This is Leonardo Yánez, a young player who debuted as a starter, and with luxury, with Barcelona SC against Independiente del Valle | Soccer | sports

Leonardo Giuseppe Yánez Macías (19 years old) had his dream premiere at the Barcelona Sporting Club stadium. For the first time as a starter, and at the Monumental Banco Pichincha, the young soccer player won the applause of the fans who saw him become one of the protagonists of the victory of the Canaries against Independiente del Valle (2-0) on the night of Saturday.

“It is a very great emotion that I feel, something inevitable. The truth, I dreamed it. One day, lying in my bed, I watched the Barcelona match against Independiente and said: ‘I have to play there’. And I set out to do it”, declared the youth on television after the game for date 4 (first round) of the LigaPro Serie A 2022.

Yánez —son of Carlos Yánez, champion of Ecuador with the bullfighters in 1995— had already debuted in the first division. He did it on November 6, 2021, in the 2-0 triumph of Barcelona in the Olmedo de Riobamba field. That day, at the Fernando Guerrero Guerrero stadium, the young midfielder entered in the 85th minute in place of Michael Hoyos.

According to the records of the Ecuadorian Football Federation (FEF), Leo Yánez made the minors in Deportivo Azogues (2015), Atlético Samborondón (2018) and then Barcelona (since 2019).

On Saturday, coach Jorge Célico rested his main players, in view of the fact that the canaries will play for the pass to the group round of the Copa Libertadores on Tuesday, facing the Brazilian América Mineiro, in the second leg of the phase 3. Thus, in addition to Yánez, the winger Guillermo Rendón (19 years old) made his debut, this one absolutely.

Célico, who has two weeks as technical director of the yellows after the departure of Fabián Bustos, knows the youth of Ecuador for his previous functions in the FEF.

Leo soon won the applause of the Barcelona fans against the striped Pichincha. The 5th minute was played when he recovered the ball, messed up the defense of Independiente and gave in with a taquito so that Gabriel Cortez defined the nets without problems.

Yánez was substituted for the second half (minute 46), when he left his place for the explosive Adonis Preciado.

“Thanks to the teacher for giving me the confidence. He knows me from the (minor) team. The collective game is fundamental to specify and the team play was finished, that’s why the celebration is of a club with its fans. We are all a team!” he finished. (D)