Roney Franzini, Fertiberia Puerto Sagunto’s new goalkeeper

All the supporters were wondering what would happen in goal for the red-and-whites following captain David Bruixola’s retirement, and the answer appeared to have been settled with the announcement of the signing of Catalan player Pau Guitart. But the club had another surprise to reveal. The successor in the red-and-white goal is not one person but two.

Roney Franzini (Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, 1992) has been chosen to compete with Guitart to become the rightful heir to the Valencian goalkeeping position.

And this 27-year-old Brazilian goalkeeper, who will turn 28 in July, has an impressive CV. Arriving from the Portuguese top division, where he played for Os Belenenses for the last two seasons, he is backed by an excellent career at the Portuguese club and by an outstanding pedigree from his time in Brazil’s youth national teams and at San Caetano.

He was discovered at the highest level by the current Spain coach, Jordi Ribera, during his time in Brazil as the Brazilian club’s sporting director. At 191 cm and 101 kg, he has already guarded the Brazilian junior team’s goal, reaching the pinnacle under Ribera, when the junior Canarinha reached the final stage of a Junior World Championship for the first time in its history, with Franzini in goal.

Roney Franzini will turn the red-and-white Brazilian samba partnership into a trio, joining two key elements of the red-and-white attacking game, Pozzer and Dija. The latter has already acted as a red-and-white ambassador, as Dija translated the Brazilian goalkeeper’s first statements.

Like all professional athletes, Roney has had to reinvent his training during lockdown: “Yes, I managed to do a few things. I did mobility exercises and went out running in the mornings. Now we have to wait for everything to return to normal as soon as possible.”

However, his return to normality will involve something extraordinary: changing clubs and countries, “I am very happy about the opportunity to play in Puerto Sagunto, and I am really looking forward to working with the team. I am very eager to play in Liga Asobal. Since I was young, I watched matches in this historic league, and now I have been given the opportunity and want to make the most of it.”

And he is already eager to reach his new home and experience the red-and-white set-up at close quarters: “I have always followed the league, and I followed Puerto’s campaign from afar last season. I do not know the city yet, and I am already looking forward to arriving and getting to know everything at close quarters.” 

He sees his Liga Asobal debut as a challenge; goalkeepers are a special breed, and Roney shows character: “I see myself as a player who always wants to improve. I am always looking for new challenges to achieve.”

Naturally, Bruixola’s long shadow is already familiar to him, and on that subject he says: “From what I understand, Bruixola has always performed at a very high level in Puerto, and I am coming with the responsibility of performing well. I will give my all every day to live up to the standard.”

His final thought is for his new supporters: “Let’s fight together this season!”

Translation produced using artificial intelligence.