Soccer: City's assistant coach has bold dreams of Barcelona clash

If soccer dreams can come true, Auckland City will qualify for the semifinals of Fifa's Club World Cup and run out against heavyweights Barcelona.

For City assistant coach Ramon Tribulietx such a game would be a match-up made in heaven, although the 37-year-old Spaniard would, understandably, be torn.

Born and bred in the northern Spanish city, Tribulietx still calls Barcelona home.

"I would support Auckland City, no doubt," said Tribulietx after putting his players through a two-hour workout at the Al Jazira club yesterday.

"But such a match-up would be a dream come true."

In his second season with City, Tribulietx works beneath head coach Paul Posa. "Basically, I'm the coach and Paul is the football manager."

Tribulietx is no stranger to Kiwitea St, though. He played for Central United in 1999 after a brief coaching stint in New Zealand a year earlier. He has also been involved with Onehunga Sports and Manurewa.

Soccer has been Tribulietx's life since he started kicking the ball as a 3-year-old.

In Spain, he coached to the first professional level before deciding it was time to move on. After a brief stop in Australia, he came to New Zealand.

"I got in touch with [now Auckland City board member] Colin Cook at Central, did a session with them. It has grown from there."

He is now in his second season with City.

Meanwhile, the City players got to practise with the new "Jabulani" World Cup balls for the first time yesterday.

While the outfield players happily booted them about, goalkeepers Jacob Spoonley and Paul Gothard went through their paces with goalkeeping coach Simon Eaddy.

Both keepers made a good fist of working with the new balls for the first time.

Posa is expected to name his starting XI for the game, which kicks off at 5am on Thursday (NZ time), later today.