Núria Llansà Fernández

Núria Llansà Fernández (3 November 1937 – 26 June 2019), sometimes spelt Núria Llançà, was a Spanish football player, coach, and women's football executive. She is best known for her association with FC Barcelona Femení, where she spent 32 years.

Early life Núria Llansà Fernández was born in Barcelona on 3 November 1937. She played basketball for Sans before joining Picadero JC in 1962.

Playing career Llansà joined the Barcelona women's team in 1970, ahead of their first match, in which she was a goalkeeper. She played as both a goalkeeper and right-back throughout her time at the club, and was part of the back line in the team's match on 6 January 1971, a 1–2 loss. She was in goal for the final of the Catalunya Copa Pernod on 28 March 1971, also held at the Camp Nou, that Barcelona lost 1–2 to Espanyol. During the first half of the 1971–72 season, Llansà shared goalkeeping duties; she made good saves under pressure towards the end of their 2–0 away win over Badalona in July and, Second split: Player records are not known for most of the first half of the season. and made her only appearance as a defender in the league when she started at right-back in their 24th match played, against La Salle–Premià on 13 February 1972. Mundo Deportivo reported that she did the job perfectly.

In February 1971, Llansà was part of the unofficial Spain team who played against Portugal the nation's first-ever international match.

She had initially played under the pseudonym Llera, to hide that she played football from her employers. She played for Espanyol in a friendly against Barcelona in March 1974, which Espanyol lost 1–3.

Coaching and administration Llansà returned to FC Barcelona in the 1980s. In 1982, she began coaching her former team, before becoming the director of the women's section in 1984. This was an involved role, with Llansà organising everything from major infrastructure to checking matchday kits. With no institutional support or anything else in place, Llansà was there "to fill in all the gaps", including sometimes paying for kits and transportation herself so that the players did not have to. It was also a job she was not paid to do, maintaining and developing the section for two decades "out of pure love for women's football".

When Barcelona won the Copa de la Reina de Fútbol in 1994, Llansà was unable to travel to the game because she was sick, but still arranged a bus to take the team. After a dinner, the team returned to Barcelona and immediately went to celebrate at Llansà's house despite it being 4am.

She pushed for the women's team to be recognised and supported as a section of FC Barcelona in 2002 and, when it was fully incorporated in 2003, Llansà – who was still in charge of the section – stepped away from the club. She also left her role in the FCF at the same time. Upon her retirement, Joan Laporta wrote to Llansà to thank her for directing the women's team, and she received a recognition from the Barcelona Players' Association in 2017.