Not even the most astute analyst could have guessed that the key to the second round tie of the Copa del Rey football between Unión Deportiva Logroñés, a Second Federation team, and Girona, from the Champions League, would be in the hands of the right back of the Promises team of the Riojan club. Precisely because of details like this, the cup tournament has a special aura, far removed from that given off by the routine of weekly matches in the League. For stories like that of Pol Arnau, since this Wednesday a hero in Logroño and the rest of Spain, after supporting his team during the second half of extra time and qualifying them for the next round by stopping a shot in the decisive penalty shootout. Alarms went off on the local bench after Kike Royo, the starting goalkeeper, suffered a severe blow to the head when colliding with Stuani in the 102nd minute of the match. Coach Sergio Rodríguez was suddenly faced with the drama of having to retire his goalkeeper without the possibility of making more changes. But there the young defender of the subsidiary, who is just 19 years old, raised his voice to offer to put on his gloves and try to help his team between the three sticks. «I went to the bench and they said that no changes could be made and such, so I told the coach to put me on. He wasn’t very convinced but I insisted so much that in the end he said, ‘come on, Pol, as a goalkeeper’… and look.” This is how it was explained, before the microphones of Cadena SER, the absolute protagonist of the cup day, who not only showed courage to cover the loss in the goal of his shocked teammate but was decisive with four saves in the second half of the extra time and stopping Abel Ruiz’s shot in the penalty shootout. “An angel has helped me from heaven,” he said in the press room of the Las Gaunas stadium, visibly moved. And it was no wonder, because with these words he was referring to his father, a historic goalkeeper in Spanish football. Pol Arnau Camacho (12/23/2004) is the son of Francesc Arnau, the former goalkeeper of the Barcelona Football Club and Málaga, tragically died in May 2021 after being hit by a train in Oviedo. Hence, the coincidence with the position in which his father became famous, that his unexpected feat in goal for Logroñés takes on even greater relevance. Francesc Arnau, curiously native of Las Planas, Gerona, came to elite football with Barça, after standing out in its youth categories. Admirer of a historic Barça player like Andoni Zubizarreta, between 1998 and 2001 he played with the first team, leaving some indelible memories such as an Arsenal-Barcelona match at Wembley in which he was vital for the Catalans’ victory against the Gunners. After three years at the Camp Nou in which he failed to hold on to ownership, he packed his bags for Malaga. He remained there for a decade, leaving such a good impression that he ended up changing his gloves after leaving for the offices. First working with the youth team and then as sports director. In his Andalusian adventure he had the support of his wife, María José Camacho, whom he had met within the Barcelona Football Club. The soccer player changed playing in the First Women’s League to do so with the Málaga shirt in Preferente. Related News KING’S CUP standard Si Pol, son of the late Francesc Arnau, dresses as a goalkeeper and hero to knock down Girona Daniel CebreiroIt was during that stage on the Costa del Sol when Pol and his older brother Marc joined the family. Both would start in football in the Malaga club’s youth system. After two years in the children’s category, Pol went on to play for the Atlético Benamiel cadets, where he would remain for two seasons before moving with his family to Oviedo, where his father held the position of sports director. «My brother is also a goalkeeper»After finishing the first year of youth, he changed teams again, this time to join Damm, a well-known Catalan grassroots football team. And from there he moved on, in the 2023/24 season, to the Promesas del Logroñés team of Tercera RFEF. Now, a year later, and after having already played his first minutes in the league with the first team, he stands as a hero of the Rioja club after his unexpected feat as goalkeeper in the Cup against Girona. «My brother is also a goalkeeper. Maybe it’s in my genes. When I saw that someone had to be the goalkeeper, I didn’t hesitate,” he responded after the game in reference to Marc, who is a goalkeeper for Mollerusa. “The first thing I want to say is that I dedicate this to Kike Royo,” he said before analyzing his performance. «I felt confident, I put myself in, I knew I could do well and it came out, although if my teammates hadn’t scored the penalties we wouldn’t be talking about this. It was a great job by everyone. Being able to compete with Girona is already a great job and then, on the field, with attitude everything flows. Now, to think about the next match of the reserve team and to be at the disposal of this club in whatever they need me,” he concluded. Surely Logroñés no longer has any doubts when it comes to turning to Pol, since the youngest of the Arnaus was also important in the previous round of the Copa del Rey. In the tie against Éibar he helped his team by contributing a goal.
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