Siria Crotti: Who is she, and how does she fit into the Catalan puzzle?

“Tiny but incredibly strong. Unstoppable. When you say ‘Siria Crotti’, you actually mean ‘Rome’. It’s her against everyone.” That was how Italian journalist Andrea Barilaro described the performance of Barcelona’s brand-new signing, Siria Crotti, following the match between the AS Roma and Juventus women’s youth teams two years ago.

 Although Juventus beat Crotti’s Roma by a single goal on that occasion, it does not alter the fact that even then it was clear to keen observers that Crotti was capable of making it really far.

Barcelona is building its new generation

The young Italian offensive star joined the Roma youth academy at the age of ten. She gradually established herself as one of the Giallorosse’s most promising prospects, a fact that did not go unnoticed by the youth national team coaches, who regularly included her in their nomination lists. Thanks to her performances, she has caught the eye of leading European clubs, particularly in recent months, but Barcelona ultimately won the race to sign her. She had her first training session in the Catalan capital on Friday.

Barcelona’s management sees Siria as a huge investment in the future. It is expected that she will spend the coming season with the youth team and then gradually progress through the reserve team to the very top. Among the young Italian international’s greatest strengths are, above all, her pace, dribbling, ability to effectively maneuver past opponents, and her gift of changing the tempo in an instant. Her versatility is also an undeniable asset: she can play both in central midfield and on the wing. 

If everything proceeds according to plan, Crotti could be at the forefront of a new generation of Blaugranas and help forge a new golden dynasty alongside the big names such as Serrajordi, López, Cámara and Fernández. It is worth mentioning that Siria is not the first Italian player to wear the Catalan jersey. Another top talent from the Apennine Peninsula, Giulia Dragoni, also played for the Culers. Her spell there did not go exactly as she had hoped, and she eventually signed for Chelsea in the summer. She did, however, leave her mark on Barcelona, if only by becoming the very first non-Spanish resident at La Masia.

Times are changing

Many believe that La Masia has recently begun to partially re-evaluate its focus on local talent and is now placing greater emphasis on scouting young prodigies from abroad as well. After all, Crotti is not the only young foreign teenager that Barça has acquired. Danish players Nikoline Lilly Nielsen, who joined Barcelona’s women’s team at the start of the year, and Josephine Behrmann Lamp, whom the club signed a few days ago, also appear to be promising acquisitions.

Although the story of Siria Crotti is currently being portrayed in the media primarily from Barcelona’s perspective, and with a strong emphasis on Spanish women’s football in general, many see this closely watched transfer as a sign of the rise of women’s football in Italy. This positive trend is not only reflected in Siria’s journey, but also in other brilliant players that Il Bel Paese has produced in recent years, including the aforementioned Giulia Dragoni, as well as Giulia Galli, Maya Cherubini and Emma Lombardi. 

Crotti is therefore not just another interesting young signing for Barcelona, but also proof that Italian women’s football is capable of developing players who attract interest from Europe’s very best clubs. In other words, it’s a small step for Barcelona, but a giant leap for Italian women’s football.