Maria Alves: I have etched my name into the club's history with their first championship

Fenerbahçe ArsaVev Women's Football Team secured their championship two weeks before the end of the season. The yellow and navy team celebrated their first championship since the establishment of the women's football branch. Maria Alves, the 32-year-old Brazilian footballer of the champion Fenerbahçe ArsaVev, made exclusive statements to Demirören News Agency (DHA). Reminding that she transferred to the team during the mid-season, Maria Alves said, “When I came here during the mid-season, I had the opportunity to observe how much this team deserved the championship. The atmosphere here, the people here, really made everyone feel how much they wanted the championship.”

'MY TEAMMATES MADE ME FEEL AT HOME'

The experienced footballer emphasized that her teammates made her feel at home, saying, “From the moment I arrived here, I was really well received. My teammates truly made me feel at home. They approached me very warmly. Here, our assistant friends, my teammates made me feel this way.”

'I REFORMULATED IN MY MIND WHAT IT MEANS TO PLAY FOR A BIG CLUB'

Alves, who previously played for big teams in her career, stated that after transferring to Fenerbahçe, she observed how professional the club was, saying, “Throughout my career, I have always played for big teams. But when we came here, after observing how professional a club Fenerbahçe is, after seeing the value it gives to women's football, I reformulated in my mind what it means to play for a big club. I hope they continue this, take it further, and grow it even more. I can see that this is in the structure and culture of Fenerbahçe.”

'I THINK THE TURKISH WOMEN'S FOOTBALL LEAGUE WILL BE ONE OF THE RESPECTED LEAGUES IN EUROPE'

The 32-year-old Brazilian footballer, stating that it was a much more challenging season compared to previous years, continued:

“I can say that the Turkish League was more challenging this year compared to last year. This year, every match in the Super League was like a final. The women's football league in Turkey is developing and improving every year. Compared to the leagues I played in before, I can say it is getting very close to them. Maybe not at the same level one-to-one. It is getting closer every year. When you add up the investments, the values given by the clubs, and the values given by the federation, I think the Turkish Women's Football League will be one of the respected leagues in Europe.”

'WE NEED TO PREPARE OURSELVES WELL'

Recalling that she played in the Women's Champions League with Juventus before, Alves said, “I had the chance to experience this while playing at Juventus before. I had the opportunity to play in the qualifiers last season. This year, I will experience this with Fenerbahçe. We need to prepare ourselves well first. We need to believe that we can achieve this, that we can aim for those places. We need to look step by step. Let's win, and then aim for the next one.”

'I HAVE ETCHED MY NAME INTO THE CLUB'S HISTORY WITH THEIR FIRST CHAMPIONSHIP'

Thanking the yellow and navy fans for their support, Maria Alves said, “Whether inside or outside, they came to support us in every match. They did not leave us alone. They always tried to support us in our good and bad moments and lifted us up. I thank them. I have etched my name into the club's history with their first championship. I am now a part of this club. They also fill a very important place in my career. Our fans truly deserve this. We want them to fill this place in every match next season as well. Because without them, we are really incomplete.”

'EVERY CORNER, EVERY PART OF THIS CITY IS VERY BEAUTIFUL'

Alves, who continues to get to know Istanbul, concluded her words as follows:

“A wonderful city. Every corner, every part of this city is very beautiful. I haven't had the opportunity to explore it all, but I tried to see a large part of it as much as I could. My favorite place here is Galata. I love the Galata Tower. Being able to cross by ferry from here to the Anatolian side and then to the European side and see it is truly an incredible feeling. I continue to get to know this beautiful city.”