The Blaugrana Oranje Era Begins.

The Xavi Hernández Oranje era kicks off today. For the first time since 1977, a foreigner will be in charge of the Netherlands national team. Hopefully the Catalan’s era will be as successful as the Dutch managers who have coached Xavi’s club, FC Barcelona.

• By Ibrahim Ayyub
• Follow Ibrahim on Twitter

On August 12, 2026, the KNVB announced the hiring of Xavi Hernández as the new manager of the Oranje. Following the disappointing exit in World Cup 2026, a new manager was needed following the departure of Ronald Koeman. The usual gossip who could be the next Oranje manager ranged from the believable, Arne Slott, to the unbelievable, Roberto Martinez. It was a pleasant surprise for many, including yours truly, when Xavi was the one hired by the KNVB. For the first time since 1977, when the Austrian Ernst Happel was in charge of the Oranje, that a foreigner would be in charge of the Oranje.

It’s no secret that my love for football began in 1988 when I was wee lad who watched the Oranje win the 1988 European Championship. I never followed club football until after the 1994 World Cup. The club that got my attention was FC Barcelona, who had the likes of Romario and Stoichkov along with the Dutch legend Ronald Koeman and the Dutch icon, Johan Cruyff, was managing the side. Over the years, the Dutch influence on this club has been apparent.

FC Barcelona has a rich history since its inception back in 1899. The Dutch influence chapter of its rich history took place back in 1971 when Rinus Michels was hired to coach Barça and a few years later, Johan Cruyff was a major signing during that decade which saw the club end a 14 year wait for a league crown. Cruyff would then return to Barça, as a manager in 1988. That hiring would impact the club for decades where his “Dream Team” won four consecutive league titles and their first Champions League title and influence one of his players, Pep Guardiola who would go to accomplish great success as a manager at Barça, Bayern Munich and Manchester City. Pep would also play for Louis van Gaal, who took charge of Barça in 1997 and managed to lead the Blaugrana to back to back league titles, but also suffered disappointing results in Europe. It was van Gaal who also gave Xavi his Barça debut in 1988. Frank Rijkaard’s arrival in 2003 would see the Blaugrana win consecutive league titles and the club’s second Champions League title as Xavi blossomed under Rijkaard’s watch. The final Oranje manager was Ronaldo Koeman, who stepped down from the Oranje job to coach Barça in 2020, only to be replaced by Xavi in 2021.

It is ironic that Xavi is now replacing Koeman at another job. Furthermore, it’s the Barça guy taking over the Oranje and not the other way around. As a player, Xavi was a true legend of the game. As a manager, he has his merits and demerits.

Some of the positives that Xavi displayed when he managed Barça was his faith in the younger players and his lack of hesitation in dropping veterans. When Xavi took over Barça, he had no problem benching club legends, Gerard Pique and Jordi Alba. Both were instrumental in the Blaugrana’s success during the 2010s. However, when Xavi arrived, he made it clear to them that they no longer were starters. Xavi has already continued this trend by not calling up Memphis Depay and Wout Weghorst during this international break.

Xavi also gave young players their debuts when he managed Barça. You probably have heard of them; Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsi, who have shined for club and country. Fermín López was also given his debut by Xavi and one can only hope that Xavi will give young Oranje players a shot to shine for their country. After suffering from Oranje managers relying on the old guard for far too long, an injection of youth is a breath of fresh air.

Nonetheless, Xavi is not flawless and there is a drawback in his appointment. Xavi is the only Barça manager in this century not to win back to back league titles. One major downside in Xavi is his lack of experience and tactical nuance. It is true that Xavi has won in his coaching stints in Qatar and at Barcelona. However, his supporting staff’s relative inexperience, along with Xavi’s was also an issue. Barça fans got to witness some great results, but also got to witness some horrendous performances, especially in Europe, where Plan B was basically whipping crosses into the box and praying for a header.

When things looked dire during Xavi’s tenure at Barça, I was hoping he’d bring in Pep Guardiola’s former assistant, Domènec Torrent, to help steady the ship. Unfortunately, that never materialized. Adding Ruud van Nistelrooy to his staff doesn’t feel like much of an upgrade, either. I would have loved to see an experienced figure in the mold of Henk ten Cate, Frank Rijkaard’s right-hand man during Barça’s mid-2000s resurgence, step into that tactical support role. That said, Xavi will never lack authority in the dressing room. He’s been in the players’ shoes, seen it all, and won it all and those players will listen to him.

After seeing Dutch managers take charge of Barça, it is now time for a Barça player to take charge of the Dutch. I am rooting for Xavi to do big things. Hopefully this is a step in the right direction and not another misstep.

Damaged Barça hire damaged Hansi Flick.

 

With Xavi’s tenure as Barça coming to an unfortunate end, President Joan Laporta already made his choice on who should be Xavi’s successor, by hiring Hansi Flick. It was a marriage of convenience between the club and manager; A damaged club hiring a damaged Hansi Flick.

It was the worst kept secret that Laporta was looking to hire a German manager to run our beloved Blaugrana. Laporta just missed out on Hansi Flick in 2021 before hiring Xavi to manage Barça. Lady luck shined on Laporta when Hansi Flick was now available to take the job following Germany’s disastrous performance at the 2022 World Cup and subsequent matches. Flick’s stock was absolutely at an all-time low and Barça was in need of a manager to get them back among the elite clubs in Europe.

This is not uncommon ground for FC Barcelona. Barça has a storied history of willing to gamble on managers whose philosophies align with the club's philosophy, even if their previous experiences were not always successful. One notable example is Frank Rijkaard, who took over as FC Barcelona's manager in the summer of 2003. Before joining Barça, Rijkaard had been let go at Sparta Rotterdam after they were relegated in his lone season there in 2002. Even though his managerial career consisted of being the Netherlands national team manager from 1998 to 2000 along with his only stint at club level with Sparta Rotterdam, he guided Barça to resurgence. The Blaugrana won two La Liga titles and their second UEFA Champions League in 2006.

The man who guided Barça’s Dream Team, Johan Cruyff, to their first Champions League crown also came to the club with a somewhat damaged reputation as a manager. Although Ajax won two Dutch cups and the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup during the mid to late 80s, Cruyff was unable to steer Ajax Amsterdam to a Dutch league title and subsequently resigned in January 1988 as Ajax struggled. A few months later, Barça hired the football legend and the rest, as they say, is history. Cruyff’s arrival ushered in a successful era for the Blaugrana where he implemented his groundbreaking "Total Football" philosophy at Barcelona, which revolutionized the club's style of play and laid the groundwork for its future success.

                         

Luis Enrique is another prime example of a manager whose managerial career before Barcelona was not spectacular and somewhat damaged. He lasted one season coaching Roma without winning any major trophies. However, after taking over as Barcelona manager in 2014, Luis Enrique led the club to an unprecedented treble in his first season, capturing La Liga, Copa del Rey, and the Champions League, and amassed a total of nine trophies in his three seasons at the club.

                          

However, not all damaged managers have been successful after taking the reins at Barcelona. One noteworthy example would be Louis van Gaal. When van Gaal was first hired by the club in 1997, he was considered one of the top managers in the world following his accomplishments with Ajax. His first stint as Barça manager saw the club win consecutive league titles but failed in Europe. However, when he was hired by Barça again in 2002, it was fresh from his unsuccessful stint as the Netherlands manager who failed to qualify for the World Cup. The second era of van Gaal with the Blaugrana lasted a few months before he was fired due to the club’s woeful league position. Then there is Quique Setién, who joined Barcelona midway through the 2019-2020 season without much of a successful reputation. He had been hired after leaving Real Betis where they regressed from 6th to 10th in the league standings, and he tried his best to showcase his commitment to the Blaugrana's possession-based style of football. However, Setién only lasted a few months without winning any major silverware and will forever be remembered as the manager in charge during that 8-2 defeat to Hansi Flick’s Bayern Munich side in the 2020 Champions League Quarter-Finals.

                          

Barça has a history of hiring managers based on their potential to align with the club's footballing philosophy and their ability to meet the high expectations of both the club and its fans. Hansi Flick’s hiring is a slight deviation from Barça’s DNA, where the hope is he will mutate that DNA with the German football DNA to create a new successful formula for success. Hopefully his hiring will usher in a new successful era for the Blaugrana, and thereby end years of frustration in Europe while also navigating the club to more success in domestic competitions. 

Farewell, Don Johan.

Barça fans and football fans across the world were saddened by the news of the passing away of Dutch master, Johan Cruyff. His influences on and off the pitch were significant in Barça becoming a world power. Barça fans will forever indebted to “El Mister” for all that he has done for Barça. Thank you Don Johan, you will be missed.

For many of the Blaugrana faithful, the sad news that Johan Cruyff was no longer with us was difficult to fathom. Cruyff was our modern father that paved the way for the club’s successful era. Who knows where the club would be if Barça president José Luis Núñez did not hire him as Barça’s new manager back in May 4th, 1988. Now, as the club dominates the football world, our father figure will no longer be there to enjoy it.

Cruyff, the Barça player was amazing. He brought hope and faith to the Blaugrana fans and he repaid those believers with the club’s first league title in 14 years. His performance at the Santiago Bernabéu where Barça demolished Real Madrid 5-0 will never be forgotten. Many felt that same hope and faith when he was appointed as Barça’s new manager.

He ushered in a new era where success was expected. He won the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup in his first season and the club would win at least one trophy for the following five years. He finally ended the wait for that elusive European Cup at Wembley in 1992. His “Dream Team” deserves its place in football history not just for their accomplishments, but for their unforgettable style of play that Rijkaard and Guardiola tried to duplicate with some minor tweaks during their successful eras.

Cruyff made us believe in this team and his pupils restored that faith when they were hired as Barça’s managers. We wanted to go back to that beautiful style that mesmerized us when we saw the great man coach from the dugout in his unforgettable rain coat while enjoying a lollipop in his mouth. He made it happen with reliance on homegrown talent and by signing some amazing world class players. That’s why I worry about the club when the likes of Iniesta, Messi and Busquets retire from the game and we are left to wonder who will replace them from La Masia.

Thank you, Johan, for relying on the likes of Chapi Ferrer, Sergi, and Pep from La Masia to be part of the first team. That’s why I always wanted to see the likes of Montoya and Bartra feature more for the club over the likes of Douglas and Vermaelen. Because that’s what Cruyff would have done. Those who grew up and breathed that system should be the ones getting rewarded by fighting for the team’s colors with the first team.

Thank you, Johan, for making football a work of art in motion on the pitch. Where it became more about entertainment than it was about results. That’s what differentiated Barça from Los Blancos. One team wanted to win by putting on a great show while the other seemed interested in just winning. Of course, there were some great results and some horrible results but it was best to lose playing this way than play not to lose.

Thank you, Johan, for showing us courage in the face of death. Cruyff underwent open heart surgery while managing the club. He recovered and then kicked his smoking habit while inspiring others to kick the habit with a clever television campaign of him kicking a box of cigarettes around and enjoying lollipops on the bench instead of puffing on a cigarette. So when we learned last fall that Cruyff was diagnosed with lung cancer, we hoped the tough, intelligent, and complex beloved legend would triumph yet again.

Sadly, his passing caught us off guard. In a way, it seems fitting that he would leave us at a time when Dutch football is regressing while no longer relying on “Total Football” that the Oranje was once famous for. He leaves us at a time when Barça have become successful without fully relying on La Masia and drifting from the entertaining style that we enjoyed for a more results oriented style. His vision and influence no longer appreciated in the two kingdoms where he was king.

In a 1977 interview with Dutch reporters Frits Barend and Henk van Dorp, Cruyff once said about playing for FC Barcelona:

“It is a challenge. But you know that when people cheer on a Sunday when you do well and you win, it means more to them than simply the pleasure of winning. It’s not just a game, football; it’s not just about the people on terraces. You know what struck me most when we won the championship? They didn’t say “congratulations”, they said “thank you”. That was really something. That will always stay with me.”

You will always stay with us, Johan Cruyff. Your memory and legacy will live on at FC Barcelona regardless of who is in charge. Thank you, Cruyff. You will be missed, Don Johan.

Barça’s Ballon d’Or Winners.

With Messi about to be awarded his fifth Ballon d’Or, we look back at the previous Barça players who won this award.

Luis Suárez was the first Barça player, and the only Spanish player, to ever win this award back in 1960. Luis Suárez guided his team to the Spanish League title and the UEFA Fairs Cup (now known as the Europa League) double in 1960. He received more votes than Real Madrid’s Ferenc Puskás and Alfredo Di Stéfano who finished second and fourth respectively. The size of the award was noticeably much smaller back then compared to today’s version.

The next Barça player to win the award was the Dutch legend Johan Cruyff back in 1973. He had transferred to Blaugrana during the summer from Ajax after winning a Dutch league title and European Cup with Ajax so this award was more for his success with Ajax. However, he would win this award again after completing his first season, the 1973-1974 season, as a Barça player that saw the Blaugrana end a 14 year wait for a league trophy. This was his third and final Ballon d’Or after winning his first one in 1971.

Cruyff would be the Barça manager when the next Barça player would win the Ballon d’Or. In 1994, the Bulgarian striker Hristo Stoichkov became the third ever Blaugrana player to win this award over the likes of Roberto Baggio, and Paolo Maldini who finished second and third respectively. Stoichkov helped guide Barça to the 1993-1994 league title, the 1994 Champions League Final along with guiding his country to the 1994 World Cup Semi-Finals.

Three years later, Brazilian legend Ronaldo would win the 1997 Ballon d’Or following his successful 1996-1997 Barça season that saw him score 47 goals while helping his side win the Supercopa, Copa del Rey and the UEFA Cup. He would leave the club in the summer to join Inter Milan and receive the award a few months later. The same chain of events would take place in 2000 when Luis Figo was awarded the Golden Ball for his performances for Barça and Portugal and Real Madrid. Hence, why he received this award as a Madrid player.

Before the Figo betrayal, another Brazilian player would win the Ballon d’Or. In 1999, Rivaldo won this award following his superb 1998-1999 season for Barça and Brazil. Barça won the Spanish league title and Brazil won Copa America due in large to his performances. He was voted Copa America’s player of the tournament and a few months later, was awarded the Ballon d’Or.

Another Brazilian player would win the Ballon d’Or as a Barça player when Ronaldinho would win this award in 2005. He was also the third ever Brazilian player to win this award for his performances during the 204-2005 season that saw Barça end a six year wait to win a league title. He also helped Brazil win the 2005 Confederations Cup and received the Bronze Ball award as third best player in the tournament. His contribution in bringing the Blaugrana to prominence could never be forgetten and this award is a reminder of the magic and hope he brought to the club.

Thus, Suárez, Cruyff, Stoichkov, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho were the five Barça players to win and receive the Ballon d’Or as Barça players. Messi would become the sixth Barça player to win this award and the last to win this award in 2009 before it was merged with the FIFA World Player of the Year award in 2010. Messi will be receiving his fifth Ballon d’Or today. No other player has ever won more than three. Barça fans have been blessed to have a player of his magnitude and the team’s success has seen Messi win this award in 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012.

Messi and fellow finalist Neymar seem likely to contend for this award in the near future. Team success however will be influential in whether or not these players will win it again. This year’s award is a “Job Well Done” reward for a superb 2014-2015 for Barça. Here’s to hopefully many more successful seasons.

Lay Off Luis Suarez.

Luis Suarez’s first season with FC Barcelona has not been all fireworks. Although expectations were high for Luis Suarez, his performance thus far is not as disappointing to justify the criticism he has received. In fact, you could say he is doing just as well as other Barça strikers before him have done at this stage in their first season.

Yes, the huge price tag of Luis Suarez’s transfer perhaps raised expectations of the numbers of goals “El Pistolero” would score this season for the Blaugrana. Thus far, he has only scored six goals as a Barça player. For some fans, that is a disappointing number of goals. However, let’s not be too harsh on the player. He has struggled at first but his signing was not just about goals; it was about making the team better.

First of all, Luis Suarez did not get a proper summer preseason under his belt and was not allowed to play with the first team till October. Obviously, the blame entirely lies with him for getting punished by FIFA for his stupid act and yes, he should have been in better shape while serving his FIFA ban. However, his performance for the first team after serving his ban, has been beneficial for the team.

He has scored 6 goals and provided 11 assists in his first 19 matches as a Barça player. He also added another assist yesterday in Barça’s Copa del Rey victory over Villarreal on Messi’s opening goal. Some will point out that Suarez has been a disappointment with those six goals but has he?

When you look back at other forwards who played upfront for Barça in their first season and compare their numbers to Luis Suarez’s number, you will not notice a big difference in terms of production. Courtesy of @Barca19stats, Pedro scored 10 goals and had an assist in his first 19 matches. David Villa scored 11 goals and had 5 assists. Alexis scored 8 goals and had 2 assists in his first 19 matches and Neymar scored 6 goals and had 9 assists in his first 19 matches. Heck, even Thierry Henry had 7 goals and 8 assists in his first 19 matches.

Thus far, Luis Suarez has been directly involved in 17 goals in his first 19 matches. That is more than those previously mentioned players had done in the same time span. To say he has disappointed by not scoring more goals is a bit harsh. Pedro grew up in this system and played with Xavi and Iniesta at the peak of their careers. David Villa had experience from playing with that superb midfield during their Spanish National team days. Suarez, like David Villa, had to accept from being the go to guy for goals and to be Messi’s right hand man. Furthermore, the midfield is being utilized differently under Luis Enrique along with the sad realization that Iniesta and Xavi are not as great as they were a few years ago.

Meanwhile, you could say Suarez’s numbers are similar to Neymar’s numbers. If Cruyff, and others, said to give Neymar time to adapt then surely the same should also be said for Suarez. So please, let’s lay off the guy for now. His off the ball movement along with his work rate in recovering balls have been impeccable. He, Neymar and Messi have been performing well together ever since that awful loss to Real Sociedad back in January which has resulted in Barça’s current ten match winning streak. So, let’s ease off in criticizing Suarez and appreciate what he brings to this team.

Interview with FC Barcelona Historian Ángel Iturriaga.

Over the years, many have written books about FC Barcelona, its history, managers and players. However, not many have written encyclopedias about Barça’s players, coaches, trainers, and presidents throughout the club's history.  Ángel Iturriaga has the claim to fame of doing so, and Penya Member Ibrahim Ayyub was fortunate enough to interview Mr. Iturriaga and answer some questions about Barça’s history and future.

Ángel Iturriaga Barco is a gifted writer and historian, and also a Barça fan. He first publishedDiccionario de jugadores del F.C. Barcelona, back in 2010 and then publishedDiccionario de técnicos y directivos del F.C. Barcelona in 2011. 2013 was a busy year for him as he published Diccionario de jugadores de la selección española and collaborated with David Valero Carreras, on Paulino: el primer crac de la història del Barça, the autobiography about former Barça player, Paulino Alcántara. He has also helped me with his input on the Penya's  "A Look Back At Barça Legends" series. I am honored that Mr. Iturriaga was gratuitous enough to take time for this interview. 

What inspired you to become a sports Writer/historian? 

Ever since my childhood, I had a passion for history, especially contemporary history. I always felt the need to know what generations before mine did, something basic to understand the world in which we live in. The act of publishing my research was somewhat derivative of the same thing; in trying to share the knowledge with whoever shares the same concerns as mine.

How much time and research does it take to write these Diccionarios?

The Diccionarios (Encyclopedias) has been a slow process that I have been working on while doing other research. I have been accumulating data on players, coaches and managers of FC Barcelona for a long time. I published my first two Diccionarios after I managed a large volume of information and data that provided news to the club's history.

It's no secret that you are passionate about FC Barcelona, where does that come from?

Actually, the origins of my passion towards the club come from my father, who was passionate for Barça during the time he lived in the Catalan capital. He always spoke to me of the Barça of Kubala, of Cruyff and journey through the desert. Since childhood, all of this awoke in me with sympathy and curiosity for the club.

What FC Barcelona team was the one that you think was head and shoulders above the rest?

I think it's impossible to compare different time periods because we do not have sufficient data. I think we should mention the magnificent Barça of the twenties and fifties. Without them, the enormous club we know today would not have been successfully built. Yet, for footballing reasons, I think you have to go with Pep Guardiola’s Barça, a sublimation of the idea of playing style that has prevailed in the club since the seventies, the same style that Cruyff improved as a coach.

Who were your favorite FC Barcelona manager and player?

My favorite manager is Pep Guardiola. My favorite player, obviously, is Leo Messi, but I would like to recall a legend, without which nothing that happened after his time, would have been possible, Paulino Alcántara.

Where does FC Barcelona’s "Mes que un club" motto come from?

Traditionally, this stems from a speech given by Lluís de Carreras when he took over the presidency of the club back in 1968. It was a feeling that existed among many Cules but Mr. de Carreras was the first to express it publicly.

Is that still true today?

Certainly. The club is an institution that goes far beyond sports to have great significance in Catalonia, both socially and politically. This has been true since the beginning of the club's history, especially since Joan Gamper took over the presidency.

It seems that FC Barcelona has two playing styles, Cruyff and everyone else? What makes coaching this team difficult?

Since the seventies, FC Barcelona won major titles with only one style, the one imposed by people like Laureano Ruiz, Buckingham or Michels and subsequently improved by Cruyff, Rijkaard and Guardiola. The team has sunk whenever it moved away from that model, as we are seeing today. Children of La Masia have been trained with that style of play that no longer is being practiced today by neither the first nor the second team.

With all the legendary FC Barcelona players to choose from, why did you, along with David Valero Carreras, choose Paulino Alcántara?

Paulino is the first star in in club history. When David and I started working on this book, he was the top scorer in the history of FC Barcelona history only to be surpassed by Leo Messi today. His transcendence was beyond football because he featured in an era when the club was on the verge of disappearance. He made football became a popular sport in Barcelona, and the increase in fans that resulted from that, which made it possible for the club to survive.

When did the rivalry with Real Madrid take off?

In the twenties, Real Madrid already appeared to be a strong rival. However, during the fifties, Real Madrid was the second best team, after Atletico Madrid, from the capital of Spain. After the Kubala signing by the club, who was wanted by Real Madrid, and after the case of Di Stéfano, hostilities began as we know them today.

What went wrong with the Di Stefano signing?

It's a long story, a very convoluted case with many edges. Ultimately, Barça, who had the right to expect the player, the player had to renounce to the Barça president after some threats coming from the Franco regime. To further understand this subject, I recommend reading “El Caso Di Stéfano” by Xavier García Luque and Jordi Finestres and Sid Lowe’s“Fear and Loathing in La Liga” book.

How big of an impact was Cruyff's signing from Ajax?

Cruyff changed everything though he only gave a great performance in his first season. He brought modernity and color to the gray society during the final years of Franco. He managed to be the key man for the club in order to be able to win its first league title in over a decade and a half. His impact was absolute and his signing, in a way, was a symbol of the restoration of Catalonia’s democracy.

Will we ever see anything like the Hesperia mutiny again?

It is very difficult during this era for players with very different interests to all agree on something. We have seen it all in football, but I think it is almost impossible.

Do you agree with those who believe that the club is regressing back to the days of uncertain playing style following Cruyff's firing?

No doubt about it. The current leaders have a great resentment towards Cruyff, Guardiola and all that they both represent. They would like to win with a totally opposite style, although it has been demonstrated that this club can only achieve titles when they return to the Dutch style.

How important has La Masia's role been in the history of FC Barcelona in the past and present, and the future after the Transfer ban?

It has a huge significance. La Masia has been a blessing. It has really only been useful since the arrival of Cruyff, where all teams began to play in a certain way, with equal roles in all lower categories. La Cantera has been the nursery of the club; the pride of the Catalans. Since the arrival of Rosell as president, great masters of it, Capella, Benaiges, Alexanko, Amor, Òscar, Puig, have been dismissed, risking an end to an extraordinary model.

With Atletico winning La Liga last season and Valencia under the ownership of Peter Lim, is La Liga still a two team league?

I think not. Atletico is certainly a team that can already compete on equal terms with Barça and Real Madrid. The project of Valencia is equally interesting, although I think it will take a few years for it to fully materialize.

Has the intensity of media coverage and bias from both Barcelona and Madrid towards their teams, and their rivals, increased over the years or has it always been this way before the arrival of social media?

Absolutely. Since the fifties, the media coverage has increased, as football became a high profile sport and the media continued to spread it. From the seventies, there were already dozens of the media credited to cover one of the biggest games. Today, there are more than 200 types of media around the world covering every game of the top teams.

Did the success of Spain during their amazing run help bridge the gap between Spaniards and Catalans, especially with Catalans in favor of independence?

I do not think so. There was Catalan separatists who were glad to see men like Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets win a World Cup, but in no way did it influence their political visions.

Are there any upcoming books about FC Barcelona players or figures?

I am doing research on the political and social history of the club throughout history. You may have a publication in the future, but not anytime soon, because there is still a series of interviews to conduct that serve to retrieve part of the club’s memory.

Are you a member of a Penya?

I'm not a member although I have collaborated with some who are interested in issues that go beyond just the mere weekly match, as is the case with your Penya. I would encourage the Penyas to become more involved in the social life of the club and to be interested in knowing the history of the club, because to know where we're going, we must know where we come from.

Well Sir, I hope you accept our kind offer of making you an honorary member of Penya Barcelonista De Miami.

Oh, a big honour for me!! Thank you very much!!

If you are interested in knowing more about Ángel Iturriaga Barco, you can follow him on twitter - https://twitter.com/anituarco. He also has a blog dedicated to remembering the recent passing away of former football players - http://jugadoresfallecidosrip.blogspot.com.es/.  His books can be purchased from Amazon website for Spanish and US shoppers.

Barça Needs Elections to Clean House.

2015 is upon us and we are already facing an enormous crisis with our beloved Barça. Barça’s weekend loss to Real Sociedad was followed with the dismissal of Andoni Zubizarreta as the club’s Sporting Director. Pressure is building against manager Luis Enrique and club president Josep Bartomeu, especially with talk of fallout between the manager and Messi. Without a doubt, this is the beginning of the end for this Barça board. 

When the CAS dismissed Barça’s appeal of the FIFA transfer ban, we knew heads were going to roll. Zubi was the likely scapegoat for the club thanks to his personality and his track record in the transfer market.  After Barça’s loss to Real Sociedad, he basically signed his death warrant with his comments to the media. When asked about the transfer ban, Zubi replied, "I assume my responsibility as the person in charge of the football department, but the sporting vice president at the time, Josep Maria Bartomeu, is the one who knew the situation better than anyone." The next day, the club announced that Zubi was sacked.

Zubi decided not to go down without dragging people with him. However, Zubi was correct in his statement. Even though he was the sporting director, president Bartomeu was in fact the one responsible for the Athletic Area of the Club. Yet, Zubi seems to be the one who is paying the price of this error. Nevertheless, that is enough. This board has to got to go. It’s time to call for elections, not in the summer, but now. Of course, that cannot happen so we should expect elections in the summer. My disdain for this board is no secret and there is no reason to discuss in depth the mistakes of this board during both, the presidency of Sandro Rosell and Josep Bartomeu. Graham Hunter, who wrote a marvelous book about Guardiola’s Barça, summarized the failure of this club.

In summary, recent years have seen Barcelona divorce themselves from their spiritual leader, Cruyff; cause Pep Guardiola to feel alienated then leave his post as manager; lose their elected president Rosell over the way Neymar was recruited to the club; misjudge the consecutive coaching appointments of Gerardo Martino and Luis Enrique; disgracefully mishandle Eric Abidal's contractual situation; sack Antoni Rossich, their director general; receive from FIFA a ban from the transfer market and lose at the Court for Arbitration for Sport a hopeless appeal, which was formulated simply to suspend the ban so that the club could restock the squad last summer; haemorrhage football credibility and competitiveness; alienate their best ever goalkeeper; sack their director of football and, finally, mishandle Messi so comprehensively that there is a real danger he opts to leave.

What Mr. Hunter forgot to mention was Barça selling out the club to Qatar via Qatar Foundation/ Qatar Airways, the board losing their lawsuit against the previous president Laporta and his board, lack finding a sponsor for the basketball team shirt, and there’s also the upcoming MCM breach of contract case where MCM are seeking €100 million in damages. So quite frankly, the fans are tired of this club constantly finding itself in a new scandal. Now, we have a fallout between Messi and Luis Enrique where there is talk the manager’s days are numbered.

 Messi did not show up to yesterday’s training session that was open to the public, which upset Lucho. Allegedly, Messi had gastroenteritis and could not make it but then turned heads when he followed Chelsea on Instagram. Perhaps it is a message to the board that he is fed up with the dictatorial style of Lucho, which quite frankly has not resulted in much success or a boost of confidence amongst the players and the fans. Sport conducted a poll that shows the fans are in favor of the player over the manager.

I did caution that people should not expect Barça under Lucho to be like Pep. Both may have played together but both come from different schools of thought. Pep is a Cruyff pupil while Lucho was managed by the likes of Bobby Robson, Louis van Gaal, Rexach and Antic to name a few. So it is not surprising he acts like van Gaal and Mourinho. Unfortunately, Lucho has adopted Mourinho’s toxic attitude and we saw how bad things ended up at Madrid for Mou. We are witnessing the same Mou Casillas battle at Barça with Lucho and Messi. Quite frankly, you would be insane to say Messi has to go. It would be the equivalent of Bulls fans wanting to side with the ownership over Michael Jordan during his prime, especially when voiced his opinionon what his team should do and how he would walk if his coach and Scottie Pippen were not kept. Great players need to be listened to, especially if you are building a team around them, which Barça has done a poor job thus far.

Of course, president Bartomeu is not an idiot. He will not go down in history as the man who sold Messi to Chelsea or any other team. We will see what he has to say tomorrow when he addresses the media. What is obvious is that it is time for a change. Rosell and Bartomeu inherited a great team from Laporta, while he inherited a disaster from Gaspart and Reyna. Barça were once considered one of, if not, the best team in the world. However, this team has regressed under this leadership with Barça being competitors instead of contenders, and Barça B under Eusebio are hovering right about the relegation zone. Financial stability does not mean much when you’re not winning titles and of course it is a profit when bonuses are not being paid to players for not winning titles. Everything reeks, even though they are still competing for all three titles, there is no sense of optimism anymore and they could be out of all three competitions in a couple of months. Thus, it’s time for the board to resign and call for early elections this summer while a Managing Commission takes over for the rest of the season so we can have a clean house of board, football manager, and B team manager. That’s the best way to give the fans some hope and ease the tension for now.

Will there be an inevitable divorce between Barça and Messi?

A week ago, there was panic in Barcelona over the comments made by Messi and his father about his future with Barça. A week later, we are celebrating Messi becoming the all-time goal scorer in Spanish league history and UEFA Champions League history. It has been all smiles for Messi but the question remains; will there be an inevitable divorce between Barça and Messi? History has shown that it is likely.

First of all off, congratulations to Messi on breaking two historic scoring records. Messi made his debut ten years ago and it was unfathomable that he would go on to accomplish so many feats with the Blaugrana. Where he ranks amongst the greatest players of all-time is up for debate. What is not debatable is that he is Barça’s greatest player of all time.

Barça have had many great players over the years and the majority share one thing in common; unhappy exits from the club. Throughout the history of the Blaugrana, many big name stars have exited the club for different reasons. It is very rare to see players retire as Barça players. Paulino Alcántara, Rexach, Migueli, Luis Enrique and Puyol are just some that come to mind that did. Some players in their mid-30’s, such as Cesar Rodriguez, left where their services were not needed and the players felt they still had some football left in them . Pep was 30 and wanted to play in other leagues. Kubala, the man the Camp Nou was built for, retired as a Barça player to become a youth manager before becoming the first team manager. However, his Barça coaching career did not last long and he was dismissed. Kubala wanted to still play for Barça but the club was not interested and he became a player manager for Espanyol where he teamed up with Real Madrid legend, Alfredo Di Stefano.

Barça’s first ever Golden Ball winner, Luis Suarez, exited the club because of financial reasons. The club had to cash in on their star player after they fell upon hard financial times. One of Barça’s first superstars, Josep Samitier, starred for Barça between 1919-1932. Unfortunately, he would become the first in a long line of Barça players who clashed with the board and left the club as a result. Samitier and the club had their differences and he left to join Real Madrid.

Maradona and Schuster both clashed with egotistical Barça president Núnez in the 80’s that saw Maradona get sold to Napoli while Schuster followed in Samitier’s path and joined Real Madrid when his contract ended. Others, such as Michael Laudrup and Romario had differences with Barça manager Johan Cruyff. Romario was off loaded after being in Cruyff’s doghouse following the 1994 World Cup success, while Michael Laudrup also joined the ranks of former Barça players to depart the club and join arch rivals Real Madrid. Laudrup was not selected by Cruyff for the 1994 European Cup Final because of the foreign players quotas at the time, so he joined Real Madrid the following season when his contract ended. There is also rumor that another reason why Cruyff dropped him was that Laudrup was fooling around with Cruyff’s daughter. Cruyff also had his problems with Barça president Núnez who ultimately fired the legendary manager.

Brazilians were no exception either after Romario. Brazilian legend Ronaldo also left the club after just one season after contract negotiations for a new contract fell apart and Inter ended up breaking the transfer fee record for him. Rivaldo on the other had problems with both the board and the manager Louis van Gaal and in the end, Rivaldo’s contract was terminated when Louis van Gaal was brought back to manage the club for a second stint. Ronaldinho went from savior to persona non-grata after many, including manager Pep Guardiola, thought he had lost his way and had become a negative influence on Messi. Brazilian born but Portuguese naturalized Deco had a quiet exit and joined Chelsea.

Even during Pep Guardiola’s era, Barça still had messy divorces with star players. This was however because of the manager, and not the board. Pep Guardiola tolerated the likes of Eto’o and Ibrahimovic for one season before ridding them from the club following clash of personalities. Even the return of the so-called prodigal son, Cesc Fábregas, lasted a few season before he was sold to Chelsea. More recently, Victor Valdés’s exit left a bitter taste for many Blaugrana faithful. Valdés never indicated his reason for leaving but there were whispers that he was not fond of the current Barça board, especially after not hiring his choice of goalkeeper coach when the position became available.

In a rarity, Hristo Stoichkhov left the club twice during the 90’s. The first time because of a deteriorating relationship with manager Johan Cruyff, and he was sold to Parma. He returned when Bobby Robson was the manager but his second exit, this time because of another Dutch manager, van Gaal, where the manager’s tactics were criticized by the Bulgarian Golden Ball winner. Hristo would leave the team and play in different countries before concluding his career in the MLS.

So what about Messi? Will he remain a Barça player till the day he retires or will he end up playing elsewhere else? As much as I am a football romantic, I am also a realist. History has shown us that the chances of Messi retiring as a Barça player are slim. Not one Barça Golden Ball winner has ever retired with this club. The comments from Messi and his father served as a warning shot to the board to not mistreat the player. It also enforced the belief that Messi will never leave the club unless the club wanted to sell him first. Hopefully, the next Barça board to take over from this inept board, and soon,  will make sure Messi stays with the club for a long time…….before he leaves Barça near the end of his career to play in Argentina for his childhood club, Newell’s Old Boys. At least that way, it will not be a messy divorce.