Ibiza Town has paid tribute to goalkeeper Leo Román, who this month became the first player born on the island to appear for Spain’s senior national team.
Román made his debut on 4 June in a friendly against Iraq at the Riazor stadium in A Coruña, coming on in the 73rd minute in place of Joan García.
“A dream come true”
Speaking about the moment, Román said all the years of work had suddenly made sense. “Making my debut with the Spanish team is a dream come true,” he said. “It was a goal I had in mind and it has come sooner than I expected.”
Civic reception
The city council held an official reception for the goalkeeper at the Cetis building. Mayor Rafael Triguero described Román as “an example of sacrifice, perseverance and talent for the young athletes of Ibiza” and said his debut was a historic milestone that filled the whole city with pride.
The mayor also praised the values Román shows on and off the pitch — commitment, humility, respect and hard work — and the way he always mentions Ibiza with pride.
Advice for young players
Before the event ended, Román addressed the island’s young footballers. He told them to enjoy the sport, always give their best “without thinking only about winning”, and keep working every day to improve.
A rare path
Ibiza has produced relatively few professional footballers compared with Mallorca. Román moved to Mallorca’s youth set-up as a teenager, joined the club’s reserve team in 2020 and worked his way into the first team, with a successful loan spell at Real Oviedo along the way.
His international call-up came after a season as Mallorca’s first-choice goalkeeper, and his form also earned him a place on Spain’s preliminary list for the World Cup. For young players on Ibiza and Formentera, his journey shows that the step to the top level is possible from the smaller islands.
