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Verónica Boquete facts for kids

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In this Spanish name, the first or paternal family name is Boquete and the second or maternal family name is Giadáns.
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Verónica Boquete
4f3c0a4ec8960-Verónica Boquete, Praza Pública, 2012 (cropped).jpg
Boquete with Spain in 2012
Personal information
Full name Verónica Boquete Giadáns
Date of birth (1987-04-09) 9 April 1987 (age 38)
Place of birth Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain
Height 1.62m
Playing position False 9, striker
Attacking midfielder
Club information
Current club Fiorentina
Number 87
Youth career
2004–2005 SD Xuventú Aguiño
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
2005–2008 Prainsa Zaragoza 83 (40)
2008–2010 RCD Espanyol 68 (39)
2010 Buffalo Flash 9 (9)
2010 Chicago Red Stars 3 (1)
2010–2011 RCD Espanyol 29 (41)
2011 Philadelphia Independence 13 (5)
2011 Energiya Voronezh 5 (1)
2012–2014 Tyresö FF 39 (13)
2014 Portland Thorns 15 (4)
2014–2015 1. FFC Frankfurt 21 (7)
2015–2016 Bayern Munich 9 (0)
2016–2018 Paris Saint-Germain 31 (8)
2018–2019 Beijing BG Phoenix
2019–2020 Utah Royals FC 21 (0)
2020–2022 Milan 20 (2)
2022– Fiorentina 11 (3)
National team
2004–2006 Spain U-19 23 (10)
2005–2017 Spain 62 (38)
2007– Galicia 3 (2)
  • Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 28 August 2022.
† Appearances (Goals).

Verónica Boquete Giadáns (born 9 April 1987) is a Spanish professional footballer. She plays as a forward or midfielder for the Italian club Fiorentina. Verónica, often called Vero, has played for fifteen different clubs in eight countries. These include her home country Spain, the United States, Russia, Sweden, France, Germany, China, and Italy.

She was the captain of the Spain national team from 2013 to 2017. She helped them qualify for the 2013 UEFA Women's Euro and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. Vero also captains the Galicia national team.

Many people see Vero Boquete as one of Spain's best footballers ever. She became famous playing for RCD Espanyol. With them, she won two Copas de la Reina (Spanish Cup) between 2008 and 2011. She also won the Pichichi Trophy for scoring 39 goals in the 2010–11 Superliga Femenina. This is still a record in the Spanish first division.

After leaving Spain, she joined Swedish team Tyresö FF in 2012. In 2014, she was the first Spanish player to play in a UEFA Women's Champions League final. Later that year, she was the first Spanish footballer to be nominated for the FIFA Women's World Player of the Year Award. Vero finally won the UEFA Women's Champions League in 2015 with FFC Frankfurt. This made her the first Spanish player to achieve this.

She played for the Spanish national team for 12 years. Her first game was in February 2005 when she was 17. As captain, she was key in helping Spain reach the 2013 Euros. This was Spain's first Euro appearance since 1997. She also helped them reach their first ever Women's World Cup in 2015. After the 2015 World Cup, Vero led the players in asking for their coach, Ignacio Quereda, to be replaced. Her role in the team slowly became smaller. She was not chosen for the 2017 UEFA Women's Euro squad. Her national team career ended in 2017. She retired with 62 games played and 38 goals scored, which was a team record at the time.

Vero Boquete has always spoken out against unfair treatment of female footballers. In 2013, she asked Electronic Arts to include women in their game series FIFA. This happened in FIFA 16. Before the 2015 Women's World Cup, she joined other players in a lawsuit against FIFA. They were protesting the use of artificial turf in the World Cup stadiums. In 2023, she supported Jenni Hermoso after an unwanted kiss from the RFEF President Luis Rubiales at the 2023 Women's World Cup final. This event became known as the Rubiales affair.

Early Life and First Steps in Football

Verónica Boquete Giadáns was born on April 9, 1987, in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Her father, Nicasio Boquete, was a football coach. Her brother, Adrián, also played football. They both inspired her to play. Vero remembers being the only girl playing with boys in her city.

For a year, she could only train with the boys' team. A rule said girls could not play matches with boys' teams. Her father and the club president helped her take her case to the CSD (Spanish Sports Council). The rule was changed. She then played on boys' teams until she was fifteen. Vero says that dealing with this unfairness made her strong and willing to speak up.

She also played futsal (indoor football) with other girls. In 2004, at 15, Vero joined S.D. Xuventú Aguiño, a futsal team in her home region of Galicia. National team coaches saw her play there. This led to her first call-up for Spain's U-19 national team. After winning the 2004 U-19 Women's Euro, she got offers from many Spanish clubs. But she chose to finish her studies first.

Playing for Clubs Around the World

Starting with Prainsa Zaragoza

Vero left Galicia at 18 to become a professional footballer. She joined Prainsa Zaragoza in 2005. She chose Zaragoza even though bigger clubs wanted her. She knew she would play a more important role there.

In May 2008, Zaragoza let her leave the club early. She had scored a goal every two matches in her three years there.

Success with RCD Espanyol

Vero moved to RCD Espanyol in August 2008. She played her first game on September 11, 2008. It was in the Copa Catalunya against Barcelona. Espanyol won 2-0. On June 21, 2009, Vero played in her first big final. It was the Copa de la Reina final against her old club, Prainsa Zaragoza. Espanyol won 5-1, and Vero won her first major title. In the 2008-09 Superliga, she scored 15 goals. For her achievements, she was named Galicia's Athlete of the Year in 2009.

In the 2009–10 Superliga Femenina, Espanyol reached the league final again but lost 1-0. On June 5, 2010, Vero played in her second Copa de la Reina final. This time it was against Rayo Vallecano. Vero played a bigger role in this final. She helped her team win 3-1.

Playing in the USA: Buffalo and Chicago

In 2010, Vero went to the USA for the summer. She played for the Buffalo Flash in the USL W-League. This was a semi-professional league. She played for the Flash for only a month. But she scored eight goals in nine matches. On July 31, 2010, Vero scored two goals in the 2010 USL W-League Championship. She helped the Flash win against the Vancouver Whitecaps. She was named MVP of the tournament. Her great play caught the eye of the Chicago Red Stars in the WPS (Women's Professional Soccer).

Vero was about to leave the country when Chicago Red Stars asked her to play for them. She joined the Red Stars on August 8, 2010. She helped Chicago win their last two games of the season. She scored one goal and made two assists. Vero later said that in Chicago, she finally saw a future where she could be a professional footballer.

Back to Espanyol and a Scoring Record

Vero returned to Spain after the 2010 WPS season. She missed only two games at the start of the 2010–11 Superliga Femenina. In her year back with Espanyol, she did not win the Copa de la Reina. But she had great individual success.

Espanyol reached the league final again. In the first game, Vero scored both of her team's goals in a 2-2 draw. Espanyol lost the second game 1-2 at home. She finished the season as the top scorer in the league. Her 39 goals in 26 matches is still the record for goals in a single season in the Spanish women's first division. Espanyol reached the 2011 Copa de la Reina final. But Vero was not there. She had already joined the WPS's Philadelphia Independence in the United States. Espanyol lost the final in extra time.

Shining in Philadelphia

Vero became more known internationally after joining Philadelphia Independence in the American Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) in 2011. The club signed her on January 21. She finished her season with Espanyol first. Then she joined Philadelphia on June 4. She was a key player in Independence's 2011 season. She scored 5 goals and made 4 assists. Philadelphia reached the playoff final against the Western New York Flash. The game went to penalties. Vero scored her penalty. But her team lost 4-5 in the shootout. At the end of the season, she won the Player of the Year Award. She had only played in 11 league games. She also won the Player of the Week award three times.

A Short Stop in Russia

On September 12, 2011, it was announced that Vero would move to the Russian team Energiya Voronezh. She made her debut in the UEFA Women's Champions League on September 29. She scored her first Champions League goal in the next game. Energiya was knocked out in the next round. Vero did not stay at the club for long. She left for Tyresö in January. The team later closed down due to money problems.

Becoming a "Superteam" Player in Sweden

Vero Boquete Tyreso 2013
Playing for Tyresö FF in 2014

In January 2012, Vero joined the Swedish Damallsvenskan club Tyresö FF. She signed a two-year contract. At Tyresö, she was part of a "superteam." It included other great players like Marta, Caroline Seger, Ali Krieger, and Christen Press.

Tyresö won the Damallsvenskan title for the first time in the 2012 season. Vero was named the Damallsvenskan's Midfielder of the Year for 2012. She had 8 assists, the third most in the league. In August 2013, Vero was nominated for the UEFA Women's Player of the Year Award. She finished fifth in the voting. She also had 9 assists that year, again third-highest. She was chosen for the league's Best XI team.

There were rumors that the club had money problems. Vero announced she would leave the club after their season ended. The club reached the 2014 UEFA Women's Champions League Final. They played against Wolfsburg on May 22. Before the final, Vero had two injuries. But she recovered in time to start the game. She scored Tyresö's second goal. Tyresö lost the match 3–4. This was Vero's last game for the club. Tyresö went bankrupt soon after.

Joining Portland Thorns FC

On April 7, 2014, Portland Thorns FC got Vero Boquete from the Western New York Flash. She joined the Thorns after playing in the Champions League final. Her first game for the Thorns was on June 7, 2014. She scored her first goal on June 15, 2014. She scored four goals and made six assists in 15 games for the Thorns. Her six assists set a team record. She won the league's Player of the Week award three times. She was also nominated for the UEFA Women's Player of the Year Award again. She finished second in voting for the NWSL MVP Award. She was named to the league's Best XI. Fans also voted her Portland's Player of the Year.

Winning the Champions League with FFC Frankfurt

On August 25, 2014, Vero signed with 1. FFC Frankfurt in Germany. While with Frankfurt, she was nominated for the 2014 FIFA Women's World Player of the Year Award. This was a very important award. She was the first Spanish woman to be nominated for it. She finished 8th out of 10 nominees.

UEFA Women's Champions League Final Berlin 2015 15
With the UEFA Women's Champions League trophy in 2015

Vero reached her second Champions League final in a row with Frankfurt. She started the final on May 14, 2015. Frankfurt won 2-1 against PSG. With this win, Vero became the first Spanish player to win a UEFA Women's Champions League title. She was named to the UWCL Squad of the Season. She finished the tournament with 6 goals and 4 assists.

Time at Bayern Munich

On May 27, 2015, Vero signed with Bayern Munich for two years. Soon after signing, she got a hamstring injury. This kept her from playing for five months. She still got her third nomination for the UEFA Women's Player of the Year Award. She finished 4th in the voting. She came back to play on November 20, 2015. Bayern won the Bundesliga title again. But they lost in the Champions League. Vero left the club at the end of the season. She played only 9 games and scored no goals.

Playing for Paris Saint-Germain

After a difficult season with Bayern, she joined French club Paris Saint-Germain for two years. Vero wanted to help PSG win their first UEFA Women's Champions League title. At PSG, she often came on as a substitute.

In her first season, PSG reached the 2017 UEFA Women's Champions League final. This was her third Champions League final. Vero came into the game in the 57th minute. The game went to a penalty shootout. Vero scored her penalty. But PSG lost the match after their goalkeeper missed a penalty.

By early 2018, Vero was not happy with her playing time. She and Paris Saint-Germain agreed to end her contract.

Adventure in China

After struggling to find her place in Bayern and PSG, Vero accepted an offer from Beijing BG Phoenix. This was her first time playing football outside Europe or the United States. She signed a one-season deal. The club finished 6th out of 8 teams in the 2018 Chinese Women's Super League.

Back to the USA with Utah Royals

On January 4, 2019, Vero announced she was joining the Utah Royals FC in the National Women's Soccer League. She was named to the NWSL Team of the Month for May 2019. At the end of the 2019 NWSL season, she had the third-most assists in the league with 6.

In November 2020, Vero said she would not return to Utah. She wanted to play football in Europe again. She had scored one goal and made eight assists with the Royals.

Playing in Italy for AC Milan

Vero joined Italian team AC Milan on November 9, 2020. In her first season, she played 19 games. She helped the team qualify for the Champions League. At the end of 2020, Vero was named to the 2020 FIFPRO Women's World 11. She accepted the award. But she said on social media that she did not think she deserved to be in the team.

In a cup semifinal game, Vero scored two goals. She helped Milan win 4-2 against their rivals, Inter. Before the cup final, the club extended her contract for a year. She played in the 2021 Coppa Italia final. The game went to penalties. Vero took her team's first penalty but missed. Milan lost 1-3.

In the next season, she played less. She made only 6 league appearances. Vero announced she was leaving the club early on January 1, 2022.

Moving to Fiorentina

On January 6, 2022, Vero joined Fiorentina. She signed a deal until the end of the season.

Playing for Her Country: Spain

Vero Boquete Euro 2013b
Boquete with Spain in 2013

Youth Teams and Early Senior Debut

Vero's first international experience was with Spain's U-19 team in 2004. She won the 2004 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship with Spain. She also played in the 2004 FIFA U-19 Women's World Cup.

Vero's first game for the senior Spain women's national football team was in February 2005. It was a 0–0 friendly game against the Netherlands.

Helping Spain Qualify for Big Tournaments

Spain reached the qualification playoffs for the 2013 UEFA Women's Euro. Vero was injured for the first game against Scotland. Spain drew 1-1. She played in the second game on October 24, 2012. The game went to extra time. Spain was given a penalty very late in the game. Vero took it but missed. Just three minutes later, Vero scored the winning goal from a volley in the 122nd minute. This helped Spain qualify for their first UEFA Women's Euro since 1997. Vero later said this was the most important goal of her career.

In June 2013, coach Ignacio Quereda chose Vero for Spain's team for the UEFA Women's Euro 2013 finals in Sweden.

The 2015 World Cup and Player Protest

On May 11, 2015, Quereda announced his team for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. Vero was named captain. Before the tournament, the Spanish football federation (RFEF) and coaches did not manage the team's travel well. They arrived only two days before the tournament. They had to take many layovers. They were also not well prepared physically. They had not played any friendly games for six months. This caused a lot of tension in the team.

Spain had a tough tournament. They drew their first game and lost the next. In the last group game against South Korea, Vero scored the first goal. But Spain lost 2–1. After the game, the coach was seen yelling at a player. Vero also said that RFEF officials spoke badly to the players after they were eliminated.

These events caused a big problem within the team. The players decided to speak out against coach Quereda. He had been the coach for 27 years. On June 19, all 23 players from the World Cup team wrote an open letter. They asked for Quereda to be removed. This was the second time Spanish players had asked for Quereda to be dismissed. The first time was in 1997. This time, Vero was the main leader of the players' protest. She gave many interviews to explain why the players were doing this.

When the team returned to Spain, Vero told the media that the players were united. They wanted the RFEF to create a "serious project." Over the next few days, players spoke to the media. They said Quereda used old training methods. They felt unprepared for the tournament. They also said he was too controlling. They claimed he would make comments about players' weight and say rude things.

Quereda finally resigned on July 29. The RFEF thanked him for his 27 years of service. They appointed Jorge Vilda as the new coach. On the same day, Vero received the Bronze Medal of the Royal Order of Sports Merit. This is a Spanish award for great service in sports.

Her Later National Team Career

Under the new coach Vilda, Vero slowly played less for the team. Other experienced players also played less. But she did play in some qualification games for the 2017 UEFA Women's Euro. Spain qualified on April 12, 2016. Vero scored 2 goals in a 3-1 win. By June 2017, she had played in only 6 of Spain's 19 games since the 2015 World Cup. On June 20, 2017, she was surprisingly not chosen for Spain's Euro squad. She posted a letter online saying she was sad but wished her teammates good luck.

Vero often says that neither Vilda nor anyone from the national team told her why she was not chosen. After the Euros, Vero was never picked to play for Spain again. Her national team career ended with 62 games and 38 goals. This goal record stood for four years. Since leaving the national team, she has commented on many Spain women's national team matches.

Vero has continued to speak about her difficult experiences with the national team. In October 2021, she was in a documentary called Romper El Silencio ("Break the Silence"). She talked about her time playing under coach Quereda. Vero and other former teammates said Quereda was controlling. They said he created a bad environment for decades. In 2022, during the Las 15 conflict, Vero supported the 15 players who asked for better conditions.

After Jorge Vilda was removed as Spain's coach, Vero posted a photo of herself smiling with champagne. She wrote "Vintage Champagne, 8 years of maturation in the bottle." This was a comment about Vilda's eight years as coach.

International Goals

Beyond the Field: Her Personal Life

Vero Boquete speaks Spanish, Portuguese, English, and Italian. She studied Physical Education at the University of Zaragoza. She has a Boxer dog named Lía.

Her special way of celebrating a goal is putting her open hand over her face. This looks like an octopus. It's a way to connect with her friends and family in Galicia. Octopus is a popular food there. Vero also likes to wear the number 21 on her jersey. This is to honor Espanyol's Dani Jarque. He was a player who passed away in 2009 when she was at the club.

Since October 2017, Vero has been part of Common Goal. This is a group of footballers who give at least 1% of their yearly salary to football charities. She supports a charity in Saint Lucia. It helps women improve their lives through sports.

Standing Up for Women in Football

In 2014, Vero and other famous players filed a lawsuit against FIFA. They were protesting FIFA's choice to use artificial turf fields for the 2015 Women's World Cup. Artificial turf can cause more injuries and burns than grass fields.

Many famous athletes supported the lawsuit. But the lawsuit did not succeed. The tournament was played on artificial turf fields.

Vero also asked Electronic Arts to include women in their popular FIFA video game series. This was successful, and women were added to the game in FIFA 16.

Achievements and Awards

  • Copa de la Reina de Fútbol: 2009, 2010

Buffalo Flash

Individual

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Vero Boquete para niños

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