Ansu Fati: “As a child I played barefoot on a ball made of socks”

Apart from being thankful Leo Messi his acceptance into the first group of FC Barcelonain his interview with French Football, Ansu Fati remember your roots in Guinea-Bissau and his first steps in Spainwhen he reached the age of 6 in Seville. “I grew up with my mother, my brothers and sisters, my cousins ​​and my maternal grandmother in a house in the district of São Paulo (located northwest of bissauthe capital of Guinea-Bissau), where we all live. But, since I left very young, I don’t remember much,” he admitted. Ansu. “Recently, I asked a friend of my sister’s to send me a video of the street where we live and it’s not like the image I saved! I really want to go back there. I started playing in the street with my cousins ​​at the age of 3. In Guinea-Bissau, children have this freedom almost from the time they can walk. I remember my mother calling me when dinner was ready. We used to play barefoot. Those who had a little money had sandals. We brought socks that we rolled around to make a ball and off we went! Every now and then we got a rubber ball, but when we kicked something sharp, then already,” he recalled. Ansu.

He left Madrid for Barça

Apart from its roots, Ansu also explained that he had the option to sign for Madridbut opted for the option of boat when I was a player Seville. “Before signing him boatI tried to Real Madrid. At that time, the club had no place to house its young players. After discussing it with my father, we decided that the boat is the best choice the farmhouseboth for football and for my education,” he said.

“I remember seeing La Masia in the background, shortly before arriving in Barcelona. The closer we got, the more nervous I felt. At first I wasn’t sure if I wanted to come and after a week I didn’t want to leave ! I came in 2012, just after the inauguration of the new Masia, when the club was at its peak. The facilities are very modern. There is a games room with table tennis, billiards… Things I have never seen before. This is a incredible experience living in La Masia and working with exceptional coaches. I learned to play in the street, then, in Andalusia, I joined futsal tournaments, where you have to bargain hard. At that time, I loved do hat shots and flip-flap shots. But Marc Serra, my first coach at La Masia, quickly made me understand which club I was at and, during matches, I had to the the my rivals. It also encouraged me to get more goals and stop doing these kinds of extravagant acts,” he added.

Ansu He recalled the day he was recruited to train with the first team. “When they called me to train with the first team, I immediately called my father and I think it was the only time in my life that he didn’t answer the phone, who always answered me! So I approached the my mother, which she answers immediately. she understood when she heard me cry and started to scream. I rode the ramp from Barça B to get to the first team building, full of emotions. Then, when I entered the locker room and saw Luis (Suarez), Leo (Messi) and everyone else, I can’t believe it. I sat quietly. I thought it was only once, because often the companions climb to complete the group. But, the next day, they asked me to come back. After three practices, I will go home and Carlos (Naval), the delegate, told me: “Wait a minute, the call for the game against Betis will be announced soon.” He wasn’t looking forward to being a part of it, but then he started writing my name on the list that was posted the day before the game next to the locker room. I ran outside and, crying, called my father. He left to join my brother who was going to another club, but they turned around to go back to Barcelona,” he recalled.

On the day of his debut, the Barca striker recalled that “in the tunnel, before the warm-up (against Betis, 5-2, August 25, 2019), Jordi Alba He held my shoulder so we walked together on the grass. That a player like him supports you in that moment, it’s nice. I was nervous, but it helped me relax,” he said.