There’s something undeniably special about Jordi Alba that made him an undisputed left-back during his prime at FC Barcelona. Despite talented competition from players like Lucas Digne and Marc Cucurella, no one could dethrone him from the starting position. But beyond his brilliance on the pitch lies an incredible personal story that few fans know about.
As a child, Jordi Alba’s life revolved around football. He spent his early years playing soccer with his brother, David Alba, and friends in the backyard and local fields of his neighbourhood in L’Hospitalet, Barcelona. Growing up in this football-loving community was a blessing, as it provided an ideal environment for honing his skills.
The Untold Story of Jordi Alba’s Childhood and Football Dreams
Preamble:
At just seven years old, Jordi made a pivotal decision in his life when he joined the local Catalonian club Hospitalense, determined to take his career to the next level. However, his journey to stardom was far from smooth. He faced harsh criticism for his small stature, which many saw as a limitation to his football career. Despite this, Jordi Alba used his exceptional speed to compensate for his size, a quality that eventually caught the attention of FC Barcelona.
Though his early days with Barcelona seemed promising—he even had the honour of dining with former head coach Louis Van Gaal—the club released him for being too small and thin. What many fans don’t know is that Jordi Alba’s path to greatness wasn’t straightforward. He had to leave Barcelona and fight his way back to the top.
This biography delves into the remarkable rise of Jordi Alba, exploring how his resilience, talent, and speed allowed him to defy the odds, return to Barcelona, and cement his legacy as one of the best left-backs in football history. Let’s dive into his inspiring journey.
Jordi Alba Childhood Story – Early Life and Family Background:
To begin his biography, Jordi Alba Ramos was born on March the 21st day, year 1989, in L’Hospitalet, Spain. He comes from a Catalan family, with his parents being Maria Jose and Alba Miguel.
Being born and bred in the second-largest municipality in Barcelona meant a high chance to take football as a hobby, thanks to a city known more for football than any other thing.
Little Jordi grew up playing football with his brother David Alba in the L’Hospitalet neighbourhood of Barcelona.
Growing up, he had his early education at the Barcelona School of Spanish, which gave him the opportunity to passionately play competitive soccer during sports periods.
Jordi Alba Biography – Football Story:
At the age of 7 in the year 1996, Jordi Alba’s parents decided to make their son take football as a career. That same year, he started his footballing journey with his native Catalonia club, Hospitalense. He was deemed the smallest, the bravest, and the captain of his team, as noted below.
Jordi Alba: Embarking on a football dream in 1996 with Hospitalense, standing out as the tiny yet fearless leader.
With a strong tradition of sending their best talents to La Masia, FC Barcelona’s famed youth academy, Hospitalense did not hesitate to send their star player, Jordi Alba, for trials. Despite his small stature, which was seen as a limitation, Jordi’s incredible speed stood out. His impressive pace convinced the youth coaches to take a chance on him, hoping that he would grow taller over time.
Alba began his journey at Barcelona’s academy as a left-winger, thriving in his early years. One memorable highlight of this period was a special dinner he had with then-Barcelona head coach Louis Van Gaal. Despite the initial promise, Jordi’s size continued to pose challenges in his progression. Eventually, Barcelona decided to release him, but his heart and talent would later bring him back to the club stronger than ever.
As showcased in the photo below, both sat on the table discussing Jordi’s best position of play in football.
The Destiny Encounter – A rare image of Louis Van Gaal and Jordi Alba.
Jordi Alba Biography – Facing Difficulty:
Having a high rate of development and fraternizing with Louis Van Gaal doesn’t guarantee favouritism in Barcelona’s Le Masia academy. Jordi Alba had one major problem. The fact that he was being “too small”.
While his teammates grew taller with their ages, poor Jordi suffered from stunted growth. This caused heavy debates among the management of Barça Infantil B even though Lionel Messi was pardoned.
In 2005, Barcelona released Jordi Alba for being deemed “too small and thin”. Little did they know he would appear in the FIFA World Cup 5 years later. It is pertinent to note that Raphinha and Jamie Vardy suffered the same fate as youth footballers.
Rising to Fame:
Thanks to motivation from his parents and elder brother, little Jordi moved on. He was accepted by his neighbourhood club Cornellà. Jordi Alba drew motivation from his pains and found solace with his teammates.
Frequent intake of growth supplements was merged with a barrage of on-pitch speedy displays. Growth finally came, which corresponds with the time Jordi attained the nickname “MotoGP”
At this time, there was no stopping Alba.
After two years, during which Jordi Alba experienced a growth spurt, Valencia FC saw potential in the young left-back and signed him for a modest fee of €6,000. It was at Valencia where Jordi finally completed his youth development, playing a crucial role in helping the club’s youth team earn promotion to the Tercera División.
Alba made his professional debut in the 2008/2009 season and quickly garnered attention. His stellar performances in the 2010 FIFA World Cup especially caught the eye of FC Barcelona, the club that had once let him go. In a turn of events, Barcelona sought forgiveness and asked Alba to rejoin them. Displaying maturity, he forgave his former club and returned in 2012. From that point on, the rest, as they say, is history.
Love Story with Mellisa Morilas:
Football became a refuge for a young Jordi Alba, a place where he found comfort and direction, shaping him into the remarkable person he is today. Behind this exceptional Spaniard stands a supportive partner, whose charm captured his heart.
Starting off, Jordi Alba, in 2009 (the year he got into the Spanish U20 team), started a relationship with his ex-girlfriend Mellisa Morilas.
Melissa, who spent the last three years with the footballer, is a student, and they met at a popular Valencia nightclub.
The story of the love birds – Mellisa Morilas and Jordi Alba.
The sizzling Spanish girl kept Jordi on close surveillance and away from the prying eyes of other wags. This, by implication, meant she was a jealous lover.
More about Mellisa Morilas:
Jordi has also said she has temper issues and treated him as if he were a kid, as seen in the picture below.
Jordi’s fiery partner who, despite her temper, shows a playful side, treating him with youthful jest.
Mellisa once said that she sees Jordi as capable of “being humble and very loving with THE GIRLS”. She once revealed to the Spanish press that her boyfriend is “Always on Surveillance and Good in Bed”.
Melisa’s Continuous surveillance as time went on didn’t go down well with Jordi Alba. This led to the end of their relationship, which lasted for four years.
Introducing Romarey Ventura
In 2014, the year of the FIFA World Cup, Jordi started dating Romarey Ventura. They were seen together before 2014 but previously denied having an affair.
Romarey hails from Seville, a city known for its football pride, particularly Sevilla FC, a club that once featured players like Gonzalo Montiel, Rightback Marcos Acuña, and Pervis Estupiñán—winners of the 2022-2023 UEFA Europa League. She pursued a degree in Tourism at university and is also active in the modelling industry.
Regarding her education, it is pertinent to state that he was once a student of Tourism at the university and is also involved in modelling. The pair shared several photos together (notable beach photos) sometime back when it was rumoured that they were dating each other.
In addition, Romarey Ventura has a good relationship with Alba’s sister-in-law (David’s wife). Some time back, both Jordi and Romarey wanted to show their happiness to the fans. As of August 2017, Romarey Ventura was pregnant with their first child. She posted a photo on Instagram with Alba in it in which he touched her stomach. “Full of lots of love,” she wrote.
The parents of Alba must be happy because his brother David is expecting a child with his partner, Carol, at this same time. “seems both planned it.”
Jordi and Romarey had their first son, Piero, on the 18th of January, 2018.
Personality:
In the interview with Jordi Alba with Mundo Deportivo, the full-back also had to answer questions about his personal life. For example…Alba confessed he sleeps 12 hours a day!. Below are the following Q and A sessions.
What’s Your Normal Life in l’Hospitalet?
Jordi Alba Responds: “Living there, I went to the cinema, shopping centres or bars. I also goes to the theatre “Joventut”, where my love’s mother acts”.
Are You a Chess fan?
Jordi Alba Responds: “I love playing it and I keep doing it with my father. It makes me think and that’s why I think it’s great that chess is taught at schools”.
Do you really Sleep 12 hours?
Jordi Alba Responds: “I can sleep for 12 or 13 hours. At night I do it from 12am to 9am and I have a nap of 2,3 or 4 hours at midday”
Are you Salad mad?
Jordi Alba Responds: “Salad drives me crazy.
I eat it for lunch and dinner…
Again, I can’t at breakfast but I am happy with salad, some chicken and some rice. I drink about 3 litres of water a day”.
Are you a fan of music? Maybe it’s Kevin Roldan.
Jordi Alba Responds: “I like rumba and “flamenco”. Kevin Roldan? I don’t know who he is”
Do you love Television?
Jordi Alba Responds: “I love the Spanish TV show “La que se avecina”. I can watch the same episode five times and I keep laughing”.
Finally, in Jordi Alba’s Personal Life, he is said to be the brand ambassador of Braun and promotes the company’s products. He owns several luxury cars, including Audi.
Individual Awards:
The Spaniard, who is arguably Lionel Messi’s best friend, has won several domestic and international titles. Before the 2017/2018 season, he helped FC Barcelona achieve La Liga and Copa del Rey four times each.
He achieved the Supercopa de España twice and won the prestigious 2015 edition of the FIFA Club World Cup.
More so with Barcelona, he won both the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Super Cup in 2015. Besides his club’s success, he has received several individual awards. Some of the most notable awards among them are as follows:
- UEFA Euro Team of the Tournament: 2012
- FIFPro World XI: Second Team [2015], Third Team [2013, 2014 and 2016]
- UEFA Champions League: Making his name in the Team of the Season [2014–15]
- La Liga: Team of the Season [2014–15]
Style of Play:
Alba is a technically very gifted and fast-attacking left-back who can also be used as a left-winger. His exceptional pace and stamina enable him to contribute effectively to both attack and defence, effortlessly covering the entire length of the pitch with speed and agility.
Fact Check:
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