Sandro Ramírez, FC Barcelona's 21st Canary Islander
Sandro Ramírez has become the 21st player from the archipelago located just off the northwest coast of Africa to have played for the Barça first team. And he did so at El Madrigal in the company of one of the finest players ever to come from his homeland, Pedro Rodríguez.
Two other Canary Islanders have played official matches for FCB since the turn of the century: Jeffren (2008-11) and Mario (2003/04). The former, famous for scoring the fifth goal in the 5-0 win against Real Madrid, was actually born in Venezuela, but his family moved across the Atlantic when he was only one year old. The latter, a centre back, was born in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and was 16 when he first came to the mainland to play for Atlético Madrid.
Of the other 17 Canary Islanders, one in particular will be well remembered by older supporters. That was Gerardo Miranda, right back at the club between 1981 and 1988 who made no fewer than 279 appearances. And not forgetting Ángel Arocha, considered one of the first true legends in FC Barcelona history, and who arrived from Tenerife to score an astonishing 215 goals in 207 matches from 1926 to 1933
Here is a full list of the players from Spain’s southernmost region that have played for Barça:
NAME |
PLACE OF BIRTH |
SEASONS AT BARÇA |
Ángel Arocha | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 1926-1933 |
Bernardino Semán | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 1929-1932 |
Victorio Cruz Riverol | Las Palmas | 1932-1934 |
José Padrón | Las Palmas | 1932-1934 |
Juan Trujillo | Las Palmas | 1933-1935 |
Domingo Ruano | Las Palmas | 1934-1935 |
Luis Miranda | Las Palmas | 1939-1940 |
Juan Hilario Marrero Pérez | Las Palmas | 1939-1940 |
Quique Pérez | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 1940-1941 |
Cristóbal Ceballos García | Las Palmas | 1940-1943 |
Juan Herrera | Las Palmas | 1941-1942 |
Alfonso Rodríguez 'Foncho' | La Laguna | 1960-1967 |
Vicente González Sosa | Agaete | 1961-1966 |
Juan Díaz 'Juanito' | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 1971-1974 |
José Antonio Barrios | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 1972-1974 |
Gerardo Miranda | Port Éttienne (Mauritania) | 1981-1988 |
Marco Tomás Gutiérrez 'Tommy' | Orotava | 1988 |
Mario Álvarez | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 2003-2004 |
Jeffren Suárez | Ciudad Bolívar (Venezuela) | 2008-2011 |
Pedro Rodríguez | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 2008- ? |
Sandro Ramírez | Las Palmas | 2014-? |