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A former Barcelona star who had his career wrecked by injury has appeared on the TV show First Dates.
Juan Carlos claimed to have played for the Catalan giants between 1998 and 2002. The 39-year-old marble worker said his footballing career came to an abrupt halt when injuries forced him into an early retirement.
And two decades on, he decided to enter the Spanish version of the famous ‘First Dates’ restaurant in search of love.
READ MORE: Star who turned down Barcelona for Birmingham scores hat-trick as Xavi avoids cup shock
Carlos’ entrance was hilariously accompanied by Barca’s anthem. And he went all-out by carrying a ball in with him as a nod to his past.
The ex-player was set up on a date with a Venezuelan woman named Maria Gabriela – who had grown weary of struggling to meet people in Spain since moving there three months before. And so she entrusted the show’s host Carlos Sobera with finding her “a boy like Gerard Pique”.
The pair appeared to hit it off immediately as they snogged in one of the restaurant’s booth. But Maria was soon put off by Juan being a divorced man with three children.
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It was heartbreak for the former Barcelona prospect as he said he would be happy to meet again at the end of their date – a sentiment which was not shared due to him being actively involved in his children’s lives.
Maria said: "I couldn't take it that well", as she made it clear it was the reason behind her rejection.
The period in which Carlos’ claims to have played for the La Liga giants overlaps with many well-known figures in the game. Pep Guardiola and Luis Figo were first team stars, while Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and current Barca boss Xavi were youngsters looking to make a name for themselves.
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- Barcelona FC
- First Dates
- Premier League
- La Liga
- Mikel Arteta
- Pep Guardiola
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