Rafel Sastre has reflected on his progression through our academy and later career at Sporting Gijón ahead of our hosting of the Los Rojiblancos.
Having graduated from our youth team before making over 300 appearances for the Asturias-based side in the early 2000’s, the former right back gave us an insight into his new life as a baker.
“I was born inside an oven, it was the first thing I ever did," he told our media team. "I was lucky enough to be able to play football thanks to the work I previously did. I had it very clear that when I left football I would certainly return to the same thing – it was always very clear.
“With my brothers, in my father’s business, which has cost a lot to keep moving forward...five brothers and a lot of work. They always used to ask me, especially when I was Sporting Gijón: ‘when this ends what are you going to do?’ I always told them: ‘well, I will surely end up in the oven, because that’s what I like. It’s honestl what I like to do, it’s not something that I do because I have to - I honestly like doing like this.
“My father founded a Mallorquin soup kitchen. A few years after I retired, I started working with my brothers and I simply worked as a delivery boy until half a year ago when we decided that we would do something else. We started making ensaimadas and more typical Mallorquin products such as panades and cocarrois.
"I have always liked pastry making and half a year ago I started to make a few tests, asking the bakers to whom I was going to deliver. One day I asked one of them if he could teach me to get a clearer idea and that's how I started. I would make ensaimadas and a customer would come and try it out. They more or less liked it and now we are here.”
A native of the island and having spent his youth developing throughout our academy system, Sastre’s career went on an upwards trajectory once he graduated as a professional footballer.
"At RCD Mallorca I started in the Honour Division, then I went on loan and came back," he continued. "I was in Mallorca B for three years and we were able to go up to the Segunda División for the first and only time in history. It was a historic year, it was really historic even though it was a Segunda División B team and a subsidiary, but for us it was really important.
"I then went to Gijón and spent 10 years there. They were 10 very good years, possibly the best of my life. I will be grateful to Gijón and to Sporting Gijón for my whole life. We were able to go up after ten years of Sporting Gijoīn in the Segunda División and for that city, a city of football that lives it in a very exaggerated way, people had such joy that you couldn’t even being to imagine.
“I suppose I will be two runners this year in Segunda División. I hope they both go up, but they already know about the Segunda División – it’s very long and very complicated. In the end, nothing can be said because many teams have gone all year round and the last five or six games, which pass each year, can always undo the hard work before. We have to be patient and wait, but for the moment, I think that is on the way.”
