Talent and hard work

On February 12th 2012 Jonathan Rubio Toro caught a plane to Spain. The Honduran striker was on the brink of starting his formative cycle at Marcet and was travelling to Barcelona with a very specific objective. “Jonathan, what do you have in your suitcase?”, a reporter asked him. “A dream to play professionally in Spain,” replied the midfielder.

Six years later, Jonathan’s dream was becoming a reality. The young star from San Pedro Sula signed for Huesca, the recently promoted team, after a spectacular season in La Liga 123. A golden opportunity for a player who had already shone in Portugal for Gil Vicente, as well as with Varzim, the Académica de Coimbra and with Tondela.

Interest in Jonathan had been growing the past months with various teams from top divisions in Europe looking at him. From Portugal to Switzerland, the Central American star was not short of offers. When it seemed like Sion was going to get his signature, Gil Vicente FC put an offer that couldn’t be refused on the table that left the Swiss club gobsmacked.

“It’s a huge opportunity for my career”, Jonathan remarks. “I really like the organisation of the Swiss, also the quality of life in the Alpine country. However, Portugal is a much better option from a footballing point of view, as the league there has a much higher level”.

Jonathan had been training at the installations here at Marcet for over three years. From the day he arrived in Barcelona the Academies’ coaches had no doubts: the Honduran forward had everything going for him to get to the highest level in football.

His time at Marcet allowed him to develop his talent and improve greatly. His consistent hard work finally paid off when Jonathon was called up for the first time to play for the U20 National Team of his country. His signing for Huesca and his great performances for the Portuguese clubs helped open the gates for the first side of the National Team, which he joined in the summer of 2019.

“I always thought that it would be difficult to reach the National Team because the technicians had never taken me into account”, explains the striker. “But my opportunity finally arrived. I did not despair and things worked out. Now I dream of playing in the World Cup, but it’s important to take things step by step. And the first step is to get in a good season in the top Portuguese League with Tondela”.

After his time at Tondela, Jonathan moved through several clubs in the Portuguese lower divisions, including G. D. Chaves, C. D. Santa Clara, Académica de Coimbra, and Académico de Viseu F. C. However, he chose to take on a new challenge: playing in the top division of Angola for one of the country’s biggest clubs, Petro de Luanda.

Success came quickly. In his first season in Angola, Jonathan and his team clinched the country’s League title and the Supercup. Now, they have their sights set on an even bigger goal: the African Champions League.