While football superstars such as Lionel Messi, Neymar and Xavi mesmerized a global audience and enjoyed phenomenal success wearing the Blaugrana jersey, FC Barcelona is indeed much more than just football.
A multi-sports club with several sections of different sports, some professional like football and basketball, others amateur like ice hockey.
Formed in 1972, the ice hockey section has to date won seven league titles and as many domestic cup trophies. Currently the defending champions of Spain, Rubio is living his dream skating in the colours of his boyhood club.
“I was born and brought up in Barcelona and I come from a family of FC Barcelona supporters. I am a fan and a member of FC Barcelona. I am used to going to all the Champions League games in football and I also watch our basketball and handball team. For me it is an honour to play for the club,” said Rubio.
He was six years old when the father of a current Barcelona teammate Niklas Puertolas introduced him to the sport. Since then Rubio has developed into one of the go-to guys for both his club and the Spanish national team.
Just as the football team of FC Barcelona is well-renowned for bringing through players from its acclaimed academy “La Masia” to its first team, the hockey team’s strategy is no different.
“The priority is for the lower age categories to develop to go to the first team. For instance, we now have eight players playing for the first team who once were part of our U15 team,” said Danylo Didkovsky, Technical director of Barca Hockey Gel.
Kyiv-born Didkovsky has now spent more than two decades in Spanish ice hockey. He was approaching his mid-20’s when he made an unorthodox decision to snub an offer from Germany and instead move from Sokol Kyiv to Spain. And he is working hard to try and popularize the sport.
“Ice hockey is not a big sport in Spain. We are experiencing hard competition not just from football, basketball or handball, but also from roller-, field-, and inline hockey,” said Didkovsky.
“Here in Barcelona there’s just one ice rink. It’s old and we’re sharing it with a lot of other ice sports. But there is a new project at the club to build a new basketball palace and ice rink, so I hope in two or three years we will have them in use.”
Another potential catalyst for the game to grow is the Pyrenees-Barcelona…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Rss News…