דיאנה רדמן היא שחקנית נבחרת ישראל בכדורגל וכבר מספר חודשים משחקת בליגה הבכירה בספרד, אבל רובכם כנראה לא שמע על כך. בדיוק בשביל זה דיאנה תכתוב טורי אורח אישיים עבור בלוג "שר הספורט" ובהם תשתף אותנו בחייה בספרד. בטור ראשון זה דיאנה משתפת אותנו קצת בפרטים אישיים אודותיה, ומספרת על הליגה הבכירה בספרד והדרך שעשתה עם חברותיה בקבוצת סנטה תרזה סי.די בספרד מתחילת העונה ועד השבוע.
Redman with the president of Santa Teresa CD
Hello eveyone! I'm Diana Redman, central midfielder for the Israeli national football team. I was actually born in New York City before moving to Israel. I've been playing for Israel nearly a decade and have played in many countries through my career.
Who hasn’t dreamed about Camp Nou? Of derbies in Madrid? Of being a part of one of the world’s most exciting leagues? At some point in our football careers we think about it- and for a lucky few, we even find ourselves a part of it. This is my first season in Spain-a dream that has FINALLY come to fruition after years of trying to tackle the dreaded player visa.
For the past few years, teams have taken a stab at bringing me to the Spanish league but were met with some road bumps and visa issues because I do not have a European Passport. But 2014 finally proved to be the year. I’m signed with Santa Teresa CD, a team located in Badajoz, and have been enjoying the league and experience since. Badajoz is a small city in the Extremadura region. It’s right on the border of Portugal and has an incredibly interesting history in Spain. The down side? No English and certainly no Hebrew! Unlike the larger cities in Spain, here in Badajoz there are not many people who speak English. But luckily everyone is incredibly friendly and laid back so even without the language I feel comfortable.
So how is the Women’s Spanish League? With 16 teams in the first division, the league plays from September to June. Games are played every Saturday/Sunday during midday and you can catch a handful of the games on GolTV, local television and streaming online. Games of teams with a bigger following, such as Atletico Madrid and Barcelona games more consistently aired. It’s always interesting to see the support for women’s football in every country I play. Overall, there is always room for improvement. Here in Spain there are more outlets that women’s football is being expressed through. Compared to Israel, there are more news sites, sports sites, photographers, companies, etc. being involved in the sport and promoting it. Adidas has sponsored several national team players and continues to invest in the league and national team.
Redman with her teammate Fatimo Pinto.
Where does Santa Teresa CD fit in the Spanish League? This has been a sweet year for Santa Teresa CD. The beginning of the season began quite rocky, as 12 new players entered the team and massive restructuring took place. It took many games for the players to adjust to each other but now in the latter part of the season, we are getting many points from teams in the first few positions. We did not qualify for the Copa del Rey, but we are not discouraged and are continuing our success through the rest of the regular league season. This Sunday we hosted Rayo Vallecano and got a 3:1 victory, next Sunday we will play away against Real Sociedad which is another well known team in Spain. Uapa Santa Teresa!
sarsport 