Iván Balliu: Albanian by a great-great-grandfather, son of a pro-independence mayor and untouchable in Rayo

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Every coach, often as a precaution, often repeats that there is no one untouchable on his team.

So does

.

And

(Caldes de Malavella, 1992) may not be non-negotiable, but his numbers say the opposite.

Nobody in Rayo exceeds his 2,456 minutes of this course.

Always from the right side.

He came to Vallecas free in the summer, after two years at Almería, and has become one of the constants of the red-and-red starting 11.

This Thursday, he awaits Betis, at Villamarín, heading for a historic Cup final, comeback through.

The only goal he has scored in his 28 games as a Rayista was against the Verdiblanco team, in the League.

Maybe it's a sign.

Ivan's is not just any story.

And he isn't, largely because of his last name.

Balliu did not have major importance for him until he began to rain messages from fans of Albania.

An unusual name in Spain, but more than 4,000 people walk through the streets of a country with just under two million inhabitants.

The matter got so bad that the Albanian federation contacted him in 2017, when he was playing in Ligue 1 with Metz.

And it turns out that between his father and his grandfather they discovered that today's side of Rayo had an Albanian great-great-grandfather, which justifies that surname Balliu.

Obviously, he had no idea of ​​the language, but he was fluent in English and French, so the acclimatization was somewhat more bearable.

He had never set foot in that country in his life.

That is why Iván is international with Albania, although he has only played 107 minutes in three games.

Of course, his premiere, five years ago, was famous.

The then Albanian coach, former Madrid player

, gave him the alternative as a starter at the Rico Pérez stadium in Alicante, against that Spain led by

, on the way to the 2018 World Cup in Russia. He played until halftime and sat in the stands A good part of his family was there.

In the Girona town of Caldes de Malavella, with some 8,000 residents, Balliu has also become a common term.

And it is that Iván's father,

, has been mayor for Junts per Caldes since 2011 and came to travel to Waterloo (Belgium) to greet and support

, wearing the yellow bow on his jacket. he.

The video of that meeting is still available on Youtube.

He has been at the head of a pro-independence consistory for more than a decade, after being re-elected in 2019.

Barca youth squad

The first time his father received the baton, Iván stood out in the lower categories of Barcelona.

, currently at the French Stade de Reims and coach of that successful triplet youth team (League, Champions Cup and Copa del Rey 2011), reminds EL MUNDO of some details that drew attention to that kid 19 years old.

«Iván was the captain of that team because he was an exemplary boy in every training session and in every game.

You could put him anywhere.

On right, left... Wherever he was.

He always responded with a great performance.

Defensively, he was difficult to beat and with the ball he was clear about what he had to do ».

In that team were

.

Between the latter, Iván and his wife,

, would set up a youth fashion firm called Gorgeous.

After leaving Barça, Sergi signed for Celta and Balliu went to Portugal, where he contacted a cotton textile factory.

"Things went well," Gómez himself recalled in a promotional video of the company.

gave

Iván the alternative with Barcelona B in the Second Division.

summoned him to do the preseason with the first team, playing a friendly.

And even

came to take him into account on occasion.

However, it did not make its debut in an official match.

"It was good for him to go out to be a level player in LaLiga," adds Óscar García.

Iván went to Portugal in 2013 to play for Arouca.

Two years later, he would sign for Metz, until in 2019 he went to Almería.

After a few months at Rayo, which allowed him to debut in the First Division, he is a key player for Iraola.

In Vallecas, Balliu has also become just another surname.

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