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.
No comments:
Post a Comment