02.06.2010 13:24
Three Years as Barca Manager
Sandra Sarmiento
Guardiola is looking forward to his third season in charge with an enviable haul of 7 titles already in the bag. Recent history augers well as Rijkaard did the double in his third season while Cruyff won his first league title with the Dream Team.
Most fans would agree that stability on the manager’s bench is vital. Right now, Pep
Guardiola is preparing his third season in charge and nobody doubts his ability to keep the
silverware coming in. However, it’s no mean feat to establish yourself as manager of one of
the biggest football clubs in the world. Barca have had 49 managers over the years and only 11 of
them have kept the job for 3 or more seasons.
Rijkaard and Paris
Rijkaard led Barca to
the league title for the first time in the 2004/05 and then in his third season took the Club to
their second ever Champions League.
Van Gaal and the Copa Catalunya
Louis van Gaal coached FC Barcelona on two separate occasions. From 1997 until 2000, he won
the league at his first two attempts but in his third season he could only lift a minor trophy, the
Copa Catalunya.
Cruyff and the Dream Team
Cruyff managed the Dream Team for 8 years, winning his first league title by a mile (10
points clear of second-placed Atletico Madrid) in the 1990/91 season. It was the beginning of one
of the most glorious periods in recent Barca history.
The first league title
Venables, Michels, Daucik, Enrique Fernandez, Samitier, Nogués, Greenwell and Roma Forns also
served as Barca managers for at least three years. In fact, Barca’s first ever league title
came in the third season of Romà Forns.