Nicolás Marcipar, Barça’s “Europibe” with Unión blood, chose Argentina | OneFootball

He was born in Spain, but carries the Tatengue passion in his blood thanks to his parents from Santa Fe. At just 16 years old, he signed a contract with the Catalan club, turned down La Roja, and has already worn the colors of the Albiceleste.

In its relentless search for talent around the world, the Argentina national team has added to its ranks one of the biggest young prospects in European football: Nicolás Marcipar. He is a young left-footed defender born in Barcelona, but with 100% Santa Fe roots and a heart beating strongly for Club Atlético Unión.

Nico’s story is part of the “Europibes” phenomenon — similar to the cases of Alejandro Garnacho or Nico Paz — children of Argentines who emigrated to the Old Continent at the end of the last century. His parents, Javier and Muriel, moved to Spain in 1999 for academic and work reasons. Years later, on February 13, 2008, Nicolás was born, and together with his twin sister Paula, he was raised in Catalan lands.

His first steps and the leap to La Masía

After settling with his family in Sant Cugat, Nico began to stand out at the local club. His strong build, technique, and reliability with his left foot quickly caught the attention of FC Barcelona scouts, who soon brought him into their youth system.

His projection within the Blaugrana club is such that the institution officially announced the signing of a three-year deal during his youth stage. “Thank you, Marcipar family, for trusting La Masía with your child’s development as both a player and a person”, highlighted the club’s directors.

The call-up from the Argentina national team

Despite having received tempting call-ups from the Royal Spanish Football Federation to join the youth teams of “La Roja,” the left-footed center-back did not hesitate when the chance came to wear the colors of his parents’ homeland.

In 2023, Marcipar fulfilled the dream of traveling to the Ezeiza training ground after being called up by Pablo Aimar and Diego Placente for the U-15 national team, thereby confirming his commitment and desire to represent Argentina on the international stage. He has now been called up again for the U-19 team that will compete in the South American Games.

A family of athletes and passionate Tatengue fans

Football passion in the Marcipar household is non-negotiable: the entire family are fervent supporters of Unión de Santa Fe, a love for the club they have kept intact despite being thousands of miles away.

Off the field, Nicolás pursues another discipline that complements his strategic vision on the pitch: chess. Meanwhile, a sporting spirit runs doubly through the household, as his twin sister Paula competes at the highest level in synchronized swimming.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.