Values that change lives
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Learning to respect discipline both on and off the pitch was the key component in Ismael Pardo’s signing to Mallorca.
His first weeks at Marcet were not easy. Ismael had to adapt to sporting and academic routines that he wasn’t used to. With time, effort and rigour, the Tarraconense forward knew just how to make the most of his strengths and his name found itself in more than one scout’s books. Come August 2018 and the young athlete signs with RCD Mallorca.
“They called my father, who immediately gave me the news,” recalls Ismael Pardo. “The truth be told, I couldn’t believe it. From being no one to being signed by Mallorca… It’s a huge step for me.” The striker tells us about the complicated period he lived through before making it to Barcelona, where he got a real football redemption.
Ismael’s path through life wasn’t always as clear as it is now. Way back when his life belonged to the streets, devoid of studying and amidst irregular training. “He was spending time with people that didn’t suit him too well and acquainting himself with a crowd that I didn’t feel was very appropriate”, explains José Antonio, father of the football player. “In the end, he was able to turn that page thanks to football. The Marcet Foundation draft gave him an opportunity to change his life.”
After showing his worth in the tryouts in the spring of 2016, the forward joined the ranks of the High-Performance Academy, where he remained for two years. “At Marcet they taught me values such as humility, effort and sacrifice, it was a big change in my life. I was playing against teams like Barcelona, Atlético de Madrid, Sevilla, Getafe, Espanyol, Oviedo, Zaragoza, Gerona, Huesca… It was a genuine dream come true.”
“During these years at Marcet we’ve noticed a considerable evolution in Ismael’s maturity,” says his father, convinced that this transformation has come “very well” to his son not only as a football player, “but also as a person”.
Now it’s time to think about the future. “In Mallorca’s squad I have to continue learning and give my best to become a professional player, I dream I’ve had since I was a child. My only goal is to have fun and work hard so that I can climb up to the first team next year.”