Albiol vs. Albiol

Something to watch out for in the upcoming Copa del Rey games against Murcia: Albiol vs. Albiol.  Miguel Albiol, older brother of Raúl Albiol, plays as a midfielder with Murcia.  This Copa del Rey will be the first time they’ve ever met on the field.

And of course, that made their father, also Miguel Albiol, both happy and sad, because he’s waited all his life to see them together, but someone will go home a winner and the other a loser.

Miguel Albiol Senior signed up his sons (his third one, Brian, is 16 and lives with older brother Miguel, since he plays for Murcia’s Juvenil C team) to play football when they were just kids, and he even coached them when they were small.  When Raúl was nine years old, his father refused to play him unless the rivals weren’t big (in size), because Raúl was “very small.”  And so Raúl would complain from the bench and even threaten his father!  Guess he got the last laugh because he’s now the tallest one in the family!

Miguel Senior will attend both the ida and vuelta of the match-up: “what I want is to see them both on the field.  And then for the best team to win.  I don’t have preferences.  They’re my sons!”