FCBARCELONA.CAT

18.06.2010 12:01

Botía transferred to Sporting

www.fcbarcelona.cat

Alberto Botía, who has spent this season on loan to Sporting Gijón, has finally been transferred to the Asturian club for 4 seasons. Barça maintain an option to repurchase that they can exercise during the first three years.

The Murcian centre back joined the FC Barcelona youth system in 2003 at the tender age of 14. Two years later he debuted with Barça Atlètic, where he spent four seasons. In the last of these, 2008/09, he also made his first appearance for the first team, but spent the next season on loan to Sporting Gijón.

Botía important at Sporting

Despite his youth (he is only 21 years), Alberto Botía has gained a regular starting place at Sporting under Manolo Preciado. The defender from Alquerías played 26 league matches, 25 of them starting in the centre back role.

First team debut for Barça

2009/10 was the season when Botía got his first taste of La Liga in the very last game of the campaign at Riazor against Deportivo Coruña. Botía, who wore ‘37’ that day, came on as a substitute for Gerard Piqué.