Robertinho, the 'Brazilian' jewel at La Masia
Robert Navarro is Spanish but his game is reminiscent of Brazilian greats like Ronaldinho
His teammates call him Robertinho and he will play for Barça's Cadete A this season
No, he’s not Brazilian. Or Portuguese. He was born in Barcelona and brought up in Tajonar (Navarre) and signed for Barcelona’s alevín youth team five years ago. His real name is Robert Navarro but to teammate and the Barça TV commentators he’s Robertinho. The reason is clear. On the pitch he plays just like a Brazilian, like Ronaldinho or Neymar. He loves to dribble, add little embellishments to his game and he has been the star of numerous videos on social media.
In a summer in which Barça have signed Vitinho and are trying to sign Coutinho and Paulinho, it is important that the players at La Masia are not forgotten. We’ll never know how much Barça would pay for a player like Robert Navarro if he played at Palmeiras and not in the club’s Cadete A team. The problem is that we often focus on what’s available elsewhere, not realising that what we have at home is much better.
Robert Navarro’s sporting history started with tennis as his father Roberto, a legend at l’Hospitalet where he holds the record for most appearances (314), did not want him to play football. But Robert and his best friend Xavi had trials at the FCB Escola and got in. He was there for three months and played in tournaments for Barça, who wanted to sign him. Unfortunately, he had to turn down the offer because his family moved to Pamplona for work reasons. A teacher there saw his skills and took him to Osasuna for a trial, where he was accepted and then played above his age group due to his exceptional quality. After three years Barça signed him and he started in the Alevín A team.
His arrival at Barcelona was not easy. At first, he stayed half board at La Masia and slept at his grandparents’ house, but he missed his family and cried a lot. For Robert, family is very important and his father is a great example to follow. His sister Claudia is a very promising dancer but the family, including his mother Miriam, still finds time to come to the Ciutat Esportiva at the weekend to support him. And now Robert is starting his fifth season with the same dream he had when he arrived: to be a professional footballer.
Here's a little taste of what he can do with the ball:
