Marc Bartra: the value of being well surrounded from a young age
Real Betis Balompié's Marc Bartra has spoken about his beginnings in La Masia in an interview with 'LifeStyle' of La Razón. In the interview, he also talks about fashion. Bartra explains how difficult it is for a young person to live in such early competition and regrets that his twin brother, Eric, was left without being able to make a career at the Camp Nou.
"What was communicated to my brother that he would not continue at Barça was a tremendous blow, because at that age you are not mature or prepared for something like that. We have been together since my mother's womb and that they told me that the following year my brother would not continue with me was a before and after".
Bartra adds that, however, "that hard blow also made me more motivated and value much more what I have to keep my feet on the ground. I know how difficult it is to get to the top because my brother was a child with a lot of talent and, yet, not always does one reach it".
Asked about the pressure in La Masia, he affirms that "there was a lot of competition because children came to try out every week. You knew that if you failed, you would be replaced by another and the following year you would be out. Feeling that continuous pressure at such a young age is not easy, but I think it has helped me in the long run. Once I have matured and reached First Division, I feel that it is a privilege to have had that demand so soon".
The one from Sant Jaume dels Domenys (Tarragona) thinks that the environment is fundamental for the success of a footballer's career. "It's very important who you're surrounded by, your family, and also your representatives and your closest people. You start to have a lot of money very soon and at that age it's difficult to manage it. I've been very lucky in this. Since I was a child, I've known how to value the smallest things. I know what it is to be happy without having almost anything. When you grow up knowing that, you know that happiness is given by many other things apart from money, which also helps".
