In Could 1996, Robson was having fun with the fruits of his work at Porto when he took a cellphone name from the president of FC Barcelona. Ostensibly, it was to debate a possible switch goal from the Portuguese membership, however the dialog moved on to a different goal that the Catalans had centered on.
On the time, the Blaugrana have been a membership in turmoil. A messy divorce from Johan Cruyff had left the membership rudderless. The board had selected Louis van Gaal as the person they needed to place all of the items again collectively once more. On the time, nevertheless, the coach was contracted to Ajax, and wouldn’t be obtainable for one more twelve months. Barcelona, a ship perilously holed and taking in water wanted an skilled hand on the tiller to information the membership into safer and calmer waters earlier than handing over to Van Gaal. That they had settled on Robson as the perfect candidate. As issues transpired although, the Englishman would ship a season that bordered on being the perfect within the membership’s historical past, and satisfied them to take care of his companies, even after Van Gaal’s appointment, as a lifebelt that the membership may use if the Dutch coach got here up quick.
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Robson was content material at Porto and, with the membership’s future wanting vibrant, there have been only a few jobs that would tempt him away. One could be a return to his beloved north-east and Newcastle United. That likelihood would arrive later. The opposite was to take cost of one of many continent’s iconic golf equipment, FC Barcelona. It was a type of ‘as soon as in a lifetime’ alternatives that he merely couldn’t ignore. He would additionally take José Mourinho with him.
Many coaches, even probably the most skilled, would have blanched had been provided such a poisoned chalice to quench their formidable thirst. Cruyff had achieved legendary standing on the Camp Nou and was worshipped by the Cules, delivering 4 La Liga titles, three Supercopa de España successes, and a Copa del Rey, domestically. In Europe, he had added a Cup Winners Cup and led the membership to realize their Holy Grail of a European Cup win in addition to lifting the Tremendous Cup. It was the toughest of acts to comply with.
Robson had no doubts nevertheless and, in his first press convention was in no temper to apologise for sitting within the seat beforehand occupied by the Dutchman. In agency tones, he insisted that there could be no shadow of Cruyff haunting his time as coach. ‘I’m not afraid to comply with him,’ he confirmed. ‘When the President of america leaves, they must get one other President of america.’ It was typical Robson, calm, trustworthy and reassuring, however sustained by the assured perception that he would ship.
Cruyff’s ultimate season had been a disappointment, and one which satisfied the Dutchman that the time to depart had arrived. Rows with the membership’s hierarchy could have been the set off inflicting the break up, however the deterioration of the groups’ performances have been a robust underlying trigger. Third place within the league, seven factors adrift of champions Atlético Madrid was vastly disappointing, though it did supply a spot within the upcoming season’s Cup Winners Cup competitors, a gap that Robson would seize upon. It had adopted a season the place second place to Actual Madrid had felt a lot worse. Barcelona had additionally fared poorly in cup competitions, dropping out within the spherical of 16 of the Copa del Rey to Radomir Antić’s Atléti as Los Colchoneros accomplished the home double, and within the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup. The membership’s squad was filled with gifted gamers however wanted a renaissance. Robson would ship that, and herald a participant who would obtain a God-like adoration on the membership.
Regardless of solely being seen as a stopgap appointment, Robson was not shy in venturing his opinion when the president requested about how the squad might be improved. ‘The President stated to me “we want bums on seats, we want a top-class striker, are you aware the place there may be one?”’ Robson recalled. ‘I stated sure, I do know there’s a younger child at PSV that I like very a lot. I believe he’s terrific, however he’s a danger.’ He was, but it surely was a danger value taking. Barcelona despatched $19.5million to PSV Eindhoven and, in return, acquired the companies of the participant who earned the nickname of “El Fenomeno” – Ronaldo. Eight months, and 47 objectives in 49 video games later, when Van Gaal took over from Robson, the Brazilian would additionally transfer on, becoming a member of Inter Milan. The price of $27million additionally delivered a good-looking revenue on the membership’s funding.
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With the companies of the Brazilian prodigy added to the Blaugrana squad, Robson started working rebuilding the assumption within the squad he inherited, that had fallen quick throughout the earlier two seasons. Early proof of the transformative impact of Robson was illustrated in August of the identical 12 months when his group hammered the earlier season’s double winners 5-2 within the first leg of the Supercopa de España, with the objectives coming from Giovani, Pizzi, plus El Pequeño Buda, Iván de la Peña, and a brace from Ronaldo. Atléti would fightback within the dwelling leg, however their 3-1 victory was wanting hauling again the deficit and Robson had his first trophy.
Cruyff had bequeathed Robson a European qualification and, in September, Barcelona set off in pursuit of the Cup Winners Cup. A hesitant opening encounter with AEK Larnaca was safely, if lower than wildly convincingly, handed thanks to a different two objectives from Ronaldo. It took the Catalans into a gathering with Crimson Star Belgrade. By now the membership have been delivering convincing performances and a 3-1 dwelling win adopted by a 1-1 attract Belgrade was encouraging, sending the membership into the final eight and a tie with Swedish membership AIK.
The house leg got here first, and when the guests took an early lead inside two minutes, a take a look at was looming for Robson’s prices. With assured serenity, nevertheless, they struck again by means of Popescu to equalise and additional strikes by Ronaldo and Pizzi meant that the 1-1 draw achieved in Stockholm was greater than sufficient for a spot within the semi-finals.
Alongside Barcelona, Liverpool, Fiorentina and Paris Saint-Germain made up the ultimate 4. Robson’s group have been paired with the Italians, the primary leg once more being performed on the Camp Nou. This was a a lot sterner take a look at, and regardless of Nadal giving the Blaugrana the lead, a aim from Batistuta squared issues up and gave I Viola the benefit heading to the Stadio Artemio Franchi for the return leg. To show issues in Barcelona’s favour, going through such an uphill battle, would require a training and tactical masterclass. Robson delivered one.
On 24 April, the Blaugrana produced the right disciplined efficiency to return with a 0-2 victory and progress to the ultimate in in Rotterdam’s Feyenoord Stadion towards PSG who had defeated Liverpool 3-2 on mixture. As so typically is the case in showpiece finals, the sport itself didn’t dwell as much as the billing, however a penalty from Ronaldo was adequate to take the trophy to Catalunya. Robson had two trophies out of two. After the fallow interval of the final days of Cruyff’s tenure, Robson had turned Barcelona again right into a strutting powerhouse of a group hungry for trophies.
On the identical time, in addition to bettering their league performances, issues have been creating properly within the Copa del Rey. A spherical of sixteen encounter had introduced the membership an additional El Clásico assembly with Actual Madrid. The ties are performed over two legs and the primary recreation, on the Camp Nou promised success when Ronaldo gave the Blaugrana the lead. Targets by Šuker and Hierro although put a special complexion on the sport earlier than Nadal and Giovanni gave Robson’s group a fig leaf of canopy to take to the Spanish capital for the return leg. It demanded one other ‘Fiorentina’ efficiency and Robson’s group delivered with a 1-1 draw.
The subsequent spherical noticed a titanic battle with cup holders and reigning Spanish champions Atlético Madrid. A 2-2 draw on the Estadio Vicente Calderón appeared to provide the Barcelona the sting, however the return recreation, that may go down in historical past as a aim glut, determined the tie. With half-hour on the clock, the Camp Nou was subdued into surprised silence as a hat-trick from Milinko Pantić had Atléti three objectives clear and apparently coasting to victory, however Robson had drilled his group effectively and given them an nearly unshakeable perception in themselves. On the break he delivered his phrases of knowledge and the group responded with vigour. 5 minutes earlier than half-time, Robson had made his intentions clear. Laurent Blanc and Popescu have been taken off with forwards Pizzi and Stoichkov changing them. The response was quick.
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Two minutes after the restart, Ronaldo scored after which repeated the feat three minutes later. Contained in the opening 5 minutes of the second interval, a declaration of intent had been made. Atléti have been hardly completely happy to roll over although and, a minute after the Brazilin had lower the hole to a single aim, Pantić hit his fourth of the night time to double it once more. Figo struck again on 67 minutes, and the Catalan cauldron of a stadium was at fever pitch with 20 minutes to play, as Ronaldo squared issues on the night time. In a basketball -like recreation inside the ultimate ten minutes, it was Pizzi who notched the winner. In addition to his group with the ability to ship disciplined away performances, Robson had proven that they might additionally take pleasure in a slug-fest with one of the best that Spain needed to supply and nonetheless prevail.
Having defeated the earlier two seasons’ champions, the Copa del Rey was now certainly there for the taking, and so it proved. Las Palmas have been buried beneath a seven-goal mixture thumping and, within the ultimate, 83,000 followers would see the Blaugrana twice combat again from falling behind towards Actual Betis with Figo hitting the winner in extra-time. It was a 3rd trophy garnered by Robson. Unusually, nevertheless, it will have been considerably of chilly consolation for the Cules. Weeks earlier, their dream of a whole whitewash of all obtainable trophies had disappeared with a freak league defeat towards a membership who have been already relegated on the time.
With three video games left to play, Barcelona had been in pole place to turn out to be league champions and put the membership in place for a clear sweep of titles. A go to to the Costa Blanca and Alicante-based membership Hércules regarded a reasonably easy process. There was, nevertheless a measure of discontent within the membership with rumours of Ronaldo transferring on to Inter changing into more and more troublesome to disregard and, the Brazilian was unavailable to Robson for the sport, together with Pizzi and Giovanni. Even then, although, with depleted forces, there appeared little hazard – or was there?
Regardless of their troubled season, Hércules had already upset the Blaugrana, being the one membership to go to the Camp Nou and are available away with a victory. Robson was additionally studying the runes as regardless of his super success, the opportunity of him being retained as an alternative of Van Gaal was seemingly a misplaced trigger. The darkish clouds have been gathering, though few folks exterior of the membership recognised it.
The sport itself was a bewildering event. After simply three minutes, it appeared that type was enjoying out as Luis Enrique put Barcelona forward and, though they couldn’t add to the lead, there appeared little hazard from a group with nothing to play for. Maybe that freedom from the burden of relegation, now a mathematical certainty launched the Hércules gamers to carry out and supply one final second of glory. Shortly earlier than the break Paquito equalised and 6 minutes after the restart, the unthinkable occurred as Hércules went forward, with Serbian defender Pavlicic including one other.
Robson’s group now wanted two objectives to take care of their benefit within the league over Actual Madrid. Within the following 40 minutes they laid siege to the house aim, however regardless of dominating the sport and firing photographs in from all angles and distances, the objectives that had come so simply to them all through the season have been now past their attain. On the finish of the sport, the membership that may end one spot from the foot of the desk had accomplished a league double over Barcelona, and destroyed their hopes of league glory.
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Actual Madrid overcame Extremadura by 5 objectives of their corresponding fixture. Barcelona’s doom was set, as Robson recognised. ‘Mathematically, we’ve nonetheless received an opportunity, however realistically it’s very troublesome now.’ he lamented. It was. Los Blancos effectively wrapped up the required factors and a season that provided a clear sweep of trophies had been scuppered by a relegated membership whose wins over Barcelona had denied them one of the best season of their historical past.
On the finish of the season, Van Gaal arrived, and in gratitude – with a thought as as to whether his companies could also be wanted once more – Robson was provided an emeritus put up as ‘Technical Director’. Van Gaal did effectively within the early years of his tenure on the Camp Nou, delivering successive league titles, however was it any higher than Robson would have completed? Statistics will be made to assist any argument, however by the point Van Gaal left the Camp Nou, his win share was 55%. Robson’s had been 65%.
