Who is Pol Arnau, the defender who won the penalty shootout against Girona?

This week, Copa del Rey matches are taking place in Spain. In one of these fixtures, Girona visited Logroñés, a team from the Segunda RFEF, Spain’s fourth division. What unfolded was a story for the ages.

Details: With the score tied 0-0, the match went into extra time. Disaster struck for Logroñés in the first extra period when their goalkeeper Enrique Royo suffered a serious injury. With no substitutions left, 19-year-old full-back Pol Arnau stepped in as goalkeeper—and delivered a stunning performance.

During the next 15 minutes, Arnau kept a clean sheet, making one critical save. The match went to penalties, where Arnau saved Girona’s second shot in the shootout. His heroics secured a 4-3 victory for Logroñés, knocking Girona out of the Copa del Rey.

Who is Pol Arnau?

Pol Arnau is the son of Francesc Arnau, a former goalkeeper who played for Barcelona, Málaga, and Spain’s youth national teams. While Francesc didn’t establish himself as a starter at Barcelona, he spent a decade at Málaga. Over his career, Francesc won two La Liga titles, two Copa del Rey trophies, a Spanish Super Cup, the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, and the UEFA Super Cup.

Pol Arnau joined Logroñés last summer. He had already become a Copa del Rey hero earlier in the tournament, scoring the winning goal against Eibar.

Reminder: Yesterday, Athletic Bilbao defeated Real Madrid in La Liga. Kylian Mbappé missed a second-half penalty, and his team lost 2-1.