“Beach soccer has awoken something in me that football never did”

Born into a small, close-knit family in Almeria Dona reflects on his long journey in beach soccer

The Spanish goalkeeper is one of the very best in the business, with an illustrious career in beach soccer since he took up the sport 19 years ago… 

Born in Almeria (Spain) in 1982, Francisco Jesús Donaire López – better known as “Dona” – is a professional beach soccer player, having represented numerous clubs over the years. He also works as a fitness instructor.

He gave us a brief review of his long and decorated career, and how it all began…

“The first time I played beach soccer was back in 2000, when Angel Lopez suggested that I join the team he was training in Almeria. I live a five-minute walk from the beach so once I tried it, I started increasing the amount of time I spent training on the sand. 

I joined the team and participated with them in the Spanish National Championship until, in 2004, I was called up by the Spanish National Coach, Joaquín Alonso, to join a clinic they were hosting to select two new players for the national team. 

I wasn’t selected that year, but it motivated me to keep training until I managed to get into the team in 2006 and that very same year I made my debut in Florianopolis, Brazil.”

Since 2006, Dona has always been in the national team, racking up an impressive 266 caps. In 2010 he gave up playing football to focus on beach soccer. “I never enjoyed playing football… so when I started playing beach soccer I clearly saw I had to follow that path.” 

“Beach soccer has awoken something in me that football never did.”

The Spanish superstar Ramiro Amarelle is considered by many to be one of the best beach soccer players of all time, but to fellow Spaniard Dona, he has been so much more…

 “He transferred a different way of thinking to me, a mentality that you can only learn from him.” Dona explains. “Ramiro motivates me, drives the will to succeed and to be ambitious with my performance and my goals.” 

The two played together both in the national team and with FC Barcelona, and Amarelle later went on to coach the Blaugrana.

“I am who I am today, as a person and as a player, thanks to him”.

When asked about his greatest personal achievements, it is easy for the Spanish keeper to pick his most memorable… “the adidas Golden Glove in the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Tahiti 2013” 

“After the disappointment of losing the final against Russia, it was a reward for all the training and effort I had been putting in to the previous two years. I woke up every morning with the personal goal of winning that Golden Glove and it meant a lot to me.”

However, the shot-stopper has had some low moments, such as losing that final in Tahiti as well as being knocked out in the group phase in the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Espinho 2015 and not qualifying for Bahamas 2017.

But his long years in the game show no signs of being over yet, with qualification for the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Paraguay looming, as well as the qualifier for the World Beach Games in San Diego, La Roja need their number one keeper now more than ever…

Other honours:

– Best GK of the 2015 EBSL Superfinal in Torredembarra

– Runner up FBSWC Tahiti 2013

– Mundialito de Clubes 2015 in Brazil with FC Barcelona

– 2012 Qualifier Moscow for the FBSWC Tahiti 2013