shyly, Roberto Barreiro “I’m not very fond of interviews,” he admits to Relevo. “If you look at my Instagram, you’ll see pictures with high-level fighters, but I don’t give it much importance either. Just like whether or not I’m going to participate in fight weeks. What I love is being in the gym and training the kids.“.
Although his name may not be known to the media, this man from the Canary Islands is 50 years old He is a reference when it comes to attacking coaches around the world.. Barreiro has been committed to contact sports for more than half his life, but in the last two years his life has changed: “My intention was to be able to make a living just from training (He combined his passion with his work as a social educator). Fortunately now I can say that this is the case.”
Barreiro feels privileged to dedicate himself “solely to training professionals.” “You don’t look at Spain anymore. It is very difficult to have coaches in the same circumstances as me all over the world. I have a fixed salary, and I don’t get paid to fight“, admits a resident of the Canary Islands. This change in his life came about thanks to the offer he received from Morocco: “I love the Canary Islands, but when the offer came it was difficult to refuse.”
In North Africa, Bareiro runs a gym that is also a reference for Southern Europe, and counts the Zuaiter brothers (Ousmane and Abu) as their main assets. “A lot of people go to the US because big business groups come together. We try to do the same thing. The training may be similar, but being able to gather a large number of high-level fighters is very important.“, identify.
Specifically, he sees one of the main problems existing on the Old Continent. “It’s not just in Spain. The same thing happens in France or in other European countries. It’s very difficult to find a team with many professionals. Being able to put together a demanding group is a positive thing,” he adds. Although he acknowledges the “significant growth of mixed martial arts in our country” in recent years.
Barreiro has that demanding group in Morocco, where last year, among others, Spaniard Joel Alvarez attended. He is fine at home, but the canary has no difficulty traveling either. “Being able to train with Gracie, Makhachev or Khabib is a great experience. It’s the coaching, but also being able to listen to them at the end to learn and continue to grow as a coach.“Concludes Roberto Barreiro. Despite being out of the limelight, the Canary Islands native is gradually building a greater international reputation. Not only does Spain have a high level of fighters in the UFC, a national coach is teaching from Morocco.
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