FCBARCELONA.CAT

10.09.2009 14:06

Three culés at Getafe

Jesús Carrillo

Since the 2004/05 Getafe have had five coaches and no less than three of them have been former players of FC Barcelona as Bernd Schuster, Michael Laudrup and Víctor Muñoz.

Starting their sixth campaign in the top flight this term, since being promoted in 2003/04, Los Azulones have grown in stature since that debit campaign when staying up was the priority. Quique Sánchez Flores oversaw promotion and the club's first campaign in La Primera before he left to take over at Valencia.

Schuster the first

Schuster became the first former Blaugrana star to take the rains at the Madrid-based club. The German had already proven himself as a coach in Spanish football during spells with Xerez and Levante. In his first season at the Coliseum Alfonso Pérez, Schuster guided the team to ninth in the table and had few concerns about going down.

In his second season, 2006/07, Schuster improved on that first year and led the team to the Copa del Rey final after beating Barça in an historic semi-final tie. Sevilla proved to be too much for Getafe in the final itself, but just being there was a sign that the club was growing.

Laudrup the second

Laudrup was then asked to take the reins after Schuster chose to try his luck at Real Madrid and the Dane did well in his one and only season at the helm.

The team were never likely to go down under the former Barça playmaker, but it was in the UEFA Cup that the team shone as they reached the quarter finals where they met Bayern Munich. After drawing the first leg in Germany, Los Azulones took a 3-1 lead in Madrid only to see the visitors score twice to progress on away goals.

Víctor the third

Muñoz was the last former Barça star to take over at Getafe, but he did not enjoy the same good fortune that his predecessors did and was sacked five games from the end of last season with the team involved in a struggle to stay up. Michel took over and earned eight points from the last 15 to stay up.