Gordon has Practiced 'Visca el Barça y Visca Catalunya' for Years, Was Obsessed

Anthony Gordon astonished everyone with his command of Spanish, even daring to utter a phrase in Catalan, during his presentation as a Barcelona player on Friday. The English forward stated that much of his fluency with the language stemmed from conversations he had at Newcastle with Spanish physiotherapist Daniel Martí. "Gordon has practiced the phrase 'Visca el Barça and Visca Catalunya' for years; he was obsessed," Martí commented during the Via Lliure program on RAC 1.

Martí explained that in addition to being familiar with Spanish through vacations in Spain, Gordon has been learning the language for years: "When he was at Everton with Rafa Benítez, he practiced with Antonio and Christian, two Spaniards who were there. When he arrived at Newcastle, I was surprised because he spoke it phenomenally. I would love to say that I taught him, but I would be lying; he already knew it and practiced with me, joking around. He is a very intelligent kid," he added, amused.

Martí acknowledged that Gordon's interest in both Spanish and Catalan largely stemmed from his desire to sign with Barcelona. "He has often said 'Visca el Barça i Visca Catalunya.' He has clear objectives and from day one said, ‘I am going to play in Spain, I am going to play for Barça.’ Here in England, LaLiga is followed closely, and the dream of every footballer is to play in Spain, in a big team. He has always been obsessed with this," the professional asserted, describing Gordon as "a gem" and confident that he will fit into Flick's project: "He will triumph at Barça. He is a player we will miss personally and certainly on the pitch." The physiotherapist described him physically as a powerhouse: "He is an animal. He is a beast. He has genetic speed; he doesn't need to train much."

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