“They play a cheap fifa coins different kind of game here,” explained Boquete, one of the nominees for the BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year award. “It’s more direct style and the matches are more physical. Adapting to it has made me a better all-round player.”

Cruz is no less complete a player, one who rarely turns in a bad performance. If her passing game is off, the Costa Rican will make up for it by being dominant in her defensive duties, and vice versa. She also brings experience and a cool head to a dressing room that has seen the arrival of some big names over the last year.

“It’s always difficult to settle in at the start,” said Cruz, who is in the running for the French league’s Player of the Year award. “You have to start with the language because communicating with each other on the pitch is very important. We’re very close off the pitch and that unity helps us win as a team.”