Melanie Serrano
{{Short description|Spanish footballer (born 1989)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{family name hatnote|Serrano|Pérez|lang=Spanish}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Melanie Serrano
| image = MelanieSerrano-UEFA Women'sChampionsLEague.jpg
| caption = Serrano in 2019
| fullname = Melanie del Pilar Serrano Pérez{{cite news |url=http://www.fifadata.com/document/FWWC/2015/pdf/FWWC_2015_SquadLists.pdf |title=List of Players – 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup |work=Fédération Internationale de Football Association |accessdate=18 June 2015 |archive-date=10 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160410062327/http://www.fifadata.com/document/FWWC/2015/pdf/FWWC_2015_SquadLists.pdf |url-status=dead }}
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1989|10|12}}
| birth_place = Seville, Spain{{cite web |url=http://www.fcbarcelona.com/football/feminine/women-a/staff/players/melanie |title=Melanie profile |publisher=FC Barcelona |accessdate=27 June 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150627000706/http://www.fcbarcelona.com/football/feminine/women-a/staff/players/melanie |archivedate=27 June 2015 }}
| height = {{convert|1.68|m|ftin|abbr=on}}
| position = Left back, left midfielder
| currentclub = Levante Las Planas
| clubnumber = 5
| youthyears1 = 2001–2002
| youthclubs1 = CD Cantely
| youthyears2 = 2002–2003
| youthclubs2 = Dos Hermanas
| youthyears3 = 2003–2006
| youthclubs3 = Barcelona
| years1 = 2006–2007
| clubs1 = Barcelona B
| caps1 =
| goals1 =
| years2 = 2007–2022
| clubs2 = Barcelona
| caps2 = 403
| goals2 = 8
| years3 = 2024–
| clubs3 = Levante Las Planas
| caps3 = 16
| goals3 = 1
| nationalyears1 = 2009–2016
| nationalteam1 = Spain
| nationalcaps1 = 15
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| pcupdate = 22:50, 24 April 2024
| ntupdate = 22:50, 24 April 2024 (UTC)
}}
Melanie del Pilar Serrano Pérez[https://www.uefa.com/womenschampionsleague/clubs/players/104131--melanie-serrano/ Profile] in UEFA's website (born 12 October 1989) is a Spanish footballer who plays as a left back for Levante Las Planas in the Spanish Primera División.
Previously, Serrano spent her entire 19-season-long football career with FC Barcelona Femení. As of her time of retirement, she is the club's female leader in appearances, and the club's record title holder, having won 27 trophies.
Early life
Serrano was born in Seville on 12 October 1989. When Serrano was 12, her mother moved her and her sister to Blanes, Girona.{{cite news |last=Irigoyen |first=Juan |date=24 October 2016 |title=Ya nadie despierta a Melanie |url=https://elpais.com/deportes/2016/10/23/actualidad/1477247876_880316.html |newspaper=El País |accessdate=5 September 2021}} Serrano’s first experience in a football team was with local side Deportivo Blanes. She underwent trials to join the club after her mother could not afford the fees necessary to join. She later played youth football with CD Cantely and Dos Hermanas.
Serrano was fourteen when she was recruited to join Barcelona’s women’s youth teams. As a teenager, Serrano traveled 3 times a week from Blanes to the Mini Estadi in Barcelona, where she would train.{{cite web |last=Robe |first=Christian |date=19 May 2021 |title=Melanie Serrano, el amor eterno a un club |url=https://www.grada3.com/2021/05/19/melanie-serrano-reportaje/ |website=grada3.com |publisher=Grada3 |accessdate=16 September 2021}}
Club career
= Barcelona Femení =
Serrano spent her entire professional career with FC Barcelona Femení.{{cite web |date=4 March 2020 |title=Melanie tops all-time ranking for appearances |url=https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/football/womens-football/news/1634973/melanie-tops-all-time-ranking-for-appearances |publisher=FC Barcelona |accessdate=30 July 2020}} Serrano was 14 years old when she made her first-team debut on 15 September 2004, in a 4-4 draw against Espanyol.{{Cite web |last=Poquí |first=Joan |date=2021-05-11 |title=Messi-Melanie: carreras paralelas |url=https://www.mundodeportivo.com/futbol/fc-barcelona/20210511/493719390969/melanie-serrano-messi-carreras-paralelas.html |access-date=2022-05-14 |website=Mundo Deportivo |publisher=Mundo Deportivo |language=es}} Serrano became a first-team player in 2007, and Barcelona were relegated to the Segunda División the same year. They returned to the Primera División in 2008.
Serrano was a member of the squad that won Barcelona's first league title in the 2011–12 season. She started Barcelona's UEFA Women's Champions League debut the following 2012–13 season, in a 0-3 home loss to Arsenal.{{Cite web |last=Muñoz |first=Xavier |date=2021-05-16 |title=Melanie, Alexia y Vicky, del inicio en 2012 a la final de 2021 |url=https://www.mundodeportivo.com/futbol/femenino/20210516/493779492059/melanie-alexia-y-vicky-del-inicio-en-2012-a-la-final-de-2021.html |access-date=2022-05-14 |website=Mundo Deportivo |language=es}}
Serrano scored Barcelona’s opening goal in the final matchweek of the 2012–13 Primera División campaign, helping secure their second league title against Athletic Bilbao.{{Cite web |last=Menayo |first=David |title=El Barcelona silencia La Catedral con su alirón |url=https://www.marca.com/2013/05/05/futbol/futbol_femenino/1367754740.html |access-date=2022-05-14 |website=MARCA |language=es}}
On 6 January 2021, Serrano scored in the Camp Nou against Espanyol in the first competitive match played between women at the stadium.{{Cite news |date=2021-01-06 |title=Soccer-Barcelona women rout Espanyol on return to Camp Nou |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-soccer-spain-women-idUKKBN29B2PK |access-date=2022-05-13}}
On 30 June 2020, Serrano extended her Barcelona contract to the end of the 2020–21 season.{{Cite web |last=G. Gil |first=Aimara |date=2020-06-30 |title=Melanie Serrano renueva por el Barcelona por una temporada |url=https://as.com/futbol/2020/06/30/femenino/1593537082_306590.html |access-date=2022-05-14 |website=AS.com |language=es}} In June 2021, Serrano renewed her Barcelona contract for a final year until the end of the 2021–2022 season.{{Cite web |date=2021-06-26 |title=Triple renovación en el Barça: Melanie, Crnogorcevic y Falcón |url=https://as.com/futbol/2021/06/26/femenino/1624703033_583809.html |access-date=2022-05-13 |website=AS.com |language=es}} In the following season, Serrano achieved multiple final milestones with the club. On 6 February 2022, Serrano played her 500th match for Barcelona and scored in a 7-0 win over Eibar.{{Cite web |date=6 February 2022 |title=Barça Women 7-0 Eibar Women: Absolutely relentless |url=https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/football/womens-football/news/2473283/barca-women-7-0-eibar-women-absolutely-relentless |access-date=2022-05-13 |website=www.fcbarcelona.com |publisher=FC Barcelona |language=en}} On 16 April, Serrano reached 400 appearances in the Spanish league.{{Cite web |last=Puig |first=Carla |date=2022-04-16 |title=FC Barcelona{{!}} Melanie Serrano llega a los 400 partidos de Liga |url=https://www.sport.es/es/noticias/futbol-femenino-barca/melanie-serrano-llega-400-partidos-13525444 |access-date=2022-05-13 |website=sport |language=es}} On 13 May 2022, Serrano officially announced her retirement from football after 19 seasons. At the time of her retirement, she was the leader of appearances for FC Barcelona's women's section, and was in the top 10 for total appearances at FC Barcelona, regardless of gender. She also retired with 27 trophies, the most of any FC Barcelona Femení player.{{Cite web |last=Valdunciel |first=Paula |date=2022-03-29 |title=Melanie Serrano, de vivir un descenso a jugar en el Camp Nou |url=https://www.mundodeportivo.com/futbol/fc-barcelona/20220329/1001776686/melanie-serrano-vivir-descenso-jugar-camp-nou.html |access-date=2022-05-14 |website=Mundo Deportivo |language=es}}
International career
Serrano was a member of Spain's under-19 women's national team, and featured in the 2007 UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship.{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Melanie Serrano Pérez stats {{!}} FC Barcelona Players |url=https://players.fcbarcelona.com/en/player/2497-m-serrano-melanie-serrano-perez |access-date=2022-05-14 |website=FCB Jugadors |publisher=FC Barcelona |language=en}}
Her full international debut at the senior level was on 29 October 2009 against Austria at 20 years old.[https://www.uefa.com/womensworldcup/match/2001010--spain-vs-austria/ international debut] Serrano played one match in qualification for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, subbing in against Romania. Melanie was part of Spain's squad at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada. Serrano did not play any matches during the World Cup as Spain bowed out in the group stage of the competition.
Personal life
As of 2019, Serrano is studying nursing.{{Cite web |last=López Tovar |first=Antoni |date=2019-03-08 |title=Melanie Serrano: "Los niños iban en taxi; yo, en tren" |url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/deportes/fc-barcelona/20190308/46911471974/melanie-serrano-futbol-femenino-fc-barcelona.html |access-date=2022-05-14 |website=La Vanguardia |language=es}}
In June 2021, Serrano’s career was honored by the mayor of Blanes, Àngel Canosa, with a stone plaque of the Blanes coat of arms.{{Cite web |date=2021-06-17 |title=Homenaje a Melanie Serrano en Blanes |url=https://www.mundodeportivo.com/futbol/fc-barcelona/20210617/41038149508/homenaje-a-melanie-serrano-en-blanes.html |access-date=2022-05-13 |website=Mundo Deportivo |publisher=Mundo Deportivo |language=es}}
Serrano is in a relationship with Lara Salmerón. In September 2021, the couple announced that they are expecting twins.{{cite news|title=Melanie Serrano Anuncia Sera Madre Partida Doble|work=Mundo Deportivo|url=https://www.mundodeportivo.com/vaya-mundo/20210906/1001685226/melanie-serrano-anuncia-sera-madre-partida-doble-dct.html|accessdate=10 September 2021}} The twins, Natura and Itzel, were born on 17 February 2022.{{Cite web |last=Batalla |first=Jordi |date=2022-02-20 |title=Melanie Serrano ya ha sido madre de gemelas |url=https://www.mundodeportivo.com/futbol/fc-barcelona/20220220/1001753158/melanie-serrano-sido-madre-gemelas.html |access-date=2022-05-14 |website=Mundo Deportivo |language=es}}
Honours
= Club =
;Barcelona
- Primera División: 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22
- Segunda División: 2007–08
- UEFA Women's Champions League: 2020–21;{{cite news |url=https://www.uefa.com/womenschampionsleague/news/0269-124ae310baea-93bc49bd8837-1000--chelsea-0-4-barcelona-barca-surge-to-first-women-s-champio/ |title=Chelsea 0-4 Barcelona: Barça surge to first Women's Champions League title|website=UEFA |date=16 May 2021 |access-date=16 May 2021}}
- Copa de la Reina: 2011, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021
- Supercopa Femenina: 2019–20, 2021–22
- Copa Catalunya: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- {{FIFA player|387134}}
- {{UEFA player|104131}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20150627000706/http://www.fcbarcelona.com/football/feminine/women-a/staff/players/melanie Profile] at FC Barcelona
- {{Soccerway|melanie-serrano-perez/101474}}
{{Spain squad 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Serrano, Melanie}}
Category:Spanish women's footballers
Category:Spain women's international footballers
Category:FC Barcelona Femení players
Category:2015 FIFA Women's World Cup players
Category:Footballers from Seville
Category:Women's association football fullbacks
Category:Women's association football midfielders
Category:Spanish LGBTQ footballers
Category:FC Barcelona Femení B players
Category:Queens League players