Joan Golobart

Born in Barcelona, Catalonia, Golobart did not start playing organised football until he was 17, making his senior debut for local CE L'Hospitalet in the Tercera División as a winger. In 1985, after two seasons with neighbours CE Sabadell FC – helping to promotion to Segunda División in his first year and scoring five goals in 30 games in the second – he signed for another side in the region, RCD Español who he supported as a child. During his five-season spell, Golobart was successfully reconverted from central defender to defensive midfielder. He only had one solid campaign, however, contributing 35 matches and four goals in 1986–87 as the Pericos finished third in La Liga and qualified for the UEFA Cup, reaching and losing the final to Bayer 04 Leverkusen on penalties. Golobart scored a rare goal in the promotion/relegation playoffs of 1988–89 against RCD Mallorca, but his team went down 2–1 on aggregate. After achieving immediate promotion (although he only appeared in eight matches), he did not have his contract renewed and chose to retire rather than represent another club than Español; he was only 29.

Golobart's son, Román, was also a footballer. He spent most of his career with Wigan Athletic, having been brought up at Espanyol.