Victor Onopko, a stalwart of Russian football, has revealed that his illustrious career was almost derailed when FC Barcelona deemed him unsuitable due to his physical appearance. The former defender, who played an impressive 216 games for Real Oviedo and 28 for Rayo Vallecano, attributed his failure to join the Camp Nou giants to the club's aesthetics committee.
Speaking exclusively on the El Bigote de Abadía Youtube channel, Onopko confessed that he had actually signed with Oviedo in the summer of 1995 but arrived in Spain only a few months later. The deal came with an unusual clause: if another club offered him one more dollar, he could leave Oviedo for that team.
Despite being on the radar of Atleti Madrid and even FC Barcelona's Dream Team era, Onopko was ultimately overlooked by the Catalan club due to his perceived lack of physical attractiveness. When asked about this, Onopko expressed disappointment at the decision, claiming that a member of the coaching staff told him he was "ugly" and therefore not suitable for the team.
The revelation sheds new light on Onopko's remarkable career, which saw him rack up 109 caps for Russia as well as scoring seven goals in La Liga. While joining FC Barcelona would have been an incredible coup, Onopko ultimately ended up playing for smaller clubs instead.
Despite missing out on a chance to play alongside the likes of Ronald Koeman and Abelardo at the Camp Nou, Onopko has no regrets about his decision. Instead, he remains proud of his achievements in Spanish football and continues to draw on his experience as an assistant manager for Rostov.
Speaking exclusively on the El Bigote de Abadía Youtube channel, Onopko confessed that he had actually signed with Oviedo in the summer of 1995 but arrived in Spain only a few months later. The deal came with an unusual clause: if another club offered him one more dollar, he could leave Oviedo for that team.
Despite being on the radar of Atleti Madrid and even FC Barcelona's Dream Team era, Onopko was ultimately overlooked by the Catalan club due to his perceived lack of physical attractiveness. When asked about this, Onopko expressed disappointment at the decision, claiming that a member of the coaching staff told him he was "ugly" and therefore not suitable for the team.
The revelation sheds new light on Onopko's remarkable career, which saw him rack up 109 caps for Russia as well as scoring seven goals in La Liga. While joining FC Barcelona would have been an incredible coup, Onopko ultimately ended up playing for smaller clubs instead.
Despite missing out on a chance to play alongside the likes of Ronald Koeman and Abelardo at the Camp Nou, Onopko has no regrets about his decision. Instead, he remains proud of his achievements in Spanish football and continues to draw on his experience as an assistant manager for Rostov.
Victor Onopko was almost not good enuf 4 FC Barcelona cuz of his look lol 
I mean, who does that kinda thing tho? 
The aesthetics committee should b ashamed! 
As if physical appearance has anything 2 do w/ a person's skills on the pitch 
. Onopko's career is actually pretty cool tho 
216 games for Real Oviedo & 28 for Rayo Vallecano? 
He still managed 2 rack up 109 caps 4 Russia & score goals in La Liga 
. Im glad he didnt join FC Barcelona cuz we need more players w/ attitude like him 
! 
he's actually super proud of what he achieved in spanish football though and we should all take note that physical appearance shouldn't hold anyone back from chasing their dreams 
This story is like something out of a comedy movie. I'm sure Onopko's height and looks just didn't fit the FC Barcelona aesthetic 
Onopko's still got 109 caps under his belt and a wealth of experience in Spanish football – that's something to be proud of! 
can't believe what they told him, 28 games for Barcelona and they thought he wasn't fit looking enough! 
.
. But for those who did make it into the Big Time, like Barcelona, what's their story? How do they deal with people saying they're not "fit" for the club?
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I mean who cares about dat stuff? He went on to have an AMAZING career & scored goals in La Liga 
And he even got 109 caps for Russia 
what more could u ask for? 
Anywayz, it's defo sad he didn't get the chance 2 play @ Barca but I'm totes proud of him 4 all his hard work & dedication 
Also, can you imagine being on Oviedo's radar and having Atleti Madrid sniffing around, only to be told nope, you're not pretty enough 
They must've been trying to sabotage his career from the start...and of course, it all falls into place now that he's speaking out about it 
. Being told u r not good enough just cuz u dont fit the club's idea of 'pretty' is literally heartbreaking 
Not about how cute or tall u r. Oviedo's lucky to have had him in the first place 
. But on the flip side, I'm glad he made the right choice for himself and played for smaller clubs instead of getting hurt by some stupid clause or whatever 
. It's just not fair to a young person who's trying to make a career out of their passion. The fact that the coaching staff said he was "ugly" and wouldn't be good enough for the team is just ridiculous 
. It's not like Onopko didn't have a great career, scoring 7 goals in La Liga and playing for Russia! He should be celebrated for his achievements, not judged by how he looks 
You know what's crazy? Football clubs are like that sometimes. Like, who cares about looks when you've got talent, right? I mean, Victor Onopko had a solid career, scored some goals and played with the Russian national team... what more do you want from someone? And to be honest, it's kinda funny that he was told he was "ugly" by one of the coaching staff. Like, did they really think that would stop him from achieving his dreams? I'm sure Onopko's got better things on his mind than trying to fit some arbitrary beauty standard