On Saturday, Atlético de Madrid will face Espanyol at the RCDE Stadium, and the match will have a special nuance: Colchonero defender MarcPubill, who was part of the Catalan club's youth team before becoming one of the pillars of Simeone's defense. Pubill, who measures 1.90m, was discarded in Espanyol's cadet category due to his height, but his career has led him to stand out at Levante and Almería, before signing for Atlético in the summer of 2025.
Espanyol comes into the match with a difficult streak. The season has been difficult for the parakeets, who are just above the relegation zone and are looking for a victory to change the trend. In contrast, Atlético, who have just beaten Alavés in their own stadium, are preparing for their next match against Manchester United in the Champions League. In the Colchonero team, Pubill's presence along with the experience of DavidRomero has reinforced the rearguard, making him one of the team's most reliable defenders.
The duel is not only a test of performance, but also an emotional return for Pubill. By facing his former club, the defender will have the opportunity to demonstrate his evolution and his value within Simeone's scheme. Atlético's history is full of former parakeets who have triumphed in the League, among which MarioHermoso stands out, who arrived in 2019 for almost 30 million, and others like JuanfranTorres, MaxiRodríguez and RobertoFresnedoso, who also went from Barcelona to Madrid before consolidating at Colchonero.
Pubill's past at Espanyol, which began at the age of eight after standing out at the Center d'Esports Manresa, has become a point of reference for the club. His rise from the base to Atlético's front line illustrates the path that many players can follow, and his participation in the next match will be a testament to that trajectory. With the season still underway, the result of this match could influence Espanyol's position in the table and Atlético's morale before their next continental challenge.