Fourth Division Club Logroñés Celebrates A Coup Against Girona: Defender Arnau Becomes A Hero As A Keeper

“Angel in heaven helped me”

Football always writes crazy stories. One of these happened in the Copa del Rey between fourth-tier UD Logroñés (squad value: 3.6 million euros) and LaLiga club FC Girona (216.5 million euros), in which the first division team won 3-4 on penalties Loser left the field. This can happen from time to time, but several things came together on the way to the unexpected end.

In stoppage time, Logroñés goalkeeper Kike Royo had to be taken off the field injured. However, a replacement could no longer come into play because the team had already changed six times. Full-back Pol Arnau, the son of the former Barcelona and Málaga goalkeeper Francesc Arnau, quickly stepped in to replace the keeper between the posts. The 19-year-old then demonstrated his apparently inherited goalkeeper genes with a few saves.

With one man less, Logroñés escaped into the penalty shootout, where all eyes were once again on Arnau – and he was to become the cup hero. He saved a penalty from Abel Ruiz and a second one from Cristhian Stuani, which left a bitter aftertaste. His penalty actually bounced off the crossbar behind the line, but the referee team didn’t see it. The VAR was unable to intervene because it is not used so early in the competition.

This is how the fourth division team celebrated their coup against the Champions League participants and Arnau. “It was a magical and unforgettable night in Las Gaunas,” Mundo Deportivo quoted the youngster as saying, admitting that he had played as a goalkeeper on other occasions but had more qualities as a full-back. He also thanked his family and addressed emotional words to his father, who died in 2021. “I always enjoy watching goalkeeping games and I watch my brother, who is also a goalkeeper, a lot, but we have an angel in heaven who helped me.”