After spending eight years at the "Barcelona" youth academy, goalkeeper Urko Pardo has the opportunity to play against his former team on Wednesday.
The player's parents come from different regions of Spain: his father is Basque and his mother is from Galicia, while U. Pardo began his football career in Belgium, with the Brussels team "Anderlecht".
Having moved to the "Barcelona" youth academy in 1999, the goalkeeper spent eight seasons there, with breaks in between. Since the summer of 2011, U. Pardo has been a member of the Nicosia APOEL team.
Before the match at Camp Nou stadium, the player, who holds Spanish and Belgian citizenship, shared his impressions.
- How is it going for you in Cyprus?
- Excellent, just excellent. Yes, football here is different from the one played in continental Europe, but the Cypriot championship is of a high level. Cyprus is an island and football matches are not the most popular here, but there is no lack of tension.
- Are you looking forward to playing at Camp Nou stadium?
- Our whole team is looking forward to it, but we do not lose our cool. APOEL has accumulated some experience in European cup competitions, so I think it will come in handy for us.
- Does football in Cyprus differ a lot from European football?
- As I mentioned, there are differences. Recently, many foreigners from Spain, Brazil, Portugal, and other countries have come here to play. They are very different players, but each of them brings some of their experience, so the level of the Cypriot championship is rising, although there are not such youth academies as La Masia here.
- What are the strengths of APOEL?
- We are a united team that plays as one unit. The players on the field give it their all, and many of them have previously played in various European tournaments.
- What do you expect from the match in Barcelona?
- What do we expect? A favorable result. Why not? We have put together a strong team, and that allows us to nurture hope that we can expect a positive result even at Camp Nou.
- What can you say about the year you spent at the "Barcelona" youth academy?
- It was a great period, and my memories of it are the best. Of course, it took me some time to adapt, but everything really went well. I learned a lot at "Barça". In the club, I became not only a good footballer, but also a good person. I will always be grateful for that.
- Have you played at Camp Nou stadium?
- No, I haven't. More precisely, I haven't played official matches there. I only participated in team training sessions. My biggest misfortune was in the 2002-2003 season when I had the opportunity, but at that time, I had a cruciate ligament injury.
- What do you think of the team coached by Luis Enrique?
- It seems that so far this season everything is going well for them. It is a team that has been reformed but has returned to its roots.
