Caroline Graham Hansen interview: Memories of winning the Women's Champions League serve as motivation
Wednesday, March 25, 2026
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Caroline Graham Hansen reflects on how the feeling of winning the UEFA Women's Champions League three times with Barcelona makes her hungry for further titles.
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When Caroline Graham Hansen latched onto Lieke Martens' cutback to tap home Barcelona's fourth goal in the 2021 Women's Champions League final, it signified the start of a new era in the competition.
The Norwegian forward's strike against Chelsea wrapped up Barcelona's first Women's Champions League title win, and two more have followed since — with Graham Hansen instrumental in each triumph.
The 31-year-old says the elation she has felt during Barcelona's many highs in recent seasons is what inspires her to continue pushing herself to succeed.
"I have so many good memories from the Women's Champions League and those memories give you so much motivation to try to make it happen again, because it’s like an addiction," Graham Hansen told UEFA, as her side prepare to face Real Madrid in the quarter-finals.
"You just want that feeling to happen as often as possible, and you have one chance every year to win that trophy.
"Like every player in Europe playing for big teams, it’s what you want to achieve at the end of the season."
Barcelona have been the most successful team in recent Women's Champions League seasons, reaching six of the last seven finals and winning three of them.
One of Graham Hansen's most memorable moments came in the 2022/23 semi-final against Chelsea, when she scored a stunning goal at Stamford Bridge that played a part in taking the Blaugrana through 2-1 on aggregate to their third final — in which they beat Wolfsburg for their second title.
With the competition under its new league phase format this season, the Norwegian winger has featured in all six games for Barcelona so far.
She scored twice and assisted once as her team finished top of the league phase table, meaning they progressed straight to the last eight without navigating a knockout phase play-off.
"The biggest change with the league phase has been playing six different teams. I think it’s been great to know that you only have this one chance in the league phase to face this team, whether it’s home or away, and to perform.
"I also really enjoy the fact that every game counts even more now, because it was so competitive in terms of who would be top four or in the knockout phase play-off places."
Next, Barcelona have been drawn against domestic rivals Real Madrid in a repeat of their 2021/22 quarter-final.
"Every season you go into this competition wanting to win it, because it’s the biggest club competition and you play against the best players and the best teams during the season.
"Now we go into the quarter-finals, these are the big games and there are a lot of people coming to watch our games, even more so now. We’re just really looking forward to getting going again."
For Graham Hansen, who was also a runner-up in two Women's Champions League finals with former club Wolfsburg, nothing beats the thrill of playing under the lights on a European matchnight.
"You know it’s going to be competitive, nobody’s going to give anything away for free. So you have to be at your best in your head, and be able to control your emotions between wanting to win and being ready so you don’t get overemotional.
"It gives you this extra touch of nerves that helps you perform even better. I enjoy these nights a lot; you see it in all the players you're playing with or against, it means a lot to them too.
"That motivates you to put on a great show and try to make sure that your team wins, and that the people watching enjoy the game."
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