“If we get promoted, I will swim with the sharks”, David Barral promised in 2008. When Sporting Gijon clinched the third place at the expense of Real Sociedad in a dramatic Segunda Division finale, and returned to the top flight after a long decade in the doldrums, the striker was true to his word. Dressed in a Sporting shirt, wearing the club scarf and equipped with a funny Santa Claus hat, he jumped into the Gijon Aquarium and spent more than ten minutes with the sharks, to the delight of local media and fans. “They are much scarier than some defences in the Primera Division”, Barral joked afterwards.
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The Arabian Gulf League might have seen much more talented and famous players than the new Al Dhafra recruit, but none are more colourful and easy-going than Barral. He is the ultimate joker, the heart of any company, and his contribution the the league will not be limited to goals and dribbles. He is here to entertain and make football popular even among those who are not overly excited with the game itself. The 32-year-old Spaniard enjoys life and makes it more enjoyable for others.
For Barral, football has always been fun. As a kid, he dreamed of becoming a policeman rather than a sportsman, when kicking the ball around at home town of San Fernando on the Andalusian coast. However, his talents were noticed by Real Madrid scouts in 2002, and he had to shelve his plans to wear the uniform. Rather, at the age of just 19, he was lucky to play with one of the best generations Real’s reserve team has ever known.
Just look at the names – Alvaro Arbeloa, Roberto Soldado, Alvaro Negredo, Filipe Luis, Juanfran, Javi Garcia, Borja Valero, Jose Manuel Jurado… Remarkably, none of them weren given a fair chance to prove their abilities. It is hardly surprising that Barral joined them on the list of talents that had to look elsewhere to get some playing time, but he did train with the first team on numerous occasions, and left a significant mark, even though it is usually exaggerated.
Unlike Alessandro Nesta, who famously injured Paul Gascoigne in a Lazio training session as a youngster, Barral didn’t tackle the unfortunate Jonathan Woodgate – he was just too quick for the Englishman in October 2004. The expensive stopped, acquired from Newcastle United that summer, simply tried to catch up with the striker and pulled a muscle. Eventually, he didn’t feature for Real till the following September. The headlines that highlighted Barral’s speed didn’t make his life easier, however. He was stuck at Real Madrid B, and left for second division Gijon in 2006. At the age of 23, he couldn’t have waited longer.
There, on the Asturian coast that is very different from his native Andalusia, Barral found his soul mate in coach Manolo Preciado. The chain-smoking specialist had an extremely tragic life – his wife died of cancer and his son was killed in a car accident. He was strong enough to be able to look on the bright side of life, and was absolutely perfect for the cheerful personality of Barral. Together, they felt like everything is possible, and that was nearly true. Winning a promotion against all odds was a good start. Staying in the Primera Division with a very limited budget was even more remarkable, and the striker played a very important part in the achievement.
Barral scored 10 times in his first season in the Primera in 2008/09 and proceeded to find the net against top opposition, including Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Valencia. He was instrumental in the team that sensationally won against Real Madrid at Santiago Bernabeu in April 2011, giving Jose Mourinho his first home defeat in a league match in nine years. At the same time, his attitude usually meant that he collected more yellow cards than goals, and even Preciado couldn’t change that. Incredibly, Barral once even managed to get sent off for insulting the referee in a pre-season friendly.
His press conferences almost always made great headlines, with jokes and smiles flying around, and he contributed to the social networks as well. Barral enjoyed his time in the spotlight, and Preciado gave him free hand to do whatever he likes on and off the pitch. In November 2011, he flourished to the extent that Vicente Del Bosque considered calling him up for the national team, following a brace against Real Zaragoza. “These are good news that make me proud. I will be even more motivated to work even harder”, he said, adding: “I am on a roll. The whole team has a phenomenal attitude”.
Sadly, it all came crashing down soon afterwards. A run of poor results resulted in Preciado being unfairly fired in January 2012, and the team completely fell apart without him. For Barral, those were desperate news, especially when Javier Clemente was named as a new coach. The tough Basque, the complete opposite of Preciado, soon discarded the star striker, stripped him of the captaincy, and the duo clashed constantly. Posting a photo of partying in the night club after the defeat at Real Madrid was considered an unforgivable crime under the new management. The player, on the other hand, tended to think that he was treated poorly because of his good relations with journalists who disliked and criticized Clemente.
Feliz por la victoria y el gol. I’m happy for the victory and the goal. pic.twitter.com/wQY3ijQwLt
— David Barral (@barral23) October 9, 2015
Sporting were relegated, and nobody swam with sharks anymore. In the summer of 2012, Barral moved to Orduspor of Turkey, and the move didn’t work out, especially because the player wasn’t focused mentally. Preciado died of heart attack that June, just hours after being appointed as Villarreal coach, and the loss of his beloved mentor influenced the Spaniard immensely. In order to regain his happiness, he decided to sign for Levante – the club where Preciado first made his name. The small outfit from Valencia has always liked to sign veteran players, and the gamble worked out perfectly with Barral.
During the past two seasons, the easy-going striker was the star of Levante, both on the pitch and on Twitter. The club didn’t always like the jokes, but the fans thoroughly enjoyed his rich run of form in 2014/15, including the two hat-tricks against Malaga and Almeria. Overall, Barral scored his career-best 11 goals last term, and they were extremely crucial in helping the team to stay in the top flight by just two points.
Most of Levante faithful wanted him to stay, but negotiations regarding the new three-year contract stalled, and the striker eventually chose to change the atmosphere completely and try his luck in the Emirates. Al Dhafra fans, especially those who like a good laugh on Twitter, couldn’t have wished for a better signing. Dedicated, prolific in front of goal, and a great entertainer, Barral is almost certain to make the club more interesting from all possible angles.
