“After the game I was going back to the car with him, but I preferred to stay quiet in the back seats to see how they celebrated with his brother Gabriel. Internally, I couldn’t help but think that the nano had just made his debut for us in the First Division and that, on top of that, he had done it with Girona. It’s strong”, he admits Monica Ruiz. She is the mother of Ricard Artero Ruiz (2003), the young footballer of Bisbal d’Empordà who made his debut in the top flight last Friday with Míchel’s in the unforgettable victory against Almeria (6-2). The midfielder brings “a whole life” to the white-and-red club. He arrived there when he was 10 years old second year frycoming from theAtlético Bisbalenc. “It’s not that he made his debut in Primera with any club in Spain, it’s that he did it with Girona. At home. Four days ago we went with him to Montilivi to watch the matches, then he collected balls…, and now he is playing in the first team. It is a magnificent prize because he has achieved what he most wanted in the world”, adds his father, Being Artero.
The wait for this moment, however, has been long. Especially considering how promising last season was in Segona. Artero made his debut with the first team last November 4, 2021 in the victory against Alcorcón (2-1), playing a total of 12 games including the play-off final in Tenerife. In Primera, between the high competitiveness in the middle of the field with Oriol Romeu and Aleix Garcia and the fact that two injuries prevented him from debuting earlier, he had been unheard of until now. “We had been there for many weeks pending the debut. Ricard has always been at the foot of the canyon, entering the convocations, although without participating. Another might have despaired or become depressed seeing that his colleagues were playing and he, who was working just as hard, was not. He has been able to stay calm, continuing to work in the low moments to look for the opportunity”, comments Sendo. Artero “receives external help to focus and have a well-furnished head”. The parents insist that “the joy is controlled because euphoria is a bad companion»: «Now that he has made his debut, he seems to be on top of everything. It is neither one thing nor the other. Football is like a roller coaster. It’s not just hard to get there, it’s hard to stay».
Ricard’s first coach at Bisbalenc was Josep Sors. “When I was a first-year juvenile, I was already playing with the one-year-olds in Preferent. He has stood out since childhood. He is a very complete player, both tactically and technically as well as physically, with exemplary behavior. He continues to be shy, but you can tell that he has taken a step forward”, explains the coach. Sors says that “we were not surprised that he signed for Girona because that season he had a great performance and had been doing tests at Barça for a few weeks”. He didn’t stay at the Barcelona club because there was already Xavi Simons with a very important weight. “Go to Girona is the best thing that could have happened to him. He is very well accompanied and behaved”, he points out. The family also talks about the white-and-red club: “The situation was a bit precarious – the coaches were finding it hard to get paid – when we joined, even though we were already told that Girona was a solid bet. The representative, Carlos Vázquez (Wasserman), who is like another bisbalenco, has always reminded him that the club is growing. He has leveled up. In Ricard has never rated any outputis from Girona and will die with Girona».
A reference to the Bisbal
Mònica and Sendo feel proud with so many congratulations for Ricard’s debut in the First Division. In Bisbal they are known for their family business, the travel agency Rigatours (the name of the business is inspired by their sons Ricard and Gabriel). “It’s very beautiful. People are very happy for Ricard and for a bisbalenc to be close to the elite. The whole city is excited», says Sendo. Mònica comments that “my phone is full of photos that I receive from baby with the shirt with the name Artero and number 36 printed on it». That’s not all: “They have posters of Ricard stuck in the rooms». “It’s a pass. incredible We’re drooling”, says the mother.
Until recently, Ricard was a coach at the base of Bisbalenc. The coordinator of Bisbalenc and also Ricard’s friend, Arnau Ruiz, he explains that “it is a matter of pride that a junior trained at the base and who has been a member of Bisbal all his life reaches Primera”. “We were all looking forward to it and we are very happy that it finally happened. It is a reference to the Bisbal. The children put on the Girona matches to see him. He has always been down-to-earth and behaved the same, being humble and close to everyone, despite being better known”, says Arnau.
Joel Velarde, Ricard’s friend since kindergarten, shares his happiness: “It was very special, I even got nervous when he was called. I just wanted him to play a good role, and I think he did. He has given up a lot, because he almost always has training and he has to take care of his diet, rest well, etc., to get here. He deserves it.”
Ricard has just taken the first step because “the most important thing is to consolidate». This is what his environment constantly reminds him of. It is fundamental. “Let’s all go to one. We, Gabriel, Carlos, his girlfriend Laura, the friendships… We are pillars to raise his spirits in a measured way and never let him decline”, conclude the parents.
