We’ll bring you a series of skills and tricks tips so you can play like a pro - or at least give it a go.
Kicking off the occasional series is the ‘Rabona’ (a Spanish word for skipping school!) which makes an appearance during games every now and then - but only those with the confidence to pull it off actually attempt to do it.
Enter Mario Balotelli! Who else would have the audacity to try and cross the ball with a Robana during an important match and with his side trailing 1-0? Cometh the hour, cometh the man!
Here’s how Mario did it in real time with, at the end, perhaps one of the best Rabona passes you’ll ever see from Academy graduate Joan Roman...
Now it’s your turn! Below, Joan demonstrates how to do a Rabona yourself...
1, Nudge the ball forward...
2. Shape to make a conventional pass...
3. Plant weaker foot to side of ball...
4. Start to bring stronger foot behind standing leg in a skip movement...
5. Connect full on with ball to make 45 degree angle pass, effectively crossing your legs...
6. Twist body around by putting weight on kicking foot as you connect...
7. Plant kicking foot down firmly and regain full balance as you spin to follow path of ball - job done!
