The discreet life in La Masia by Pablo Urdangarin: "He is very humble. He never felt that he had to be different from the rest"

• ASOBAL Pablo Urdangarin makes his Barça debut with three goals

Pablo Nicolás Sebastián de Todos los Santos Urdangarin and Borbón

(Barcelona, ​​December 6, 2000). What he wants is to be a good handball player, with his father as a great example. Continue with your studies at the Business School of the European University. And that the weight of their surnames is not a reason for judgment or treatment. Son of

and

, eighth in the line of succession to

, Pablo made his debut in Barcelona's first handball team on October 23. The former Dukes of Palma applauded him from the stands of that Palau where the shirt with Iñaki Urdangarin's number 7 continues to hang. Pablo wears 77.

«His father was lateral; Pablo, although he is quite tall (1.94 meters and 84 kilos), is extreme. Both left-handed. I think that in terms of attitude and defensive security we could come to compare him with his father. Not so in attack, they are different. Iñaki was once a fundamental player in Barcelona, ​​”

, handball legend and the most successful coach in history

, recalls for EL MUNDO

.

Together with Iñaki Urdangarin he won six European Cups in that Barcelona of the 90s that dominated the continent with an iron fist.

They still maintain a close friendship, so Valero was always aware of Pablo's sporting growth.

“Although you have to go step by step, he can be a very good player.

You just have to see how it debuted.

He played 20 minutes and pitched five times, scoring three goals.

That says a lot about him, ”continues who led the Spanish team in the 2013 world title and current Qatari coach.

"Cold head"

And Valero, aware of what may come from now on, warns the journalist: «Pablo is very humble and prudent.

He has a cool head.

You don't have to put more pressure on him because of the surnames he bears ».

Rivera's story coincides with the impressions of those who deal daily with the grandson of King Juan Carlos I at the Barcelona facilities.

«He is a charming and humble boy.

From day one he took over the whole world.

And he never felt that he had to be special or different from the rest ", they maintain from La Masia.

He was willing to go a year without competing, even if it was only training

Valero Rivera placeholder image

Pablo Urdangarin, despite being of legal age, sleeps in the Barcelona residence.

Until a year ago, only minors could do it, while those over 18 years old went to live in the club's supervised flats in the vicinity of the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper in Sant Joan Despí.

As of this season, Barça set up a plant for the elderly.

And Pablo, who last year lived in an apartment of some friends of his parents in Barcelona, ​​has not missed the opportunity.

It is a place where you feel comfortable.

In the city, in addition, the

begin to persecute him

.

The same ones that one day tried to sneak into the facilities of the Barça club to photograph the player in his performance with the subsidiary.

Pablo Urdangarín, at the Palau, in 2019 THE WORLD

Pablo's life is routine. He studies in the morning and between 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. he trains with the subsidiary, which is where he has a record. Something that did not happen a year ago, when the entire season was spent without playing because all the licenses were already occupied. It mattered little. "Look at how excited I was to play for Barcelona, ​​who was willing to spend a year without competing, even if it was only training," says Rivera.

Pablo started playing handball at the school level at the French Lyceum in Barcelona.

He also had a stage at Esplugues after returning from his stay in Washington.

After the

broke out

, and with Infanta Cristina already living in Geneva, Pablo was able to find a sports destination in Hannover, where two former colleagues of Iñaki Urdangarin could protect Pablo.

He would play in the youth team, trained by

.

In the first team of Hannover, in addition, there was

, who is now the coach of Barcelona.

After passing through Nantes and with the pandemic in between, Pablo decided to return to Barcelona, ​​even if he had to spend a year without playing games.

Special work in the gym

“The subsidiary's staff was closed.

He already came knowing what was there and accepted.

What interested him was to evolve.

Growing up".

Who speaks for EL MUNDO is his coach at Barça B,

, who does not hesitate to dissect him: «He is a versatile player with very good athletic and anthropometric ability [height, weight, size, length or width of the hand is measured] .

It has yet to evolve physically.

He lacks muscle and kilos to be able to defend in the elite.

But he's young and he will, ”Porres continues.

In fact, as with other players, Pablo Urdangarin carries out specialized physical work, with a lot of gym.

In what he is improving a lot is in the completion and the scoring success.

He's used to it since he was little.

They educated him for it

Ferran porres

Iñaki Urdangarin lives with his mother in Vitoria, where he works as a consultant in a law firm.

He has the third degree in prison, so, in addition to visiting Cristina de Borbón and her young daughter, Irene, in Geneva, he also visits Pablo as often as possible in Barcelona.

The weight of the surnames, we said, will continue to be there.

But his coach in the subsidiary is forceful in the face of the media explosion that comes over him: «Pablo has lived with this all his life.

But for us, internally, he is one more player.

Like any other.

There is no type of difference in treatment with any partner.

Nor any distinction.

It is true that when we travel he arouses more interest than the rest.

But we are very calm.

We trust him a lot.

He's used to it since he was little.

They educated him for it.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

• Infanta Cristina de Borbón

• Iñaki Urdangarin

• sports

• handball

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