Marc Bartra


Marc Bartra Aregall is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Real Betis and the Spain national team.
He started his career at Barcelona, where he played 103 professional games and scored six goals across seven seasons, winning 13 honours including five La Liga titles. In 2016, he joined Borussia Dortmund for €8 million.
Bartra won the 2013 European Championships with Spain's under-21 team. He made his senior debut in 2013, and was selected for Euro 2016.

Club career

Barcelona

Born in Sant Jaume dels Domenys, Tarragona, Catalonia, Bartra joined RCD Espanyol as a child before moving to FC Barcelona's youth system, La Masia, at age 11. After progressing through its ranks, he was promoted to the B-side in 2009.
Bartra made his first-team debut on 14 February 2010, coming on as a substitute for Jeffrén Suárez for the final 30 minutes of a 1–2 loss to Atlético Madrid at the Vicente Calderón Stadium. He started his first La Liga game one year and three months later, playing the entire 0–0 home draw against Deportivo de La Coruña, and scored his first goal on 21 May 2011 to help them come from behind to win it 3–1 at Málaga CF in the season's last round.
In the 2012–13 campaign, Bartra joined the first team squad permanently, but manager Tito Vilanova tended to field Javier Mascherano, Alex Song and Adriano ahead of him, and played only 16 games in all competitions. He signed a new three-year contract in March 2014.
On 16 April 2014, in the final of the Copa del Rey against Real Madrid, with five minutes remaining, Gareth Bale outsprinted Bartra from the halfway line – with the former running off the field at one point – before scoring the 2–1 winner. He himself had levelled the score midway into the second half, from a Xavi corner kick. He remained a third or fourth choice under new manager Luis Enrique, making 25 appearances and scoring once as the team won the treble in 2014–15.

Borussia Dortmund

On 3 June 2016, Bartra was sold to German club Borussia Dortmund for an estimated fee of €8 million, signing a four-year deal. He made his competitive debut on 14 August, playing the entire 0–2 loss against FC Bayern Munich for the DFL-Supercup, and a month later scored his first goal in a 6–0 win at Legia Warsaw for the group stage of the UEFA Champions League.
On 11 April 2017, when Dortmund was heading to Westfalenstadion for their Champions League quarter-final tie against AS Monaco FC, the team bus was hit by three explosions. Bartra, who broke the radial bone in his arm and had debris lodged in his hand in the bombing, underwent an operation the following day, when the Germans played the rescheduled game and lost 2–3; he later described the event as the "longest and hardest 15 minutes of my life", and returned to training 29 days after his surgery.
Bartra's first match after returning took place on 20 May 2017, and he played the entire 4–3 home win over SV Werder Bremen– he had also been an unused substitute in the previous fixture against FC Augsburg. One week later, he helped to the conquest of the DFB-Pokal after starting in the 2–1 defeat of Eintracht Frankfurt in Berlin.

Betis

On 30 January 2018, Bartra completed his transfer to Real Betis on a five-and-a-half-year contract. He scored his first goal for his new team on 12 May, putting the hosts ahead in an eventual 2–2 derby home draw against Sevilla FC.

International career

Bartra won 37 caps for Spain at youth level all categories comprised, including 16 for the under-21s. He made his debut for the full side on 16 November 2013, playing the entire 2–1 friendly win in Equatorial Guinea. This game was later annulled by FIFA as they had not been notified early enough that the referee would be from Equatorial Guinea, and his first valid appearance took place on 8 September 2014 as he came on as a 68th-minute substitute for Sergio Ramos in a 5–1 home triumph against Macedonia for the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifiers.
On 17 May 2016, Bartra was named in Vicente del Bosque's provisional squad of 25 for the finals in France, and he also made it to the final list of 23. As the tournament ended at the round of 16, he was an unused member.
Bartra scored his first goal for his country on 11 October 2018, contributing to a 4–1 friendly defeat of Wales at the Millennium Stadium.

Style of play

Bartra is known for his pace and passing. He is mentally strong, is skilled in the air and is able to play as a right-back, where he can cut in and assist.

Personal life

Bartra's fraternal twin brother, Èric, also came through La Masia. He started a relationship with Grand Prix motorcycle racing journalist Melissa Jiménez in February 2014, and welcomed daughter Gala on 18 August of the following year.

Career statistics

Club

International

International goals

#DateVenueCapOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.11 October 2018Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales144–04–1Friendly

Honours

Club

Barcelona
Borussia Dortmund
Spain U21