Flashscore: We're just a few days away from your return, how are you?
Louna Ribadeira: "I'm really happy right now, I'm doing great. I'm really on the finish line. It's the end of the season, which is a shame, but I'm fine. I'm closer to the end than the beginning. I'm feeling good. I'm in no pain whatsoever. So, frankly, I'm feeling good."
Your last match was on February 2nd, 2025, with Everton against Leicester in the English Championship. Does that seem like a long time ago now?
"No, frankly... What's more, I didn't play for long. For me, my last real game was two years ago."
And how does it feel to be back after two years away?
"I'm happy, I'm excited, I can't wait. I'd say I don't really realise it, because I've been so close to being told 'that's it, it's done', so that every time there's a recurrence... I'm taking things one step at a time. Now I know that it's almost over, that I'm finally going to be able to play a match again. So I'm happy."
Are you afraid of playing again, given that you've had several recurrences (of the injury)?
"Due to my injury and my pathology, no, because the recurrence is no longer present. After that, it's certain that if I arrive at the first match, I'll take a direct hit where it hurts. That's going to feel really strange. But otherwise, no. I love duels. So, in any case, I'm going to have to go through that for a while."
And on the pitch, during training sessions with the group, do you feel a little apprehensive?
"No, it doesn't scare me. In fact, I've visualised that at some point I was going to take a blow - I was going to get hit again. So whether it happens now or in the first match, it's going to happen. It's more a question of how I'm going to react to it rather than how my body is going to react... I don't anticipate it, it's more a question of how I'm going to react."
As you were saying, you feel like you haven't played for two years. What's happened since then? Can you sum it up a bit?
"What's happened is that I signed for Chelsea, I was staying on loan at Paris FC, and I was pre-selected for the Olympics. Then I did two weeks at the Olympics and injured my knee. When I came back to Paris FC, I was still recovering from the injury. And once I'm back, after that there are discussions between the clubs, between the coach and me, and I haven't played.
"I played against PSG, and the last one was against Dijon at Charlety. I had 10-15 minutes in the game, and there were disagreements. That's why I left PFC in January and went to Everton. After that, I had to get back into the swing of things.
"And I think that's when my body said to me: 'Listen, with everything you've been through, you're going to have to... Stop'. And I got hurt. It was a stress fracture, and it didn't heal. The first time we did a bone graft, it didn't heal. The second time, another graft, but it didn't heal. And now, the third time, I'm grateful, it seems to be working."
How are you getting through all this?
"I think that's one of my strengths, that I've always had a bit of a good head on my shoulders and a bit of that maturity, in the sense that my parents always taught me that injuries can happen to you. I've always had that in the back of my mind.
"This time, I've really gained in experience. I've really learnt about myself, I've really refocused on the things that really matter to me. Football is my passion, and I really want it to remain my passion. There have been too many things that have tried to put me off this sport, and I wanted to refocus on: 'Ok, football's your job now, your passion, but you mustn't let it interfere with your whole life'.
"Now I really want to balance things out between my professional life and my private life, where I'm very much a family person, very close to my loved ones. And I want to do other things besides football, because I've realised that it can be very harmful."
You've had two operations in England. What were those operations like for you?
"The first one was a bit like, ok, the season's going to end. Because it didn't go well for the first six months, I wasn't playing. Then, Everton were a bit hasty because there's a big transition between France and England.
"In fact, I really wanted to draw a line under that season and start afresh. So I didn't take it negatively. The second, on the other hand, was very hard. Because, basically, when I had the operation, I was supposed to come back in June or July for preparation. But when I was told in June or July that I was going to have to have another operation, that was tough.
"When they told me that, I was all alone in England, and that was really hard. After the third operation, I was lucky enough to be able to do my rehabilitation at Clairefontaine. It was more of a place that I knew. Then I was in the Paris region, with my family, and things were going well for a while. But the second one was tough."
In your YouTube series 'AUTHENTIQUE', you say that when you have an operation, you're all alone, that you had a very hard time of it, etc. What was your entourage like when you had your operation? What kind of people were around you at the time? What support did Chelsea have in that context?
"I can't fault them at all. Chelsea really did everything they could to make sure I was in the best possible conditions. Sonia (Bompastor) took care of everything herself so that I could go to Clairefontaine.
"She really took care of me, and they even told me that before helping the player, you first had to take care of the woman. And that's when I knew I was in good hands. In fact, before the second operation, when I was told that I was going to have to have another operation, and right up until the operation, I was all alone. It was really complicated. Then my mother came.
"As I was immobilised, I had to go back to France, I had to get help, and my family couldn't stay in England. They have a life too. Once this 'post-operation' part was over, things got better. But the time between the announcement and the operation was really complicated."
'They created a beast'
How would you say you came out of all that?
"They've created a beast here. I've got lots of dreams and ambitions, and I'm going to do everything I can to achieve them. And this injury time has allowed me to sharpen up, to work on my areas, whether physical or mental, where I was a bit weaker.
"Of course, the context of the match is different because you have adrenaline, you have opponents, you have uncertainty, so that's where it's different... As for my individual preparation, I know that I've given myself the means, I've worked hard, and all I want is to be out on the pitch.
"The good thing is that it's the end of the season, so I'll be able to play a bit. And then after that, I'm going to do some serious preparation so that I'm in good shape for next season, because there are some big goals to achieve."
You say that it was very hard at the time of your second operation. Did you think about quitting at that time, or perhaps at other times?
"Never. I was told to, but it was never an option, because I have my goals and, above all, my dreams. I'm going to do everything I can to achieve them. It's a bit of a catchphrase, but it never crossed my mind, and I've never been afraid."
In the series, we see your friends and family talking a lot about studying... Did you ever think about going back to school during your recovery?
"(She thinks about it) No, no, no. Well, you shouldn't tell them that, because that's really the debate you shouldn't start with them. But they were right, because they said to me: 'OK, that's it, what do I do now?'
"Today, I'm lucky enough to earn a pretty good living, and I don't want to misuse that money. I want to create something for myself so that, after my career, I don't have to go back to school or feel a bit like: 'Yeah, well, you've got nothing'.
What did you learn during this period?
"I invested in property. I've got other projects in the pipeline. I've got other sources of income coming up soon. I'm going to look around a bit for people who really know this area of entrepreneurship so that I can later on, or in the not-so-short or medium term, be able to undertake other aspects myself. But otherwise I'm the same. Nothing has changed, I'm the same."
What have you been doing on the side? Because you obviously had a lot of rehab, you had these investment appointments. Do you have any other hobbies?
"First of all, the difference is that I didn't miss a thing when it came to my family. That's been important because I have a very close family. And for me, it's something that can really affect me, missing a birthday, missing a wedding, and I've really been there; I haven't missed a thing.
"I was able to experience a bit of the darker side of a sports career, where you make a lot of concessions in terms of missing out on things with your family, you make sacrifices... In my case, I really took the time for that. So I wouldn't say I found a passion or anything, but I had my visits, I had my rehabilitation, and I had my family, and that was all I needed at the time."
Aitana Bonmati, who also suffered a serious injury, said that she felt she needed her body to stop so she could get back on track and enjoy all the things you don't necessarily get when you're a footballer. Do you really feel that way, that it was almost a will of your body, but that even mentally you needed it?
"Honestly, I think my body told me to stop. I think that mentally, what I went through at 20, there are very few people who have experienced it, and very few people who are going to experience it.
"I think that at some point, you have to know when to stop, when to start again. And I believe in destiny. I think it was meant to happen to me, and it's happened now. I hope it won't happen to me again.
"I think it's important to go down so you can go back up again. We know that a career isn't linear, and it doesn't always go up. I'd rather have this happen to me now, when I'm still young, when I can still learn about other aspects, than be at the peak of my career with the French team, with Chelsea, and miss out on much more important things."
'My parents were really scared'
You talk a lot about your post-career. Have you ever thought about what will happen after your career? Because with these surgeries that didn't necessarily work...
"No, I'm still young, but it's something I'm often told I have to think about. My parents and the people around me were really worried that football would come to an end. And when you're 20, you haven't studied, so you've devoted almost all of your life, all your teenage years to football, and then you turn up and from one day to the next, you've got nothing. I think that can really, really hurt if you're not well supported.
"So that's why they've always warned me about it, and they always will in the end, because you never know what tomorrow will bring. I mention this because I didn't feel it as a fear, but in the end, it doesn't just happen to other people. So I'm really able to take a step back from that."
When the second surgery didn't work, what did you think at the time?
"When the second one didn't work, I was in a lot of pain. Even in my daily life, it was complicated. And this time, it's even different from the second and the first. I said to myself, I have to do something about my personal life. Because I couldn't... I mean, I could walk, but it hurt.
"And it's not normal that at 20, you can't walk normally. In that case, it was really a need - a human need before football. I really trusted my surgeon. He was always very optimistic.
"He wasn't the one who told me that football could stop. He was really optimistic about it. He told me it was going to work. And above all, I realised that if I didn't believe in it mentally, it wasn't going to work. Because with the first one, perhaps with the first and second, I wasn't 100% mentally invested in the fact that I'd be cured. So I believed in it and did everything I could to make it happen. And then things worked out, which was good for me."
What kind of support did you have? Did you have a mental coach, a psychologist?
"I had a psychologist at Clairefontaine. And even the various physiotherapists, the preparatory staff there, they were really a great support to me, my family and friends. They believed in it, everyone did."
You've learnt from experience. What specific things could you list that you learned from this injury?
"I'd say mainly in terms of my values and what I want to pass on. Today, I find that football has become something of an obsession. I have to be, I have to do this because I have to do that because... It's my passion, I've always wanted to do it.
"I don't want football to have the negative side that it once did. I want to come to training, to always have a smile on my face, to always fight to achieve my goals, to perform well and so on. And I've really taken a step back from that situation. Even in relation to those around me.
"If you're not positive, I don't want people like that in my life. I think there are worse things in life than getting worked up about things I've been through. I take this step back: 'Ok, this happened to me when I was 20, 21. I don't want it to happen to me again'.
"So, physically, I know what I need to work on. I know that mentally, I need to be monitored, because there are dark sides to football and everything that surrounds football that unfortunately exist. So you have to deal with it, and you have to be monitored. There's no shame or fear in being monitored by a mental trainer because you need them to perform."
'I'm cured'
How do you find the resources when you go from a team sport to training alone all the time?
"It's true that sometimes when you're not motivated, it's redundant. I knew my exercises before they told me, I knew them by heart by the third time. I knew the rehabilitation plan by heart.
"You want to get back on the pitch, and you have to give yourself the means to do it, so I had that motivation. But there were times when I'd arrive at training, and I didn't feel like it, because I knew I wasn't going to enjoy the session. That's the part that's a bit more boring.
"In rehabilitation, things don't necessarily change all the time, every day. So sometimes I wasn't motivated. It's also human nature to be like that, so I tried to refocus on the things that were the reason I was there in the first place."
Did you ask other players who'd been there for advice? Because I'm thinking of Kessya Bussy, for example, who also had a stress fracture in her foot when she joined Paris FC.
"It's not exactly in the same area, but I went through exactly the same thing as her, both mentally and physically, because in the end our pains were almost the same. I'd say to her: 'What's wrong? I feel this, this...'.
"She'd say, 'But that's normal, don't worry, it'll go away!'. Luckily, she was there to reassure me on certain points, because sometimes I'd say to myself: 'But wait, that's not normal', so frankly, I'm grateful to her; she's given me good advice. She's really positive. And above all, she was also kind. She believed in it."
Do you believe in your comeback today? There are only three games left (of the season).
"I'm a believer. I hope to get a few minutes. In fact, the message I want to get across isn't necessarily 'I'm ready' but rather 'I'm cured'. Because you're not ready after a year and a half without playing, you're not ready just like that. You need matches, you need training. But it's more the message of: 'That's it, it's over, I'm cured'. It's that kind of satisfaction that I want to convey."
There were a lot of expectations around you, people were always asking you where you were, when you were coming back and all that. Are you happy to leave that behind, too?
"Oh yeah, I couldn't stand being told every day: 'What are you doing? When are you coming back? When are you playing again?'
"I felt like I was never making any progress, because I kept repeating the same thing over and over again. So it's a good thing - people take care of me, they want to know, they ask about me.
"Except that, mentally, I keep repeating the same thing over and over again. So that's going to be behind me; it's going to be over. No one will ask me about it any more. And then people will say to me. Are you going to play there? I prefer that phrase."
Even the people closest to you were a bit like that? Did you tell them how you were going to be back?
"After a while, I didn't tell them anything. I didn't tell them anything because they were always asking me questions.
"And after a while, I'd say to them: 'Listen, when there's a breakthrough, I'll tell you. When I'm going to play again, I'll tell you. When I'm at a new milestone in my rehabilitation, I'll let you know'.
"And things got better. In fact, it was the psychologist who told me to do it like that, and they didn't ask me any more questions. Given that it was the same thing every day, you don't necessarily make progress overnight. So when there was a real breakthrough, they'd say, 'OK, well that's progressing at last!'.
"Or even if there was a slight setback, they'd say to me: 'That's just the way it is, it's part of the rehabilitation'. So now they're very happy, and they can't wait to come to the first group."
How did you tell them that you were in the home stretch?
"They were following my day a bit. So when I started again with the group, they knew. When I was told at Clairefontaine that I was going to be able to play again, and my surgeon told me, I told them. I've already been back with Fleury for three weeks. When the opportunity arises, I'll be ready to play for a while."
'I won't let anything pass me by'
And how did it go when you got back into the squad? Maybe you even almost discovered it, because you were hardly with them throughout the season...
"Yes, I'd make appearances. I'd leave and come back. I also came back in October, thinking that I was finally going to start again, but I wasn't. I discovered them, and the girls really took to me. I discovered them, the girls were very friendly, they were interested in me, they were interested in the stage of my rehabilitation... The group is great, I think I've come to the right place."
You said that it was also a choice for you to go back to the Paris region to be close to your family with this rehab. What was it like on a day-to-day basis?
"When I first had the operation, I couldn't drive to my first physiotherapy sessions. I was immobilised for two months, so I was really dependent. I didn't go to Clairefontaine for the first two months because it was a bit pointless.
"It was really a second stage, to get back on my feet and get back into running, the field, etc. I was staying with my parents - my mother and father went back and forth a lot to the physiotherapist, the gym...
"After that, once I was at Clairefontaine, I went back and forth every day. It was quite a rhythm for three months. It was intense, but that was the price I had to pay to get back on my feet."
Did you run into any of the French team players when you were at Clairefontaine?
"Yes, I did. On Friday, for my last session, I saw Marie (Katoto) and Grace (Geyoro). After that, I saw Clara (Mateo) too, who I played with at Paris FC. Thiniba (Samoura), who's my friend, came to see me too. After that, they're preparing for the World Cup qualifiers. They're really in their own bubble."
Does it do you good to hang it up like that?
"After that, I was twice in the senior national team. They gave me a warm welcome, but I couldn't say that they're my team. But otherwise, yes, I get on really well with Marie and Thiniba. We have a good chat. So that's cool."
If we take a look at your career path, it's gone pretty quickly for you. You signed for Chelsea quite young. But since you signed for Chelsea, it seems that nothing has gone according to plan for you. Do you have any regrets about certain things?
"No, I have no regrets. Because I think that what happened to me had to happen. I didn't want to let the Chelsea train pass me by. I seized the opportunity and I won't regret it.
"Now I tell myself that maybe these trials are for a better future, or maybe not after all. Of course, it's not at all what I had planned and not at all what I think people would have wanted for me. But it was written.
"In any case, it's done now. The hardest part is behind me now. I'm ready now. The season's coming to an end. Next year, we'll see what happens. But on the other hand, as soon as I'm fit and back on the pitch at 100%, I won't let anything pass me by."
Was it also hard for you, who was 20 when you signed for Chelsea, to take in so many expectations?
"No, because I've got people close to me who look after me. Chelsea was more of a reward because I worked hard, and I work hard. It's been a reward, it's also been the fruit of my labour, but it's not over yet. And that's not the end I want, I still want to go higher. I'm going to keep working.
"I'm all for humility, I think it's too important. Nothing is done, nothing is taken for granted, and I'm always going to keep working to keep dreaming. That was Chelsea. I hope it'll be Chelsea again later on, and why not others? Now I'm going to keep working, and I hope to achieve all my dreams."
A big vindictive side'
Were you afraid at one point that you'd been forgotten, given that you spent so much time away from the pitch...
"Of course I was. You're coming off a season in which you finished as a top prospect, you signed for Chelsea, you went to the French national team... Going up is nice, but going down hurts just as much. It hurt me...
"What happened to me, what happened at Paris FC, the great opportunities I had, I took them all in my stride. At 20, it's crazy to experience that. So people were talking, I was the hope, and I hope I still am in the end.
"There are critics: 'She's signed for Chelsea, and we don't see her any more. She was in the French team, she doesn't do anything any more...'.
"And it's more my friends and family who tell me that. They read everything, they see everything, and they say to me: 'Oh yeah, that's nasty'.
"They're the ones who are affected, and so I'm affected. For me, it's more like: 'Oh, you say that? Just you wait! Wait until I come back!'.
"I'm more in that frame of mind where I don't live for people. That's something I learnt from my injury: I don't live for people, I live for myself. So if people want to think that, no problem. But I know that when I'm out there performing, I'm going to give it everything I've got, everything I've got, to do my best."
Is there a bit of a revenge factor?
"A big vindictive side. It's our career, but at the end of the day, people are the ones who give you money. They're the ones who watch the games. I don't live for them. In any case, I can't please everyone. I work on the principle that as long as I follow my education, respect my values and that everything goes well at my club, the team performs well. Frankly, that's the most important thing for me.
"That my whole family is in good health, that everyone is in good health, that's really the most important thing. I couldn't satisfy everyone. Now, I just want to show the people who were mean to me that... don't worry, at some point I'll get my chance."
Athletes often say that they come back stronger after an injury. Do you feel that way?
"I think I do, because you work differently. The aspects that you don't work on in a normal season, because you have other deadlines, other obligations. Now, I think you're learning. So you're a different person. You come back stronger."
What would you say is stronger about you right now?
"I'd say my body itself. I think it's important to be an athlete, whether it's physically, in your recovery or in your lifestyle. I think I've come a long way in that respect. And then in football, I couldn't say, but I'd say mentally too, I'm more determined. I had the feeling that everything could stop overnight. So I had to live things to the fullest."
So you were a bit scared at one point?
"Of course, because if the operation didn't work, that was it. But I never believed it, I never thought about it. If I couldn't walk tomorrow, I couldn't live with the pain for the rest of my life."
There are only three possible operations when you've had this kind of fracture?
"It's not just three operations, but the first is a graft in one way, the second is a graft in another way, and the third is the most violent operation for the human body. Right now I've got a plate in my foot. But if it doesn't bother me, I won't need to remove it."
World Cup ambitions
One question about Chelsea, though, because you did do some training with them. What was that like? Does it really change from what you knew in France before?
"Yes, it's a different world. English football, whether it's for boys or girls, is completely different. Over there, it's really all about the athlete. Physically, you have to be ready.
"I'd say the intensity is completely different. Over there, if you're not ready, you'll get charged up, and you won't get up again. English football is a different culture.
"I think it's an experience to be had. Even in human terms, you learn about yourself. You're on your own at training now, and the language is different. You're going to have to adapt. You have to surpass yourself and challenge yourself all the time. It's different, you have to keep up."
Do you see yourself returning to Chelsea?
"I hope so. I hope to wear a Blues shirt one day anyway. I'll do everything I can."
What contact do you have with the club? What are they telling you?
"At the moment, it's complicated because we don't know how I'm going to get back. The most important thing is to finish the three games. After that, we'll see what they and I discuss. Will they feel I'm ready? Will I feel ready? Will they need me?
"After that, these are discussions we need to have. They still have deadlines to meet by the end of the championship. I do too, to be able to play again and have the match conditioning. For the moment, we haven't discussed it. We're all finishing our seasons, and when the time comes, we'll discuss it."
Have you been working on your English a bit during your rehabilitation?
"Yes, I had to! I went there with my high school notions. After that, I speak other languages. My family is Portuguese. I already had that language, and when you have a bit of a linguistic ear, it's a lot easier to learn other languages. I speak Spanish too, so I speak three languages, and I'm working on my English now, so it's just a question of listening... And the English are really good at listening.
"They try to make you feel at ease, to practice... You're bound to make mistakes, but they make an effort to understand you. That helped me learn. Today, I wouldn't say I'm bilingual. But if you put me in England, I speak English very well."
I know that there were other clubs in France interested in you last summer. Could you stay in the area?
"Yes, I could. I could stay on loan. For the moment, I'm not closing any doors. The most important thing for me is to finish the season, prepare well and not have any more physical problems. And then from there, choose the best project. After all, there's the World Cup next year. That's a goal in my mind. I'm going to have to make the best decision possible so that I can, why not, aspire to go."
What are your next goals?
"My goals will be to really play again, whether it's at Chelsea, a club on loan or even Fleury. It's going to be to play, to rediscover the pleasure of performing and then to return to the French team."
Are you enjoying playing even more than you used to?
"Now I come to training, I want to train, even in the crappy sessions, but I'm taking it. Honestly, players who say 'Oh yeah, it's rubbish! Come to where I have been, and we'll see how bad it is'. I enjoy every session, there's nothing to worry about.
What can we wish you for the future?
"First and foremost, I want good health and lots of good things. I hope they give me good health, and then I'll get on with my work."
Do you have a celebration in mind if you score between now and the end of the season?
"I have one, but for the moment it's in the back of my mind. But I will do one if I score between now and the end of the season."