barcelona for three more years until 2022.[21]

In 2020, León was named as a candidate for UEFA Women's Team of the Year for the first time in her career.[22][23]

On 6 January 2021, León started the first competitive match at the Camp Nou played by women's teams.[24] She assisted Barcelona's fifth and final goal, when one of her shots was deflected off of Ana-Maria Crnogorčević and into goal. Crnogorčević personally credits the goal to León.[25] Later in the month she competed in the 2020–21 Supercopa Femenina, where Barcelona lost on penalties against their rivals Atlético Madrid.[26] León criticised the Royal Spanish Football Federation for not implementing video-assistant referreeing (VAR) in the competition, which the men's version of the competition does have.[27][28]

In March 2021, she was suspended for four matches and fined €601 by the RFEF for criticising the quality of refereeing in the Primera Iberdrola after receiving a controversial red card against Real Madrid.[29] Barcelona appealed the decision to the Administrative Tribunal of Sport (TAD), and León was able to play against second-place opponent Levante in their upcoming league match.[30] Spain's footballing union, the Association of Spanish Footballers (AFE), issued a statement of support for León, calling the suspension an attempt to curtail her freedom of speech and expression.[31][32] The following month, she made her 100th league appearance with Barcelona against UD Granadilla.[33] León became a league champion with Barcelona for the second time on 9 May 2021.

Barcelona made it to the 2021 UEFA Women's Champions League Final after defeating Paris Saint-Germain on an aggregate score of 2–1. In the second leg of the semifinal, León's centerback partner Andrea Pereira picked up a yellow card and was suspended for the final.[34] As expected, León played the final in a centerback pairing alongside defensive midfielder Patri Guijarro, who studied León's game to prepare herself for the match.[35] Barcelona's defence recorded a shutout as they won 4–0, the first UEFA Women's Champions League title in club history. León was named to the 2020–21 UEFA Women's Champions League Squad of the Season,[36] and was later listed as a nominee to the UEFA Women's Champions League Defender of the Season award.[37] Following the conclusion of the Champions League, León played each minute of the remaining semifinal and final of the 2021 Copa de la Reina. Barcelona won the final 4–2, achieving the continental treble for the first time in their history.[38]

León won the league title with Barcelona for the third successive season while winning every match in the process. She also won the Copa de la Reina and Supercopa de España. She started in her team's 1–3 defeat against Lyon in the Champions League final.

On 20 November 2022, she scored on her 200th appearance for Barcelona in her team's 8–0 thrashing of Alavés in a league game.[39]

On 3 June 2023, Mapi played the entire match as Barcelona won 3–2 against VfL Wolfsburg in the final to win her second Women's Champions League title.[40]

International career Edit

 
León {top row, fourth from the left} lining up with Spain in 2018

León's debut with Spain's senior team came about on 15 September 2016, coming on as a substitute during Spain's UEFA Women's Euro 2017 qualifying 13–0 win against Montenegro, the second to last match of European Qualifying.[41]

In 2017, León was called up to her first major tournament with Spain, the 2017 UEFA Women's Euro. Spain advanced to the quarterfinals of the tournament where they were defeated by Austria on penalties.[42] León captained Spain for the first time at the 2019 Algarve Cup.[43]

León started all of Spain's matches at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup as they made it to the Round of 16, where they faced the United States. In the 7th minute, she conceded a penalty after making contact with Tobin Heath in the box, which Megan Rapinoe scored to put the USA 1–0 up.[44] The match ended 2–1 in favour of the United States as Spain exited the tournament.

In 2021, Spain played in a 3–0 win against Poland in UEFA Women's Euro 2022 qualifying, where León scored for the first time in her career with the Spain national team. The same match, she wore her mother's maiden name Cebrián on her shirt.[45]

The following year in July, León participated in the 2022 UEFA Women's Euro, where Spain were eliminated in the quarterfinals by eventual champions England. In September, León joined 14 of her teammates in abstaining from national team call-ups, a decision that arose from a conflict between the 15 players and Spain's coach, Jorge Vilda. The group, later dubbed Las 15 by Spanish media, later posted a joint statement that explained their decision to leave, citing difficulties with their physical and mental health, and criticized the Spanish federation for their response to the situation.[46][47] León continued to refuse call-ups to the national team into 2023 and even refused to make herself available for selection for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.[48] Regarding the situation, she said in an interview "Mapi León has a way of life and values. I can't go back if the situation hasn't changed. There have to be changes. I'm not saying that no changes have happened, but I don't see them."[49]

International goals Edit

Mapi León – goals for   Spain
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 23 February 2021 La Ciudad del Fútbol, Las Rozas de Madrid   Poland 3–0 3–0 UEFA Women's Euro 2021 qualifying

Style of play Edit

León is a versatile left-footed defender, possessing the ability to play as both a left-back and a center-back. She is mostly utilised as a ball-playing centerback, with her main characteristics as a player being her quality technique and passing.[2][50] FIFA profiles her as an aggressive player with good reactions and reading of the game.[43] Former Atletico Madrid manager Ángel Villacampa, who aided her transition from leftback to centerback, has described León as having the perfect connection to Barcelona’s style, with her ability to distribute the ball up the pitch and her preference for playing in a high block.[3]

Personal life Edit

In 2018, León came out publicly as a lesbian in an interview with Spanish newspaper El Mundo after being out for many years in her personal life.[51] In the same interview, she spoke in disapproval of the 2018 FIFA World Cup being hosted in Russia due to anti-gay purges in Chechnya.[52] In 2019, León was a headline speaker for the commencement of Madrid Pride.[53][51] El Mundo labelled her as one of Spain's top 50 most influential LGBT people in 2018 and 2019.[54][55] In 2021, she was a part of Levi's Beauty of Becoming campaign for LGBT Pride month.[56][57] As of 2022, she is in a relationship with Barcelona teammate and Norwegian international Ingrid Syrstad Engen.[58]

León has a passion for motorcycles, which was influenced by her father, who is a mechanic.[2][3] She also has an interest in drawing and painting, and has multiple tattoos. Her first tattoo was a small one on her foot, which she purposefully got in a discrete area to hide from her parents.[3] One of her most prominent tattoos is that on her neck, which reads "Looks can be deceiving."[28][59] She practices tattooing on her own hands and feet, and in 2021 was interning at a tattoo shop.[4] She has stated that she would like to focus on her tattoos and tattoo design after retiring from football.[43]

Honours Edit

Atletico Madrid

Barcelona

Spain

Individual

Notes Edit

  1. ^ Despite this, her name on her football jerseys is María León.[1]

References Edit

  1. ^ "María León". FC Barcelona. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e Giovio, Eleonora (11 June 2019). "Mapi León, la central que vigila hasta lo que pasa en la grada". El País. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Busquets, Marta (director) (17 August 2020). Dare to Play: Mapi León (Motion picture) (in Spanish). Barcelona: FC Barcelona. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d Pérez, Àlex (17 May 2021). "Mapi León: "Nadie me hubiera dicho a mí que iba a llegar hasta aquí"". Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  5. ^ "La zaragozana María León ficha por el Atlético de Madrid". espiritudeportivo.es. Espiritu Deportivo. 7 August 2014. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  6. ^ Clavero, Javier (20 May 2021). "Mapi León: de La Almozara al trono europeo". heraldo.es. Heraldo de Aragón. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  7. ^ Mapi, BDFutbol
  8. ^ Menayo, David (16 June 2013). "El Barcelona firma el primer doblete de su historia". marca.com. MARCA. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  9. ^ Martín González, Cesáreo (28 June 2012). "Mapi León y Claudia Neto, nuevas altas en el Espanyol". vavel.com. Vavel. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  10. ^ "La zaragozana María León ficha por el Atlético de Madrid" [Zaragozan Mapi León signs for Atlético de Madrid] (in Spanish). Espíritu Deportivo. 7 August 2014.
  11. ^ S. Riquelme, Sandra (7 October 2015). "Varapalo para el Atlético de Madrid en su debut europeo". marca.com. MARCA. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  12. ^ Menayo, David (20 May 2017). "El Atlético de Madrid gana su primera Liga en un partido histórico". marca.com. MARCA. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  13. ^ "Charlyn Corral y Kenti Robles, en el Once Ideal de la Liga Iberdrola". marca.com. MARCA. 15 June 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  14. ^ "4. María León". fcbarcelona.com. FC Barcelona. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  15. ^ Serret, Andreu (24 August 2017). "Mapi, al Barça: fin al culebrón del verano". lpnsmfemenino.com. La Pelota en Femenino. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
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  17. ^ "Mapi León se ha convertido en el primer traspaso en España". as.com. AS. 1 September 2017. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  18. ^ Santiago, Luca (24 August 2017). "La aragonesa Mapi León firma por el Barça". Heraldo de Aragón. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  19. ^ "Un milagroso gol de Mariona da la Copa de la Reina al Barça". elperiodico.com. El Periódico. 2 June 2018. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  20. ^ Menayo, David (17 October 2018). "Barcelona - Glasgow City y Wolfsburgo - Atlético de Madrid, la Champions en directo". marca.com. MARCA. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  21. ^ Martínez, Patricia (25 April 2019). "Alexia, Mariona, Mapi y Leila, renovadas". sport.es. SPORT. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  22. ^ G. Gil, Aimara (1 December 2020). "Seis españolas nominadas entre las 50 mejores del once del año". as.com. AS. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  23. ^ "Nine Barça players are candidates for the UEFA Team of the Year". fcbarcelona.com. FC Barcelona. 2 December 2020. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  24. ^ "Barça Women 5-0 Espanyol Women: Historic win at Camp Nou". fcbarcelona.com. FC Barcelona. 6 January 2021. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  25. ^ Téllez, Jan (20 March 2021). "Crnogorcevic: "Es mi primer gol, ojalá que no sea el último"". vavel.com. Vavel. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  26. ^ Jiménez, Mayca (13 January 2021). "El Atlético, súper finalista". as.com. AS. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  27. ^ "Mapi León estalla por la ausencia de VAR en la Supercopa femenina". as.com. AS. 14 January 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  28. ^ a b Villarrubia, Begoña (29 January 2021). "Mapi León, rebelde con causa". mundodeportivo.com. Mundo Deportivo. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  29. ^ Burhan, Asif (11 March 2021). "FC Barcelona's Mapi León Suspended For Four Games After Social Media Post". Forbes. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  30. ^ Martínez, Patricia (1 April 2021). "El TAD concede la cautelar a Mapi León". sport.es. SPORT. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  31. ^ "Comunicado de la Asociación de Futbolistas Españoles sobre la sanción a Mapi León". afe-futbol.com. Association of Spanish Footballers. 11 March 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  32. ^ Sánchez-Flor, Ulises (12 March 2021). "Mapi León: 600 euros de multa y 4 partidos de sanción por opinar del árbitro en Twitter". elconfidencial.com. El Confidencial. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  33. ^ Tikas, Maria (20 April 2021). "Mapi León, centenaria con el Barça en liga". sport.es. SPORT. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  34. ^ Newman, Blair (16 May 2021). "Barcelona owns the moment without even hitting top gear in first Champions League triumph". equalizersoccer.com. Equalizer Soccer. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  35. ^ I. Irigoyen, Juan (14 May 2021). "Patri Guijarro, el pegamento del Barça". elpais.com. El País. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  36. ^ "Women's Champions League Squad of the Season 2020/21". uefa.com. UEFA. 20 May 2021. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  37. ^ "Women's Champions League positional awards nominees announced". uefa.com. UEFA. 13 August 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  38. ^ Clark, Gill (30 May 2021). "Barcelona Femeni win Copa de la Reina to complete historic treble". barcablaugranes.com. SB Nation. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  39. ^ "200 rugits de Mapi". FC Barcelona (in Catalan). Retrieved 20 November 2022.
  40. ^ Boguñá, Roger. "Barça – Wolfsburg: Campiones d'Europa! (3-2)". FC Barcelona (in Catalan). Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  41. ^ Roldán, Isabel (28 February 2017). "Mapi León: "Está siendo un gran año con el Atleti y con España"". as.com. AS. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  42. ^ "Así vivimos la eliminación de España en los penaltis". marca.com. MARCA. 30 July 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  43. ^ a b c "Leon: My blood boils because I hate to lose". FIFA. 8 April 2019. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
  44. ^ Lázzeri, Héctor (24 June 2019). "Megan Rapinoe muestra el camino a cuartos". marca.com. MARCA. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  45. ^ ""Una madre se lo merece todo": así sorprendió defensa de la selección femenina de España a su mamá". T13. 25 February 2021. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  46. ^ "Jorge Vilda: Spanish FA standing by head coach as 15 players threaten to quit due to mental health issues". Sky Sports. 23 September 2022.
  47. ^ Lowe, Sid (30 September 2022). "Jorge Vilda omits 15 players after Spain mutiny and refuses to step down". the Guardian. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
  48. ^ Jiménez, Mayca (15 June 2023). "Las notas a pie de página del 'no' de Mapi León y Patri Guijarro, el último bastión de 'Las 15'". Relevo (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  49. ^ Jiménez, Mayca (25 May 2023). "Mapi León: «A día de hoy, no estaré en el Mundial«". Relevo (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  50. ^ "Women's Champions League final: Barcelona key players". uefa.com. UEFA. 15 May 2021. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  51. ^ a b "Mapi León: "Ya nos tocaba no estar a la sombra"" [Mapi León: "It was already our turn not to be in the shade"] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 5 July 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2018. I do not need to shout to everyone that I am a lesbian, but I do believe that society needed it
  52. ^ Romo, José Luis (23 June 2018). "Mapi León: futbolista, del Barça, de la selección española y lesbiana". elmundo.es. El Mundo. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  53. ^ Gasca, Joaquín (4 July 2018). "La futbolista Mapi León, sorpresa en el pregón del Orgullo de Madrid: "Si estás orgullosa de lo que eres, da igual lo que digan"". shangay.com. Shangay Express. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  54. ^ "Mapi León, otra vez distinguida como referente contra la homofobia". thechampionsvoice.com. The Champion’s Voice. 23 June 2019. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  55. ^ "Los 50 LGTBI más influyentes de España en 2019". elmundo.es. El Mundo. 21 June 2019. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  56. ^ Lagos, Camila (23 June 2021). "LEVI'S CELEBRA EL ORGULLO Y LA EXPRESIÓN DEL SER". issue.cl. Issue. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  57. ^ "Levi's da voz a talentos LGTBI que merecen ser escuchados". shangay.com. Shangay Express. 29 June 2021. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
  58. ^ Irigoyen, Juan I. (7 July 2022). "Mapi León: "Se demostró que el fútbol femenino solo había que saber venderlo"". El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  59. ^ Muñoz, Felip (8 February 2020). "El liderazgo tranquilo de Mapi León". mundodeportivo.com. Mundo Deportivo. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  60. ^ "Chelsea 0-4 Barcelona: Barça surge to first Women's Champions League title". UEFA.com. 16 May 2021. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
  61. ^ Wrack, Suzanne (3 June 2023). "Rolfö caps Barcelona comeback against Wolfsburg to win thrilling WCL final". The Guardian. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  62. ^ Menayo, David (21 May 2013). "FútbolDraft ya tiene su once de oro". marca.com. MARCA. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  63. ^ "María León, en el '11 de Oro' de Fútbol Draft 2015". atleticodemadrid.com. Atlético Madrid. 19 May 2021. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  64. ^ "Renard, Bronze and Morgan secure FIFPRO Women's 11 places". FIFA. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 27 February 2023. Retrieved 28 February 2023.

External links Edit

  • Mapi León – UEFA competition record ()
  • Mapi León at FC Barcelona
  • Mapi León at BDFutbol
  • Mapi León at ESPN FC
  • Mapi León at FBref.com
  • Mapi León at Soccerway

September 23, 2023
mapi, león, this, spanish, name, first, paternal, surname, león, second, maternal, family, name, cebrián, maría, pilar, león, cebrián, born, june, 1995, known, spanish, professional, footballer, plays, defender, liga, club, barcelona, spain, national, team, le. In this Spanish name the first or paternal surname is Leon and the second or maternal family name is Cebrian Maria Pilar Leon Cebrian born 13 June 1995 known as Mapi Leon a is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a defender for Liga F club Barcelona and the Spain national team Mapi LeonLeon with Barcelona in 2019Personal informationFull nameMaria Pilar Leon CebrianDate of birth 1995 06 13 13 June 1995 age 28 Place of birthZaragoza SpainHeight1 69 m 5 ft 7 in Position s Left back centre backTeam informationCurrent teamBarcelonaNumber4Senior career YearsTeamApps Gls 2009 2011Prainsa Zaragoza B2011 2013Prainsa Zaragoza64 6 2013 2014Espanyol30 4 2014 2017Atletico Madrid84 4 2017 Barcelona153 11 International career 2016 Spain54 1 Club domestic league appearances and goals correct as of 18 52 16 September 2023 UTC National team caps and goals correct as of 15 25 12 October 2022 UTC Leon began her career with her hometown club of Prainsa Zaragoza before moving on to Espanyol and Atletico Madrid At Atletico she made the transition from a left back to a center back under the guidance of coach Angel Villacampa Leon won the first league and Copa de la Reina titles of her career at the club In 2017 Leon was the first paid transfer in Spanish women s football history when she signed for Barcelona from Atletico Madrid with a fee of 50 000 euros Domestically with Barcelona she has won four Copas de la Reina three league titles and two Supercopa Femenina On the continental stage she has played in three Champions League finals with the club in 2019 2021 and 2022 winning the 2021 version as part of the first continental treble in the club s history Leon plays internationally with the Spanish national team making her debut in 2016 in qualifiers for the 2017 UEFA Women s Euro Since then she has featured in three major international competitions for La Roja in UEFA Women s Euro 2017 2019 FIFA Women s World Cup and UEFA Women s Euro 2022 Contents 1 Early life 2 Club career 2 1 Prainsa Zaragoza 2011 2013 2 2 Espanyol 2013 2014 2 3 Atletico Madrid 2014 2017 2 4 Barcelona 2017 present 3 International career 3 1 International goals 4 Style of play 5 Personal life 6 Honours 7 Notes 8 References 9 External linksEarly life EditMaria Pilar Leon Cebrian was born 13 June 1995 to parents Javier and Pilar 2 Leon was raised with an older brother in La Almozara a district of Zaragoza 3 Leon started playing volleyball at age seven and played many other sports as a child including baseball 2 3 Later she started playing futsal for local team Gran Via where she played as a winger 4 5 Around this age she was granted a scholarship to go to an art school but turned down the award to focus on football 2 Leon was discovered by David Magana a former Zaragoza CFF sporting director who noticed her and her brother Javi playing football while shopping in a Carrefour supermarket 4 6 She began training with the club at age 11 Club career EditPrainsa Zaragoza 2011 2013 Edit After developing with their B team for two years Leon debuted in the Primera Division with Prainsa Zaragoza when she was 16 7 Her match debut with Zaragoza was against Barcelona 4 In 2013 Zaragoza made it to the final of the Copa de la Reina where they faced Leon s future club FC Barcelona In her last ever match with the club Leon started the final as Zaragoza lost 4 0 to Barcelona who completed their first domestic double 8 Espanyol 2013 2014 Edit At 18 Leon joined RCD Espanyol in 2013 where she remained for only one season 9 Around this time she began getting call ups with the senior national team In addition she attracted the attention of Atletico Madrid who finished 3rd in the league in the 2012 13 league season Atletico Madrid 2014 2017 Edit In 2014 Leon joined Atletico Madrid 10 In her first season at the club Atletico finished in second place in the league behind Barcelona prompting both Atletico and Leon s debut in the UEFA Women s Champions League In 2015 Leon debuted in the UWCL against Russian side Zorky Krasnogorsk where they were defeated 2 0 in the first leg 11 Atletico later came back 3 0 to win the tie but were defeated in the Round of 16 by Lyon on a 9 1 aggregate score Within her time at Atletico Leon switched from playing as a left back to playing as a centre back under the influence of former left back and Atletico head coach Angel Villacampa 3 Leon won the first league title of her career in the 2016 17 season when Atletico defeated Real Sociedad on the final matchday of the season 12 Her performances throughout the season earned her a place in the league s best XI of the season as well as putting her on FC Barcelona s radar 13 14 During the summer transfer window of 2017 Barcelona and Atletico Madrid underwent a two month long transfer saga in their negotiations for Leon Prior to her transfer to Barcelona she trained away from the group and later fell ill during contract negotiations 15 In her episode of Barcelona s documentary series Dare to Play Leon recounts how Atletico interpreted this as her faking an illness in an attempt to force through a move to Barcelona 3 Barcelona 2017 present Edit On 24 August 2017 Leon s transfer to Barcelona was made official the club s sixth signing ahead of the 2017 18 season 16 With a year remaining on her contract with Atletico Madrid Leon signed for a fee of 50 000 becoming the first paid transfer in the history of Spanish women s football 17 18 In her first season at the club she won the 2018 Copa de la Reina her first title with Barcelona Leon kept a clean sheet for 120 minutes against her former club Atletico Madrid as they won the match after a goal late in extra time 19 nbsp Leon with Barcelona during the 2019 UEFA Women s Champions League FinalIn October 2018 Leon scored her first ever Champions League goal in the Round of 16 against Glasgow City 20 In 2019 Leon played the first Champions League Final of her career against Lyon where Barcelona conceded four goals within the first 30 minutes of the match and ultimately lost 1 4 against the European giants Following the conclusion of the Champions League Leon renewed her contract with Barcelona for three more years until 2022 21 In 2020 Leon was named as a candidate for UEFA Women s Team of the Year for the first time in her career 22 23 On 6 January 2021 Leon started the first competitive match at the Camp Nou played by women s teams 24 She assisted Barcelona s fifth and final goal when one of her shots was deflected off of Ana Maria Crnogorcevic and into goal Crnogorcevic personally credits the goal to Leon 25 Later in the month she competed in the 2020 21 Supercopa Femenina where Barcelona lost on penalties against their rivals Atletico Madrid 26 Leon criticised the Royal Spanish Football Federation for not implementing video assistant referreeing VAR in the competition which the men s version of the competition does have 27 28 In March 2021 she was suspended for four matches and fined 601 by the RFEF for criticising the quality of refereeing in the Primera Iberdrola after receiving a controversial red card against Real Madrid 29 Barcelona appealed the decision to the Administrative Tribunal of Sport TAD and Leon was able to play against second place opponent Levante in their upcoming league match 30 Spain s footballing union the Association of Spanish Footballers AFE issued a statement of support for Leon calling the suspension an attempt to curtail her freedom of speech and expression 31 32 The following month she made her 100th league appearance with Barcelona against UD Granadilla 33 Leon became a league champion with Barcelona for the second time on 9 May 2021 Barcelona made it to the 2021 UEFA Women s Champions League Final after defeating Paris Saint Germain on an aggregate score of 2 1 In the second leg of the semifinal Leon s centerback partner Andrea Pereira picked up a yellow card and was suspended for the final 34 As expected Leon played the final in a centerback pairing alongside defensive midfielder Patri Guijarro who studied Leon s game to prepare herself for the match 35 Barcelona s defence recorded a shutout as they won 4 0 the first UEFA Women s Champions League title in club history Leon was named to the 2020 21 UEFA Women s Champions League Squad of the Season 36 and was later listed as a nominee to the UEFA Women s Champions League Defender of the Season award 37 Following the conclusion of the Champions League Leon played each minute of the remaining semifinal and final of the 2021 Copa de la Reina Barcelona won the final 4 2 achieving the continental treble for the first time in their history 38 Leon won the league title with Barcelona for the third successive season while winning every match in the process She also won the Copa de la Reina and Supercopa de Espana She started in her team s 1 3 defeat against Lyon in the Champions League final On 20 November 2022 she scored on her 200th appearance for Barcelona in her team s 8 0 thrashing of Alaves in a league game 39 On 3 June 2023 Mapi played the entire match as Barcelona won 3 2 against VfL Wolfsburg in the final to win her second Women s Champions League title 40 International career Edit nbsp Leon top row fourth from the left lining up with Spain in 2018Leon s debut with Spain s senior team came about on 15 September 2016 coming on as a substitute during Spain s UEFA Women s Euro 2017 qualifying 13 0 win against Montenegro the second to last match of European Qualifying 41 In 2017 Leon was called up to her first major tournament with Spain the 2017 UEFA Women s Euro Spain advanced to the quarterfinals of the tournament where they were defeated by Austria on penalties 42 Leon captained Spain for the first time at the 2019 Algarve Cup 43 Leon started all of Spain s matches at the 2019 FIFA Women s World Cup as they made it to the Round of 16 where they faced the United States In the 7th minute she conceded a penalty after making contact with Tobin Heath in the box which Megan Rapinoe scored to put the USA 1 0 up 44 The match ended 2 1 in favour of the United States as Spain exited the tournament In 2021 Spain played in a 3 0 win against Poland in UEFA Women s Euro 2022 qualifying where Leon scored for the first time in her career with the Spain national team The same match she wore her mother s maiden name Cebrian on her shirt 45 The following year in July Leon participated in the 2022 UEFA Women s Euro where Spain were eliminated in the quarterfinals by eventual champions England In September Leon joined 14 of her teammates in abstaining from national team call ups a decision that arose from a conflict between the 15 players and Spain s coach Jorge Vilda The group later dubbed Las 15 by Spanish media later posted a joint statement that explained their decision to leave citing difficulties with their physical and mental health and criticized the Spanish federation for their response to the situation 46 47 Leon continued to refuse call ups to the national team into 2023 and even refused to make herself available for selection for the 2023 FIFA Women s World Cup 48 Regarding the situation she said in an interview Mapi Leon has a way of life and values I can t go back if the situation hasn t changed There have to be changes I m not saying that no changes have happened but I don t see them 49 International goals Edit Mapi Leon goals for nbsp Spain Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition1 23 February 2021 La Ciudad del Futbol Las Rozas de Madrid nbsp Poland 3 0 3 0 UEFA Women s Euro 2021 qualifyingStyle of play EditLeon is a versatile left footed defender possessing the ability to play as both a left back and a center back She is mostly utilised as a ball playing centerback with her main characteristics as a player being her quality technique and passing 2 50 FIFA profiles her as an aggressive player with good reactions and reading of the game 43 Former Atletico Madrid manager Angel Villacampa who aided her transition from leftback to centerback has described Leon as having the perfect connection to Barcelona s style with her ability to distribute the ball up the pitch and her preference for playing in a high block 3 Personal life EditIn 2018 Leon came out publicly as a lesbian in an interview with Spanish newspaper El Mundo after being out for many years in her personal life 51 In the same interview she spoke in disapproval of the 2018 FIFA World Cup being hosted in Russia due to anti gay purges in Chechnya 52 In 2019 Leon was a headline speaker for the commencement of Madrid Pride 53 51 El Mundo labelled her as one of Spain s top 50 most influential LGBT people in 2018 and 2019 54 55 In 2021 she was a part of Levi s Beauty of Becoming campaign for LGBT Pride month 56 57 As of 2022 update she is in a relationship with Barcelona teammate and Norwegian international Ingrid Syrstad Engen 58 Leon has a passion for motorcycles which was influenced by her father who is a mechanic 2 3 She also has an interest in drawing and painting and has multiple tattoos Her first tattoo was a small one on her foot which she purposefully got in a discrete area to hide from her parents 3 One of her most prominent tattoos is that on her neck which reads Looks can be deceiving 28 59 She practices tattooing on her own hands and feet and in 2021 was interning at a tattoo shop 4 She has stated that she would like to focus on her tattoos and tattoo design after retiring from football 43 Honours EditAtletico Madrid Primera Division 2016 17 Copa de la Reina 2016Barcelona Primera Division 2019 20 2020 21 2021 22 2022 23 UEFA Women s Champions League 2020 21 60 2022 23 61 Copa de la Reina 2018 2019 20 2020 21 2021 22 Supercopa de Espana 2019 20 2021 22 2022 23 Copa Catalunya 2018 2019Spain Algarve Cup 2017 SheBelieves Cup runner up 2020 Arnold Clark Cup runner up 2022Individual Futbol Draft 2013 62 2015 63 Primera Division Best XI of the Season 2016 17 UEFA Women s Champions League Squad of the Season 2020 21 FIFA FIFPRO Women s World 11 2022 64 Notes Edit Despite this her name on her football jerseys is Maria Leon 1 References Edit Maria Leon FC Barcelona Retrieved 31 December 2022 a b c d e Giovio Eleonora 11 June 2019 Mapi Leon la central que vigila hasta lo que pasa en la grada El Pais Retrieved 1 July 2021 a b c d e f g Busquets Marta director 17 August 2020 Dare to Play Mapi Leon Motion picture in Spanish Barcelona FC Barcelona Retrieved 23 June 2021 a b c d Perez Alex 17 May 2021 Mapi Leon Nadie me hubiera dicho a mi que iba a llegar hasta aqui Retrieved 23 June 2021 La zaragozana Maria Leon ficha por el Atletico de Madrid espiritudeportivo es Espiritu Deportivo 7 August 2014 Retrieved 29 June 2021 Clavero Javier 20 May 2021 Mapi Leon de La Almozara al trono europeo heraldo es Heraldo de Aragon Retrieved 24 June 2021 Mapi BDFutbol Menayo David 16 June 2013 El Barcelona firma el primer doblete de su historia marca com MARCA Retrieved 30 June 2021 Martin Gonzalez Cesareo 28 June 2012 Mapi Leon y Claudia Neto nuevas altas en el Espanyol vavel com Vavel Retrieved 29 June 2021 La zaragozana Maria Leon ficha por el Atletico de Madrid Zaragozan Mapi Leon signs for Atletico de Madrid in Spanish Espiritu Deportivo 7 August 2014 S Riquelme Sandra 7 October 2015 Varapalo para el Atletico de Madrid en su debut europeo marca com MARCA Retrieved 30 June 2021 Menayo David 20 May 2017 El Atletico de Madrid gana su primera Liga en un partido historico marca com MARCA Retrieved 30 June 2021 Charlyn Corral y Kenti Robles en el Once Ideal de la Liga Iberdrola marca com MARCA 15 June 2017 Retrieved 30 June 2021 4 Maria Leon fcbarcelona com FC Barcelona Retrieved 15 May 2021 Serret Andreu 24 August 2017 Mapi al Barca fin al culebron del verano lpnsmfemenino com La Pelota en Femenino Retrieved 23 June 2021 Agreement with Atletico Madrid for Maria Leon fcbarcelona com FC Barcelona 24 August 2017 Retrieved 23 June 2021 Mapi Leon se ha convertido en el primer traspaso en Espana as com AS 1 September 2017 Retrieved 23 June 2021 Santiago Luca 24 August 2017 La aragonesa Mapi Leon firma por el Barca Heraldo de Aragon Retrieved 26 June 2019 Un milagroso gol de Mariona da la Copa de la Reina al Barca elperiodico com El Periodico 2 June 2018 Retrieved 30 June 2021 Menayo David 17 October 2018 Barcelona Glasgow City y Wolfsburgo Atletico de Madrid la Champions en directo marca com MARCA Retrieved 1 July 2021 Martinez Patricia 25 April 2019 Alexia Mariona Mapi y Leila renovadas sport es SPORT Retrieved 30 June 2021 G Gil Aimara 1 December 2020 Seis espanolas nominadas entre las 50 mejores del once del ano as com AS Retrieved 23 June 2021 Nine Barca players are candidates for the UEFA Team of the Year fcbarcelona com FC Barcelona 2 December 2020 Retrieved 23 June 2021 Barca Women 5 0 Espanyol Women Historic win at Camp Nou fcbarcelona com FC Barcelona 6 January 2021 Retrieved 2 July 2021 Tellez Jan 20 March 2021 Crnogorcevic Es mi primer gol ojala que no sea el ultimo vavel com Vavel Retrieved 2 July 2021 Jimenez Mayca 13 January 2021 El Atletico super finalista as com AS Retrieved 23 June 2021 Mapi Leon estalla por la ausencia de VAR en la Supercopa femenina as com AS 14 January 2021 Retrieved 23 June 2021 a b Villarrubia Begona 29 January 2021 Mapi Leon rebelde con causa mundodeportivo com Mundo Deportivo Retrieved 29 June 2021 Burhan Asif 11 March 2021 FC Barcelona s Mapi Leon Suspended For Four Games After Social Media Post Forbes Retrieved 15 May 2021 Martinez Patricia 1 April 2021 El TAD concede la cautelar a Mapi Leon sport es SPORT Retrieved 23 June 2021 Comunicado de la Asociacion de Futbolistas Espanoles sobre la sancion a Mapi Leon afe futbol com Association of Spanish Footballers 11 March 2021 Retrieved 23 June 2021 Sanchez Flor Ulises 12 March 2021 Mapi Leon 600 euros de multa y 4 partidos de sancion por opinar del arbitro en Twitter elconfidencial com El Confidencial Retrieved 23 June 2021 Tikas Maria 20 April 2021 Mapi Leon centenaria con el Barca en liga sport es SPORT Retrieved 15 May 2021 Newman Blair 16 May 2021 Barcelona owns the moment without even hitting top gear in first Champions League triumph equalizersoccer com Equalizer Soccer Retrieved 2 July 2021 I Irigoyen Juan 14 May 2021 Patri Guijarro el pegamento del Barca elpais com El Pais Retrieved 23 June 2021 Women s Champions League Squad of the Season 2020 21 uefa com UEFA 20 May 2021 Retrieved 2 July 2021 Women s Champions League positional awards nominees announced uefa com UEFA 13 August 2021 Retrieved 13 August 2021 Clark Gill 30 May 2021 Barcelona Femeni win Copa de la Reina to complete historic treble barcablaugranes com SB Nation Retrieved 3 July 2021 200 rugits de Mapi FC Barcelona in Catalan Retrieved 20 November 2022 Boguna Roger Barca Wolfsburg Campiones d Europa 3 2 FC Barcelona in Catalan Retrieved 3 June 2023 Roldan Isabel 28 February 2017 Mapi Leon Esta siendo un gran ano con el Atleti y con Espana as com AS Retrieved 23 June 2021 Asi vivimos la eliminacion de Espana en los penaltis marca com MARCA 30 July 2017 Retrieved 30 June 2021 a b c Leon My blood boils because I hate to lose FIFA 8 April 2019 Retrieved 11 June 2019 Lazzeri Hector 24 June 2019 Megan Rapinoe muestra el camino a cuartos marca com MARCA Retrieved 1 July 2021 Una madre se lo merece todo asi sorprendio defensa de la seleccion femenina de Espana a su mama T13 25 February 2021 Retrieved 23 June 2021 Jorge Vilda Spanish FA standing by head coach as 15 players threaten to quit due to mental health issues Sky Sports 23 September 2022 Lowe Sid 30 September 2022 Jorge Vilda omits 15 players after Spain mutiny and refuses to step down the Guardian Retrieved 18 October 2022 Jimenez Mayca 15 June 2023 Las notas a pie de pagina del no de Mapi Leon y Patri Guijarro el ultimo bastion de Las 15 Relevo in Spanish Retrieved 28 July 2023 Jimenez Mayca 25 May 2023 Mapi Leon A dia de hoy no estare en el Mundial Relevo in Spanish Retrieved 28 July 2023 Women s Champions League final Barcelona key players uefa com UEFA 15 May 2021 Retrieved 2 July 2021 a b Mapi Leon Ya nos tocaba no estar a la sombra Mapi Leon It was already our turn not to be in the shade in Spanish Mundo Deportivo 5 July 2018 Retrieved 15 July 2018 I do not need to shout to everyone that I am a lesbian but I do believe that society needed it Romo Jose Luis 23 June 2018 Mapi Leon futbolista del Barca de la seleccion espanola y lesbiana elmundo es El Mundo Retrieved 1 July 2021 Gasca Joaquin 4 July 2018 La futbolista Mapi Leon sorpresa en el pregon del Orgullo de Madrid Si estas orgullosa de lo que eres da igual lo que digan shangay com Shangay Express Retrieved 24 June 2021 Mapi Leon otra vez distinguida como referente contra la homofobia thechampionsvoice com The Champion s Voice 23 June 2019 Retrieved 23 June 2021 Los 50 LGTBI mas influyentes de Espana en 2019 elmundo es El Mundo 21 June 2019 Retrieved 23 June 2021 Lagos Camila 23 June 2021 LEVI S CELEBRA EL ORGULLO Y LA EXPRESIoN DEL SER issue cl Issue Retrieved 1 July 2021 Levi s da voz a talentos LGTBI que merecen ser escuchados shangay com Shangay Express 29 June 2021 Retrieved 1 July 2021 Irigoyen Juan I 7 July 2022 Mapi Leon Se demostro que el futbol femenino solo habia que saber venderlo El Pais in Spanish Retrieved 19 August 2022 Munoz Felip 8 February 2020 El liderazgo tranquilo de Mapi Leon mundodeportivo com Mundo Deportivo Retrieved 30 June 2021 Chelsea 0 4 Barcelona Barca surge to first Women s Champions League title UEFA com 16 May 2021 Retrieved 16 May 2021 Wrack Suzanne 3 June 2023 Rolfo caps Barcelona comeback against Wolfsburg to win thrilling WCL final The Guardian ISSN 0029 7712 Retrieved 7 June 2023 Menayo David 21 May 2013 FutbolDraft ya tiene su once de oro marca com MARCA Retrieved 30 June 2021 Maria Leon en el 11 de Oro de Futbol Draft 2015 atleticodemadrid com Atletico Madrid 19 May 2021 Retrieved 29 June 2021 Renard Bronze and Morgan secure FIFPRO Women s 11 places FIFA Federation Internationale de Football Association 27 February 2023 Retrieved 28 February 2023 External links EditMapi Leon UEFA competition record archive Mapi Leon at FC Barcelona Mapi Leon at BDFutbol Mapi Leon at ESPN FC Mapi Leon at FBref com Mapi Leon at Soccerway Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mapi Leon amp oldid 1175824055, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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