Ratti, Vilanova, Riverola and Bover, the ‘survivors’ of Andorra
The Andorra will debut on Monday, against Oviedo, in professional football. The path of the tricolor team in recent years, coinciding with the appearance of Gerard Piqué, has been immaculate and four players can boast of having seen it ‘grow’. Nico Ratti, Adrià Vilanova, Martí Riverola and Rubén Bover wore the Andorra shirt in the Catalan First Division and have been jumping categories hand in hand until reaching the Second. All four are important to Eder Sarabia and are the past, present and future of the club.
Undoubtedly, the match against Oviedo is marked in red by the coaching staff, squad, fans and country because, for the first time in history, Andorra will play in the Second Division. A milestone that they will enjoy and savor to the fullest Ratti, Vilanova, Riverola and Bover because they know what it is to suffer and come from below. Of course, not everyone will be ‘surprised’ by professional football because both Ratti and Riverola know what it is like to play in the Second Division. The one with the most experience is the midfielder because, with the shirts of Barcelona B (from 2010 to 2012) and Mallorca (2013-14), he played 50 games in the category. He knows professional and elite football because He even has a past in Serie A, with Bologna, and in the Champions League. He played a duel with Barcelona in the 2011-12 season. Ratti also knows how to compete in Second because the 2015-16 season he stepped on it with the Prawn. The goal belongs to the veterans of the team and, once he plays in the Second Tricolor, it will be his fifth category after the First Regional, First Catalan, Second B and First RFEF.
Of the four ‘survivors’, Vilanova (he is only three games away from becoming a centenary with Andorra) and captain Bover are the ones who do not know Spanish professional football. Although Bover does know what the elite is like because he competed in the American MLS with New York Red Bull. There is a lot of hope in Andorra and the debut against Oviedo will be one more step in a golden story.