Blaugrana past, green and white present. Next Sunday’s match between Córdoba CF and Barcelona Atléticoon the occasion of the first leg of the promotion final to Second divisionbased in Johan Cruyff Stadium (8:00 p.m., FEF TV and Canal Sur), will have a somewhat different emotional implication for two specific members within the block supervised by Ivan Ania: Álex Sala and José Antonio Martínez. The common point, both for the midfielder, now owned by the Girona -from which he remains on loan this season-, as for the centre-back, their shared roots in the Barcelona youth academy, in which during different stages both were enrolled throughout their sporting career. Therefore, the upcoming tie will take place in what was once his house.
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Álex Sala, training and jumping
The young midfielder said goodbye to the culé structure just four seasons ago. In it he completed his youth training, playing in the anteroom section of the reserve team under the orders of Denis Silvain the first year, to later be trained by Victor Valdes. He did not completely gel in the Catalan discipline, yes, with a more than discreet step throughout his two years defending the elastic of the Camp Nou. In his debut, precisely, he did not have many opportunities in a squad in which proper names like Ansu Fati (Barcelona), Nico Gonzalez (Port), Ilaix Moriba (Leipzig), Mika Marble (Las Palmas) or Arnau Tenas (PSG) shone with special intensity.
A little more prolific, although not enough to remain in the Barcelona youth team, his second campaign took place, in which the emergence of other pieces such as Alvaro Sanz (Mirandés), his own I died either Nico Gonzalez They continued to overshadow their presence in the midfield. That course was also the one in which the Spanish international arrived. Alejandro Balde (Barcelona) to the category, in the company of now protagonists of professional football such as José Marsa (Andorra), Arnau Solá (Cartagena), Adria Altimira (Villarreal), Diego Lopez (Valencia), Konrad de la Fuente (Eibar) or Gerard “Peque” (Santander Racing).
Álex Sala celebrates his great goal against Atlético Baleares in El Arcángel.
Martínez, promotion and relegation
The Palmerino’s stage in the Catalan formation seems more fruitful, of which he was also a part for two campaigns. He has just left the Seville factory, with a weighty role in the Sevilla Atléticothe culé subsidiary opted to incorporate the tall defender into its ranks in the 2016-2017 year in Second Division B. His arrival was meteoric, conquering ownership in a rank behind in which Fali (Cadiz), Marlos Santos (Fluminense), Marc Cucurella (Chelsea), among others. During that process, in addition, he coincided with the former green and white Alex Carbonellwithin a year that culminated with the promotion to Second division.
The contribution of the current “16” from Córdoba rose to 2,371 minutes and one goal, who became the third most used field footballer by Gerard Lopez throughout the championship.
The second season was more bittersweet, almost bitter. From the euphoria of promotion to relegation, just a few months separated the company from the Barcelona subsidiary in the silver category, to which it said goodbye one year after its arrival. He was once again a mainstay in those moments, the Huelva native, once again a starter and standard bearer in a squad in which pearls of the quality of Iñigo Ruiz de Galarreta (Athletic Club), Carles Aleñá (Getafe), Abel Ruiz (Sporting de Braga), Carles Perez (Celtic), Choco Lozano (Almeria), Riqui Puig (Los Angeles Galaxy), Jorge Cuenca (Villarreal) or Juan Miranda (Betis).
He also had a good performance in that period Martinezjust before heading to the New Los Carmenes of the Grenadewith which he achieved the jump to First division a year later, to end his time defending the Barça team.
José Antonio Martínez fights for a set piece during the match against Alcoyano at El Arcángel.
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