Marcos Alonso visited the Camp Nou as a kid with his father, of the same name, although when the new Blaugrana winger was born in 1990, his father was no longer part of the Barça squad. This Tuesday he exuded enthusiasm in his presentation while his sister followed him from the stands of the Tito Vilanova field. Héctor Bellerín longs to play in the Barcelona coliseum since he was 8 years old and entered the club's youth academy as a junior. At his debut, an entourage of about 20 people among family and friends cheered him on. Barça has crossed paths in their lives again.
They are the new wings of the team. Trained and consolidated, they will have the opportunity very soon to defend a special shirt for both of them. They will not do it this Wednesday, as they are not yet called up for the Champions League match against Viktoria Pilsen, but they will from Saturday in Cádiz. “They are missing a couple of physical training sessions but they will be available for the weekend”, explained Xavi Hernández. It will be time to show their category and experience, gained above all in the Premier League.
One will run down the right flank. The other one on the left. They have this season (they have signed for one campaign) to win and convince. The coach was lame on the sides and he already has them. Marcos Alonso was the first option since the summer. Héctor Bellerín knows that he is only here because of César Azpilicueta's refusal, although President Laporta said that it was a request from Xavi.
But that doesn't matter now. He is from Barça again eleven years after he left for Arsenal at 16. “When you are little, the only thing you imagine is reaching the first team and, sometimes, the reality is different. In the past I had different opportunities to return, but for one thing or another it did not happen. I came back the year I least expected it. But deep inside I knew that one day I would," Bellerín said. The Barcelonan happens to be a different footballer away from the playing fields, with a heightened social conscience, as Laporta was in charge of emphasizing. Initially Bellerin did not appear for training with a convertible or the latest sports car but with a Smart. In other words, he does not go to the extremes that Oleguer Presas put into vogue in his day, who arrived with a van, but almost.
A close footballer, therefore, Bellerín will be able to have at his side those who for a long time followed him from a distance. “I have found a very nice wardrobe (Araújo was watching the presentation). I am sure we can do great things. In every match I had my family far away and now I see them here with me”, congratulated the right-back.
Although for the football family that of Marcos Alonso. His father (1982-1987) and his great-grandfather Luis Zabala (1941-1943) were Barça players and his grandfather Marquitos defended the colors of Real Madrid in the 1950s. In fact, the new Barça winger was trained in the quarry Atlético and Madrid, a team with which he made his debut in the First Division. "We all remember the goal that your father scored against a pass from Julio Alberto," President Laporta snapped, referring to the flight similar to that of a pigeon by Pichón Marcos against Madrid in the 1983 Cup final. A move that helped to immortalize Schuster with his sleeve cuts to the white team.
Battle stories that have surely always been on the nightstand of the footballer from Chelsea. “Having the opportunity to be part of this great team is what I would have always wanted since I was a child. It is very exciting to be in the team where my father triumphed”. Now it's his turn.
