La Liga champions Barcelona had a fresh face in their latest training session on Saturday, and omo e shock fans. The player? Emilio Bernad, a 25-year-old goalkeeper recently snapped up by the Catalan giants.
Who is Emilio Bernad?
For those wey never sabi am well, Bernad na product of the Valencia academy. After spending time with Racing Ferrol in Spain’s second division, he became a free agent this summer. Barcelona no waste time — they quickly grabbed the Spaniard on a free transfer earlier this month.
Although he’s officially expected to play the coming season with Barça Atlètic, the keeper got a massive boost this weekend.
Training With the Big Boys
According to Barça insider Gerard Romero (Jijantes), Bernad trained with the first-team squad on Saturday, alongside the senior goalkeepers. The session was also notable for the absence of Lamine Yamal, who is currently sidelined with discomfort.
On the brighter side, Frenkie de Jong was back on the pitch, continuing his recovery from a minor injury setback. Fans dey hope say he go fit make the squad list for the clash with Valencia.
What’s Next?
Though Emilio Bernad is not expected to feature immediately for the senior side, his presence in training shows Barcelona dey keep their options open — especially with the busy calendar ahead.
Whether na only temporary backup or a longer-term plan, one thing clear: the 25-year-old shot-stopper go surely learn plenty from sharing pitch time with the club’s star-studded squad.
