CUPRA Ambassadors
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” says CUPRA Director of Strategy, Business Development and Operations Antonino Labate as he welcomes a group of women who have made history by breaking with tradition. They are CUPRA’s padel ambassadors and football players on the women’s FC Barcelona team. Doing things differently is in the DNA of all of these women and that’s why they jumped at the chance to step out of their comfort zone again for a unique encounter - the FC Barcelona players swap their ball and football pitch for rackets on a one-of-a-kind padel court built just outside Spotify Camp Nou. This time together with the brand’s Global Partner FC Barcelona, CUPRA continues its commitment to padel, a sport it’s helped to energize by sponsoring the World Padel Tour. Now with an unconventional challenge - bringing together the best of both worlds so that the players can tell us how the team gives them an unstoppable impulse day after day.
Redefining the rules. Paula Josemaría and Ari Sánchez are still at the top of the World Padel Tour rankings. The basis of their success is their quality as players and the strong tandem they make as a couple on court. “I fully trust Paula and I know she’s got my back, too” says Ari, to which Paula adds “If she plays individually and I do the same, our game won’t amount to anything. What’s most important is the momentum we have as a team.” And together they face this new challenge: giving a technical session to champions in a different discipline - footballers Alexia Putellas, Ana Maria Crnogorčević, Asisat Oshoala, Fridolina Rolfo, Lucy Bronze and Sandra Paños, winners of the last three seasons of the top professional football league and the European championship in 2021. “They did really well. They listened to our coaching and improved with every point” admits Paula Josemaría.
Unity builds strength. Confidence and teamwork are the key words repeated by all these athletes when they talk about the reason for their success. For one of FC Barcelona’s captains, Alexia Putellas, “it’s very important to work together as one. I think one of the best things about team sports is the boost you get from your teammates, when you get injured, when you’re having a bad game, they help you, even without doing anything special.” Her teammate Ana Maria Crnogorčević shares her opinion: “everything you do can influence your teammates. We all want to score, we all want to play well, but sometimes you have to put your personal interests aside and put the team’s interests first.”
Sharing the same values. Although their sports are very different, they’re united by their achievements and the values they share. “When you’re competing and a match gets complicated, you dig deep. Those moments when you have to give it your all and fight to the end are the ones I like the most” according to Ari Sánchez. Goalkeeper Sandra Paños also knows that you have to go all out when the going gets tough: “there are many factors that bring you closer to your goals, to succeed in what we’re trying to achieve. I think we all have a winning mentality and that’s the most important thing.” Her team-mate Lucy Bronze once again highlights the importance of teamwork: “in a sport like football, the team always has to come first. For the system to work we all have to stand by this premise.”
Inspiration for the next generation. They’re the best of both worlds and their sense of teamwork and constant challenge to the status quo is an inspiration for those to come. “Sometimes we only have one second to make a decision on what to do. You’re in the perfect position to make a move, but you look around and see that there’s someone who’s better placed. There’s no question, you pass it to her because if you don’t, we all lose” says Asisat Oshoala. The key to their victories is also in the passion they all demonstrate for the game. “We’ve come a long way and the most important thing is to enjoy every moment and work hard to keep this winning streak going in the future” concludes Fridolina Rolfo.
CUPRA HQ Communications
Elisabet Anglada
Head of Content Activation
M/ +34 689 282 093
elisabet.anglada@seat.es
Rocío Soria
Content Generation
M/ +34 689 28 14 32
rocio.soria@seat.es
Gemma Solà
TV and Media Activations
M/ +34 639 944 087
gemma.sola@seat.es
