Rafael Pascual Cortés . Volleyball player is unanimously considered the best player in the history of Spanish volleyball and one of the greatest in the world,
Biographical summary
Rafael Pascual Cortés, known in the volleyball world as Rafa Pascual, was born on March 16 , 1970 in Madrid . With a height of 1.94 m and an approximate weight of 96 kg, he is the best Spanish volleyball player of all time. He has managed to make volleyball in Spain very popular and to have a high level of participation, producing a significant increase in the number of fans and practitioners throughout the country, from the benjamin or alevín categories to the absolute ones, and in all kinds of championships.
From provincial leagues to national ones. But, above all, Rafa Pascual has fostered an extraordinary social interest in the Spanish Volleyball Team , with which he has participated 437 times as an international. Only the water polo player Manuel Estiarte has represented Spain on more occasions, leaving far behind prestigious professionals in other sports disciplines such as football , basketball , handball , etc. Let us take as an example the match of the XIV edition of the World League, played in Madrid on July 11, 2003 between the Czech Republic and Spain , in which the Vista Alegre arena was completely full (approximately 15,000 spectators).
This circumstance, unprecedented in Spanish volleyball until then, was motivated by the possibility, later cut short, of getting through to the semi-finals. Despite this, Spain is currently competing with such prestigious countries in this modality as Italy , Brazil or Russia , although we must not forget that the launch of volleyball began after the success obtained in Barcelona 92 (8th place and Olympic diploma), enjoying until then a rather low professional level.
Rafa Pascual began training and playing for Salesianos de Atocha at the age of eleven, as part of the Technical Initiation Centre of Madrid (a centre that aimed to discover the elite athletes of this country), and finished at this club during the 1986/1988 seasons . From the age of eighteen he began his career in different national and international clubs.
Nowadays, it is difficult to find a young boy or girl who does not know Rafa Pascual. What is more, Spanish men’s volleyball is inextricably linked to him. His dedication, his struggle and his commitment have given him this position, being known, admired and followed by many people on the five continents. We must highlight his ability to leave a mark on all the clubs he has played for, which is due to his great human quality and his extraordinary way of being. We can highlight the impact he has left on Japanese fans, who follow him unconditionally regardless of the country he is in. His dedication and effort have been rewarded with his participation in all national and international volleyball competitions. From a technical point of view, Rafa Pascual is one of the most complete players in Europe. For many years he has been considered the best spiker in this country; also at this time he is being given a lot of responsibility in reception. And he has always stood out for his ability to resolve difficult situations at the end points of games and matches. Despite his many years of dedication to volleyball, Rafa Pascual continues to work with the desire to represent Spain in all the competitions that come his way. As an idol of Spanish volleyball, his example will continue to motivate the practice of this sport, as well as providing excitement to the entire country through his participation in the national team.
Clubs
Salesians of Atocha – Spain
Palma – Spain
ACE Bombers Barcelona – Spain
Unicaja Almeria – Spain
Banca di Santo Spirito FOSS Antioco – Italy – 1992 – 1993
Alpitour Traco/TNT Cuneo – Italy – 1995 – 2000
Panasonic Osaka – Japan – 2000 – 2001
ICOM Latina – Italy – 2001 – 2002
Poitiers – France – 2001 – 2002
The Beachcombers – Puerto Rico – 2002
Pet Company Perugia – Italy – 2002 – 2003
Telefónica/Teleunit Gioia del Colle – Italy – 2003 – 2005
Son Amar Palma – Spain – 2004 – 2005
Tonno Callilpo Vibo Valentia – Italy – 2005 – 2006
Panerithraikos Athens – Greece – 2005 – 2006
The Beachcombers – Puerto Rico – 2005 – 2006
Materdomini Castellana Grotte – Italy – 2006 – 2008
CSKA Sofia – Bulgaria – 2008 – 2009
National team
1988 – 2004 2006 – 2007