Who is Valentín Barco, the great 16-year-old who will debut today with the Boca shirt

A Valentine Boat They gave him the birthday present: the left back, just 16 years old, who will blow out the candles next Friday, received the great news that he was among the concentrates for the debut of Boca in the local championship, with ownership included. One of the last big bets of the xeneize quarry will have its baptism in Santa Fe in the meeting this afternoon (it will start at 19) at the stadium April 15.

In the last market, the club got rid of Emmanuel Mas (he agreed to his arrival at Orlando City in the United States) and despite having looked for an alternative in the sector, he ended up conforming to what was available indoors. What Frank Fabra continues on leave after his participation in the Copa América with the Colombian national team and the death of his father, was Agustin Sandez who was left with the title in last Tuesday’s match against Atlético Mineiro for the Libertadores. Now it was Barco’s turn.

The Colo He comes from doing his first preseason with the professional team and there is evidence of this by his cropped hair that hides his reddish hair a little. But that physical trait is not what makes him stand out when he was born on May 25 (Buenos Aires province), but his magnificent football conditions that led him, for example, to be called up to the youth teams since he was 13 years old.

In 2014 he officially began competing in the minor divisions xeneizes and he made a place on the left side. His technical virtues, ease of going on the attack, disposition for the mark and formidable finish made him one of the great figures of the Category 2004. He quickly became a benchmark not only in his team, but also in the Argentina Sub 15 National Team, where the captain’s tape came to shine.

In 2019 he won an international tournament in Croatia with the Albiceleste and then he was summoned by Alejandro Saggese for the South American category which was played in Paraguay. There he scored two goals in the debut against Chile and added one more in the semifinals against Colombia. Argentina fell in the penalty shootout in the final against Brazil, but Barco was one of the best players in the national team. His wonderful year 2019 made him sign a personal contract with the Adidas firm and in 2020 he began to be considered in the Sebastián Battaglia Reserve.

At the age of Sixth Division, he went on to alternate with Sandez in the second team matches. Of course, neither from the leadership nor from the coaching staff they want me to burn stages, that’s why they seek to take it little by little. In October of last year he signed his first contract in Boca together with a litter of juveniles within which he turned out to be the youngest of all.

“He is a different, a hitch that plays 3. A southpaw with impressive technique, skill and speed. Is a crack”, he assures Infobae a coach who had him closely in Boca’s inferiors. And in the Soccer Council, Juan Román Riquelme and company also have blind faith in him after observing him in some games with his division, the Reserve and the handful of training with the First: “A phenomenon, the only thing missing is to grow a little physically”. And it sounds logical, since Barco is not yet fully developed, he will probably add an extra centimeter to his 1.68m and work to expand his muscle mass.

On the last day of the regular phase of the Reserve Championship passed before the Board of Trustees in Paraná, the talented southpaw received a severe chest trauma that knocked him off the pitch and deprived him of playing the quarterfinals (against Godoy Cruz), semis against Newell’s and final against Sarmiento de Junín. After the recovery, Miguel Russo called him to be part of the preseason with the professional team. And he gave him filming: participated in the friendlies against Atlético Tucumán and Sarmiento de Junín with the substitute team. It did not clash, he made up the physical and experience difference with the rest of the protagonists and took out crack veneer.

It is true that the coach intended to include another reinforcement among the 5 modifications allowed by Conmebol for the last 16 of the Copa Libertadores, but when Franco Di Santo’s pass fell and they did not give the time to register the Peruvian Luis Advíncula, Russo did not hesitate and chose Valentín Barco as the fifth option behind the incorporations Marcelo Weigandt, Esteban Rolón, Norberto Briasco and Nicolás Orsini. Both in the continental competition and in the local tournament, he will wear the number 19 shirt that Mauro Zárate left free.

Just as such Diego Armando Maradona He made his debut at the age of 15 in the First Division and was surpassed years later by Sergio When Omen (15 years, 1 month and 3 days), now the Colo Boat will be the fourth youngest footballer in history xeneize to be officially released after the baptisms of Denny Ramirez in the year 1982 (with 15 years, 11 months and 25 days), Leandro Paredes in 2010 (with 16 years, 4 months and 8 days) and Victor Hugo Romero in 1966 (with 16 years, 11 months and 17 days). The last premature was another that will be present tonight against Unión in Santa Fe: Gonzalo Maroni He debuted in 2016 with only 17 years, 1 month and 27 days and was in the sixth position in the history of Boca.

In the Ribera they take him little by little, but they trust that with him there are 3 for a while …

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