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Bryan Zaragoza should give FC Bayern’s offensive a breath of fresh air. For the Spaniard, it is the next step in a rapid career that has only really taken off in the last year and a half.
Munich – “Thank you to everyone who helped me fulfill this dream,” were the words of Bryan Zaragoza when he announced his move from FC Granada to FC Bayern on Instagram at the beginning of December. At the time, the Spaniard still thought that this dream would only become a reality in the summer.
Bryan was rejected by some professional clubs as a youth
But almost two months later, Zaragoza, who is only called Bryan in Spain, is in Munich earlier than originally planned. Welcome to the crazy world of professional football.
The 22-year-old has only really been at home there for a year and a half – and for a long time it looked as if he would never become part of it. Bryan was born on September 9, 2001 in Malaga and played for his hometown club Tijo Pichón until he was eleven.
It wasn’t until 2019 that the right-footed player moved to the youth department of a professional club via the Conejito Málaga detour at the age of 17. The then second division club FC Granada struck at Bryan after the Spanish first division clubs FC Málaga, Betis Sevilla and Real Valladolid had politely declined.
Bryan Zaragoza is now attacking for FC Bayern. © IMAGO/Jose Breton
Bryan matures as a person in El Ejido
The talent met Rubén Torrecilla around 130 kilometers from his home. The Spaniard was to become one of Bryan’s greatest supporters. Bayern’s new signing played twice under Torrecilla. The first time in youth, the second time in Granada’s reserve team. In between there was a loan to the then third division club CD El Ejido, which was relatively unsuccessful in terms of sport, but which brought Bryan further personally.
Because the Spaniard is a family man. Both Torrecilla, Tito Garcia Sanjuan, his coach at El Ejido, and Roberto Moreno, who helped Bryan make his professional debut in Granada, emphasized this to the Spanish magazine AS. In El Ejido, the teenager had to live alone for the first time, and things weren’t really going well in terms of sport either.
Sanjuan says that back then he often only used his former player in the second half to play for time. But not because he didn’t see any potential in him. “There was no player in this category with the quality, but he needed maturity,” explains the Spaniard. But he already had his one-on-one skills back then.
Bryan-Förderer: “He’s a player who doesn’t feel any pressure”
Today, Sanjuan even ranks him among the top three players he has seen in this regard and describes him as a natural street footballer. “We had Salah, who is world class, and Bryan is one of the top three from what I saw. His ability to get through one-on-one is reminiscent of Neymar,” says Sanjuan.
According to Torrecilla, Bryan doesn’t care whether he plays in front of 200, 500, 2,000, 10,000 or 20,000 people. “He’s a player who doesn’t feel any pressure,” says his sponsor. Bryan himself also sees it similarly. After his dream solo goal against FC Barcelona in October 2023, he said in the AS: “I don’t look at the player who is in front of me. It doesn’t matter whether I play on my home pitch, in the Primera División or in the Champions League. I always have the same style.”
Bryan is now a Spanish international
Performances like these brought Bryan to the Spanish national team and now to FC Bayern. If developments in Munich progress at a similarly rapid pace, the 1.64 meter tall winger should soon find his way into the hearts of the fans. And cause worries for three other Bayern stars?
At the moment, Munich’s offensive flanks are severely thinned out due to the absences of Kingsley Coman and Serge Gnabry. With Leroy Sané and Mathys Tel, as there is no getting around Harry Kane at the forefront, there are only two other fit wingers in the squad. As soon as Coman and Gnabry come back from their injuries, FC Bayern will have five fit outside dribblers – for just two positions.
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Three Bayern stars will closely monitor Bryan’s development
There is probably no getting around Sané in his current condition, and Gnabry, who has recently made progress in his rehab, and Coman also have a right to a regular place due to their status. But neither of them was able to really convince in the current season. If Bryan takes action immediately, things could get tight for the well-paid duo on Säbener Strasse in the future.
Youngster Tel will also closely monitor Bryan’s development. The Frenchman impressed as a super joker at the beginning of the season, but his playing time under Tuchel still didn’t increase. The Frenchman has been waiting for a personal highlight of success since his Champions League goal against Copenhagen in October.
But all of this is a thing of the future. Bryan will now enjoy the “dream” and, if everything goes well, celebrate his Bayern debut on Saturday in front of 75,000 spectators at the Allianz Arena. He won’t feel any pressure. (kk)
2024-02-02 21:44:59
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