Oriol Romeu is Girona F.C. player
Oriol Romeu (Ulldecona, Tarragona, September 24th, 1991) is one of the best midfielders Spain’s pool of players has created in the last years.
Since very little, he stood out among his generation’s footballers, both in the inferior categories of Barcelona as in the national team. As a result of his outstanding performance, he experienced an impressive career rise between 2009 and 2011. He consolidated himself in Barça B – with which he got promoted to the Second Division and then achieved an outstanding third position in the second most important league in Spain in 2010-11-, and then he debuted with the first team, that was making history at the orders of Guardiola. Meanwhile, he passed different stages on the national team until becoming an indispensable player. He played two consecutive Under 20 World Cups (2009, 2011) and two consecutive Under 19 European championships (2009, 2011). What a milestone. Then, comparisons between him and Sergio Busquets arose, as they share position and style.
Such an improvement and progression deserved bigger things. Villas-Boas’ Chelsea called him, so he spent two years – 2011-12 and 2012-13 – at an impressive level. Di Matteo’s arrival in the middle of the season reduced his protagonism, but he went on vacation with a Champions League and a FA Cup written on his track record.
The following season he suffered the most horrendous stage of his career. A knee injury on December 2012 left him out for several months. When he recovered, Chelsea loaned him to Valencia and Stuttgart to get in shape. In the summer of 2015, Ronald Koeman’s Southampton signed him with the idea of making him one of the cornerstones of his project. Oriol didn’t take very much to excite Saints’ fans. He is now among the starting eleven.
Oriol closed the 2016-17 season with a very special recognition. He was chosen Southampton’s Best Player, both by fans and teammates. In addition, he was the third player of the Premier with the most amount of tackles.
In 2022 Oriol decided that it was time to start a new challenge and accept Girona’s offer. In his first season he played 33 games and scored 2 goals in a brilliant year. After a season at FC Barcelona, he decided to return to Girona and strengthen the team in a very special season.
Track Record
Clubs
- 2008-11. Barcelona Juvenil A and Barcelona
- Promotion to the Second Division in the 2009-10 season
- Third in the Second Division season 2010-11
- 2010-11. Barcelona B (play some matches with the first team)
- He debuted with the first team in an official match on 14 August 2010 (Spain Super Cup first leg against Sevilla)
- Debut with Barcelona in the First Division May 15, 2011 (against Deportivo)
- Spain Supercup champion and league champion with FC Barcelona
- 2011-2015. Chelsea
- Premier debut against Sunderland (September 10, 2011, victory 1-2)
- Champions debut against Genk (October 19, 2011, victory 5-0)
- Wins the Champions League 2011-12 (against Bayern on penalties)
- Wins the FA Cup 2011-2012
- Wins the Europa League 2012-13
- 2013-14. Valencia (loan)
- 2014-15. Stuttgart (loan)
- 2015-2022. Southampton
- EFL Cup 2016-17 runner-up
- 2022-23. Girona FC
- 2023-24. FC Barcelona
- 2024-present. Girona FC
Spain’s National Team
- Under-17 European Champion 2008
- Under-18 Atlantic Cup Champion in 2009
- U-19 Runner-up of Europe in 2010 (lost the final to France)
- Under-20 Worldcup Knockout Stage in 2009 (falling to Italy)
- Quarter Finals at the Under-20 World Cup, 2011 (lost to Brazil, who were champions)
- Called for the 2012 Summer Olympics
