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What's the story?
Barcelona star, Sergi Roberto, revealed how he rejected Real Madrid when he was young, stating that he did not care about Los Blancos despite getting an invitation for a trial.
In case you didn't know...
Sergi Roberto has been a constant presence in the Barcelona squad since his arrival. The 27-year-old has made over 230 appearances for the Blaugrana and had a huge impact against Real Madrid numerous times in his career.
Roberto is known for his versatility after he was used as full back and deployed in the midfield by former boss Luis Enrique. Roberto managed to excel in various positions throughout his career.
Roberto's most famous moment will surely be his goal against Paris Saint-Germain during Barcelona's 6-1 win in the UEFA Champions League. After succumbing to a 4-0 loss in the first leg, Roberto's injury-time goal sealed one of the greatest comebacks in history.
Roberto's rampaging against Real Madrid which helped Lionel Messi scored the third goal to win 3-2 also remains fresh in the memory of Blaugrana camp.
Over the years, Roberto has rightly earned the faith of multiple coaches for his work rate and intelligence. The Spaniard signed a new contract in 2018 which extends his stay at the Nou Camp till 2022.
The heart of the matter
Roberto revealed that he rejected the chance to join Real Madrid when he was young because he was a fan of the Catalan giants.
Speaking in an interview with Sport, Roberto said:
"Yes, I was playing for Nastic's U15 team. The director of Madrid's academy got in contact with the club to show interest and invite me for a trial. A few days later, Barça reacted and also sent a fax to Nastic. At that moment, I didn't care about Madrid."
"The truth is, even though it may seem the opposite, I felt really calm at that time. I went for a trial at Barça, it went well, they told me to stay and that was that. Eveything else has been forgotten. I've been a Barça fan since I was a kid and I didn't think much about it."
What's next?
Barcelona will face Atletico Madrid in the LaLiga before they take on Manchester United in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League.
