Alexia Putellas Signs with London City Lionesses

Record‑breaking career ends at Barcelona

Alexia Putellas has completed a move to London City Lionesses after 14 years with Barcelona, the Spanish powerhouse announced in New York. The two‑time FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year is also a leading contender for the award this season. During her spell at Barcelona she lifted four Champions League titles, ten domestic league crowns and secured every trophy available last term. A world champion with Spain, Putellas is widely regarded as one of the greatest European footballers in history, having also played for Levante and Espanyol.

Her departure marks the end of a decade‑long era at a club where she became a standard‑bearer for quality football. After the contract expired, Putellas chose to continue her journey in England with a side that prides itself on being women‑first. The signing was presented at a press event in New York, capturing the attention of the global football community.

London City Lionesses: From Millwall split to independent powerhouse

The London City Lionesses were formed in 2019 following a breakaway from the former Millwall Lionesses, forcing the old club to restart at the bottom of the pyramid. The new organisation quickly adopted ideals of independence, but its trajectory shifted dramatically after Michele Kang’s involvement. Kang, who owns the Washington Spirit in the NWSL and OL Lyonnes in France, bought the club at the end of 2023 and integrated it into a global network emphasizing knowledge, technology and infrastructure.

Under Kang’s leadership the team won the second division of the English championship in 2025 and earned a respectable mid‑table finish in their inaugural top‑flight season. The club’s ambition is reflected in its recent rise to compete on equal terms with traditionally dominant sides. Its new owner’s vision positions the Lionesses as a model for how women’s football can develop commercially and athletically.

Inspiration from a Spartan princess

London City Lionesses draws its name from Cynisca, the Spartan princess who became the first female Olympic champion in sporting history. Cynisca, daughter of King Archidamus II and sister of the warrior king Agesilaus II, won chariot races in 396 BC and 392 BC. At that time women were barred from competing in the Olympic Games, yet Cynisca leveraged her status to own and prepare the horse teams that claimed victory. Her inscription—“I, Cynisca, victor with a team of swift‑footed horses… declare myself the only woman in all Greece who has won this crown”—embodies the club’s ethos of breaking barriers.

The choice of Cynisca as a namesake reflects the club’s commitment to forging a new path for women’s sport, echoing the ancient champion’s pioneering spirit. By aligning with a figure who triumphed despite societal limits, the Lionesses signal their own ambition to reshape the football landscape. This historical parallel adds depth to the narrative of modern women’s football empowerment.

Michele Kang’s bold investment and research agenda

Kang established Kynisca, a holding company inspired by the Spartan princess, to manage investments in women’s sport and performance research. In August 2024 she unveiled a $50 million commitment aimed at unlocking the true potential of female athletes. The firm’s goal is to stop training women as if they were smaller men and instead develop tailored programs based on scientific insight. This financial backing funds equipment, specialists, and infrastructure across the group’s clubs, including London City Lionesses.

The investment extends beyond on‑field resources, targeting a cultural shift in how women’s football is perceived and supported. By focusing on research and development, Kang hopes to create new commercial opportunities and pathways for the next generation. The initiative underscores a strategic move toward making women’s football a standalone, globally competitive sport.

Restructuring of English women’s football

The English women’s game underwent a major overhaul in 2024 with the creation of the Women’s Professional Leagues Ltd, an independent body that now governs the top two divisions. Clubs broke away from the Football Association, mirroring the split that gave rise to the men’s Premier League. This change grants teams shareholder status, allowing them to make collective decisions on governance and expansion.

Next season the top tier will expand from 12 to 14 clubs, providing more platforms for competition and growth. London City Lionesses is among the clubs set to benefit from this broader schedule, reinforcing its ambition to compete at the highest level. The new structure aims to stabilise finances and elevate the overall standard of women’s football in England.

Quotes from the key figures

“The club’s ambition and its unwavering commitment to growing as an independent, women‑only club resonate deeply with me. I’m looking forward to making an impact on the pitch as we fight for trophies. Off the pitch, continuing my passion for developing young athletes, I’m equally excited to work with Michele to raise women’s football in England and on the global stage,” Putellas said, echoing the owner’s praise.

“Alexia Putellas represents the pinnacle of talent, dedication and vision in women’s football. Her decision to join our independent, women‑first club is a powerful endorsement of what we are building at London City and Kynisca,” Kang noted. She added, “This is much more than a signing; it is a bold statement about the future of the sport. Together, we will compete at the highest levels while creating new commercial opportunities and development pathways for the next generation of women athletes.”