{{Short description|Panamanian footballer (born 1953)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Roberto Corbin | image = | fullname = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1953|4|19|df=y}} | birth_place = El Chorrillo, Panama | height = | currentclub = | position = | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = | years1 = 1978–1979 | clubs1 = Atletico Panama | caps1 = | goals1 = | years2 = 1979–1981 | clubs2 = Etoile Espagnole | caps2 = | goals2 = | years3 = 1981–1984 | clubs3 = Urania Genève | caps3 = | goals3 = | years4 = 1985–1989 | clubs4 = Tauro | caps4 = | goals4 = | nationalyears1 = | nationalteam1 = Panama U20 | nationalcaps1 = | nationalgoals1 = }}
'''Roberto Corbin''' (born 19 April 1953) is a Panamanian former professional footballer who is known for being the first Panamanian player to play in Europe when he joined Swiss club Etoile Espagnole in 1979.<ref>{{cite news |title=Primera huella en Europa |url=https://www.prensa.com/impresa/deportes/Primera-huella-Europa_0_886411499.html |access-date=7 November 2021 |work=La Prensa Panamá |date=28 March 2003 |language=es}}</ref> In April 2019, however, Panamanian newspaper ''La Prensa'' reported another Panamanian footballer, Federico Ponce, had played in Spain at amateur level a year earlier.<ref name="estrada">{{cite news |last1=Estrada |first1=Campo Elías |title=Ponce jugó en Europa primero que Corbin |url=https://www.prensa.com/impresa/deportes/Ponce-jugo-Europa-primero-Corbin_0_5283221653.html |access-date=7 November 2021 |work=La Prensa Panamá |date=17 April 2019 |language=es}}</ref>
Corbin worked for Panama's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.{{citation needed|date=September 2021}}
== Club career == Corbin started his soccer career in Panama with Atletico Panama in 1978.<ref name="sls">{{cite web |title=Roberto Corbin, el verdadero legionario |url=https://www.tvmax-9.com/somoslasele/historia/Roberto-Corbin-verdadero-legionario_0_3657384297.html |website=tvmax-9.com |access-date=7 November 2021 |language=es |date=9 May 2013}}</ref> In October 1979 he moved to Switzerland by recommendation of Peruvian coach Luis Bidú.<ref name="estrada"/> After trialling with first-tier side CS Chênois for a week, he settled for Etoile Espagnole of the second-tier Swiss Challenge League where he stayed for two years.<ref name="estrada"/> He joined Urania Genève of the Third Division where he played until 1984.<ref name="estrada"/>
He returned to Panama in 1985 to play with Tauro in the opening championships of ANAPROF, where they were crowned on 1989.<ref name="sls"/>
==International career== Corbin played for the Panama U20 national team participating in a national under-20 championship where he became lead striker with 29 goals in 1971.<ref name="sls"/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{NFT|83434}} * {{cite news |last1=Berrío |first1=Leoncio |title=¡Fue el primero! |url=https://portal.diaadia.com.pa/archivo/12192007/dep05_print.html |access-date=7 November 2021 |work=Dia a Dia |language=es}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Corbin, Roberto}} Category:1953 births Category:Living people Category:People from Panamá District Category:Sportspeople from Panamá Province Category:Panamanian men's footballers Category:20th-century Panamanian sportsmen Category:Urania Genève Sport players Category:Tauro F.C. players Category:Panamanian expatriate men's footballers Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Switzerland Category:Panamanian expatriate sportspeople in Switzerland Category:Men's association football players not categorized by position
{{Panama-footy-bio-stub}}