Javi Poves
Javier "Javi" Poves Gómez is a Spanish footballer who played as a defender, and is the president of Flat Earth FC.Born in Madrid, Poves played youth football with hometown clubs Atlético Madrid and Rayo Vallecano, going on to make his senior debut in amateur football also in the community, with Rayo Vallecano B, Las Rozas CF and CDA Navalcarnero. In 2008 he joined Sporting de Gijón, being assigned to the reserves in Segunda División B.
Poves made his first and only appearance for the Asturians' first team on 21 May 2011, playing in the goalless La Liga draw at Hércules CF on the final day of the season as a second-half substitute for David Barral.
He refused to use a bank account and returned a free car which Sporting had given to each of their players, and retired in August 2011 for reasons of conscience, stating:
Poves made a return to football on 12 July 2014, signing with Madrid-based UD San Sebastián de los Reyes of Tercera División. Two years later he joined Móstoles Balompié, where he became president and received international attention for renaming the club Flat Earth FC before their debut season in the fourth tier in 2019; he publicly endorsed the theory of a Flat Earth.
