Carlos Bacca is one of the South American talents who cannot be underestimated. He several times became an important pillar for the club he defended to win the award.
Good positioning and instinct lead Carlos Bacca to be able to take advantage of the slightest opportunity to make a goal. Behind Carlos Bacca’s brilliant career, there is an extraordinary struggle that adorns the journey of his success.
Carlos Arturo Bacca Ahumada, born on September 8, 1986, in Puerto, Colombia. His father was a fisherman and his mother helped her husband to sell the fish.
Growing up in Puerto made Bacca a tough person. He was used to living in misery. Since he was a child, he often accompanied his father to fishing. His responsibility to help the economy of his family became his daily life.
Even so, Bacca was still the same kid like any other kid. He often stole time to play football. The ball has even become part of his life. His mother said that Bacca refused to be bought a toy car as all he wanted was a ball.
Knowing her child’s interest, his parents decided to send Bacca into a football school. When he was 8 years old, Bacca officially trained at the local academy. At that time, he showed off his game which impressed his current coach, Rafael Reyes.
Despite playing well, the fate of Bacca to become a famous footballer had not yet come to light. He still often played for local teams who compete in amateur tournaments. Because he did not earn any money, Bacca also often helped his father to fish.
Because he did not get enough money at that time, Bacca had to earn money from other sources. At that time, he chose to become a bus conductor.
“At the age of 20, I lived in a village in Puerto Colombia, working as a bus conductor. Life at that time was far from convenience. I came from a poor family and had to make money to support them. “
At that time, all he thought was work and work. The dream of becoming a footballer was slowly faded away for his luck had never come.
Even so, Bacca was still so persistence that he began to see the light of his career. Right in 2006, Bacca conducted a trial at Atletico Junior. Atletico Junior was the team from a neighboring city of Puerto Colombia, Barranquilla.
“The door to football was closed for me and at that time, that was not something I needed to reconsider. But then I did a trial for Junior de Barranquilla and fortunately, they chose me,” recalled Bacca.
After his journey as a professional footballer began, the next challenge he had to face was to play in Colombia’s top competition with Atletico Junior.
But Bacca had several times to be a contract player.
After returning to Atletico Junior, Bacca made it into the main team. However, everything did not work out easily for Carlos Bacca. He was often getting insulted as being a non-famous player.
“On my first match, I was getting teased a lot. Nobody knew me. Then, I made the first two touches and successfully scored. The goal that day really changed my life. “
In his first season, he immediately became the Colombian Cup’s top scorer. In three seasons with Junior, he twice became the league’s top scorer, in which he won two league titles for Atletico Junior.
Successfully showing his best game, Bacca began to be seen by several European clubs. Although he was about to join the Russian club Lokomotiv Moscow, Bacca eventually landed his feet in Belgium. He signed a contract with Club Brugge.
It was not easy for him to join the Club Brugge’s main squad. Bruges was still so reliant on Nigerian striker Joseph Akpala. His first goal in Europe was just presented in the fourth month he was on the blue continent.
The departure of Akpala to Bremen was a blessing for Carlos Bacca. He became the coach’s first choice and immediately responded to his confidence by creating 18 goals even though the competition was only rolling half a season.
In his second season in Europe, Bacca successfully won the award of best player and top scorer in the Belgian league. This achievement finally made Sevilla fall in love with him.
With a transfer fee of around 7 million euros, Bacca officially became a player performing in one of the world’s best leagues, Sevilla. At Sevilla, his achievements could not be underestimated. He successfully embraced the Europa League award with one of the La Liga contestants.
Bacca became Sevilla’s important actor when defeating Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk at the 2015 top party. In Sevilla’s 3-2 victory, Carlos Bacca deserved to be a hero. This Colombian striker scored two goals and one assist. No wonder he was called the man of the match in this match.
Although he had won the trophy in the previous season which was also with Sevilla, this final match felt special for Carlos Bacca. Besides being the best player in the game, Bacca also managed to become the main character in Sevilla’s success story.
After having moved to AC Milan, Bacca returned to the field in Spain with Villareal.
Being a fisherman and a busy bus conductor at the age of 20 did not really dampen Carlos Bacca’s courage to move forward.
Europa League awards in two consecutive seasons of 2014 and 2015 with Sevilla had helped lift Bacca’s name as the world’s top striker.
“I got up and continued to live. Brave people are not those who let themselves sink. Brave people are those who are able to rise stronger. “
