There is this retarded and simplistic myth (that many of our own fans propagandize, locals included) of Ronaldinho single-handedly saving Barça in 2003 and onwards on. Bullshit. What saved Barça was an entire new board with promising ideas and a clear plan (sporting and business) that changed the fortune of our club with hard work and not throwing the towel in the ring. Rijkaard was not many days/weeks away from getting fired after a disasterous/bad first half of the 2003-04 season that the same "savior" Ronaldinho was a key part of. Rosell and other board members wanted big changes in the squad too as a consequence. Laporta stayed true to his initial plans though and kept his head cool and rest is football history. Signing Davids in January 2004 was another master stroke.
I agree.
Regarding Laporta, that is my favorite era when Barca came from the bottom (early 2000s) to a current level (La Ligas in 2005 and 2006 with Joga Bonita and winning a CL after 14 years of misery).
I didn't get it then, but now that I am older, I see that Laporta and Rijkaard did a lot of things differently.
1. Laporta is better than Rosell and Barto
2. Laporta had a vision. He picked a new coach who was good with Netherlands and played good, attacking football
3. Laporta hired the best sporting director in Begiristain
4. Laporta, Begi and Rijkaard decided to turn the page and sold ALL seniors from the unsucessful era and turn a new page:
Gk Bonano, Enke
Defenders: Reiziger, Frank De Boer, Andersson, Christanval, Sorin,
Midfielders: Cocu, Riquelme, Mendieta, Rochemback,
Attackers: Saviola, Kluivert, Overmars, Dani Garcia, Lucho
5. further, Rijkaard had an awesome team. His assistant manager was Ten Cate.
He was in a team in 2004, 2005 and 2006 and then he moved to coach Ajax.
When Ten Cate left a team, we started our downfall.
So, basically, maybe we had 2 coaches and not only 1?
6. Further, Begiristain was awesome and his transfers were awesome.
This is a list of all his good and bad transfers:
Good: Ronaldinho, Marquez, Davids (loan), Gio (loan+buy), Larsson (free), Deco, Guily, Edmilson, Belletti, Sylvinho, Etoo, Van Bommel (free), Henry, Yaya Toure, Abidal
Bad: Rustu Recber, Quaresma, Maxi Lopez, Ezquerro (free), Zambrotta, Thuram, Gudjohnsen, Gabriel Milito (injuries)
His success rate was 15:8, which is around 65%.
Now, compare that work to current directors and transfers of: Denis, Gomes, Paco, Digne, Dembele, Coutinho, Arda, Neymar (attempt no2) etc.
6. Further, I remember when Rijkaard said in 2005 that they were buying ONLY Players who were captains, leaders and best players of their teams.
He said: I want a team of warriors and leaders. Who are also awesome players.
Larsson was a leader of Celtic and Sweden.
Van Bommel was a captain of Netherlands and Psv.
Edmilson was a captain (iirc) of Lyon.
Marquez was a captain of Mexico and Monaco.
Guily was a captain of Monaco who has just played in a CL final against Porto.
Deco was a key player of Porto who won a CL under Porto in 2004.
Ronnie was a key young player of Brasil in winning a WC in 2002.
Xavi was the best player of all youth Spanish teams who were winning world cups.
Iniesta also.
Now, compare that to a current era of Andre Gomes, Denis, Digne, Paco, Dembele, Malcom and Coutinho.
7. further, I have mentioned in the past, but folks didn't agree:
I personally like more when our directors and coaches are midfielders or attackers.
For example, Pep was a pivot. He was watching build up, movement off the ball, defending, how to unlock defenses for 15 years.
Of course that he "knows" how to set a team.
Rijkaard was also a pivot. Of course that his team was tactically good and very strong in defense.
Further, Begiristain was a winger during dream team.
He also learned from Crujff.
Now, when you pair Begiristain who worked under Pep and played for Barca with Rijkaard who came from Netherlands and played under Van Gaal at Ajax, chances are way higher that you will recognize talent.
Also, since Rijkaard played for Milan in 90s, he knew what type of winning mentality players need to have. He won 3 Cls with Milan and Ajax and Euro 88.
This is why he was buying those leaders, captains and warriors.
Now, when Rosell and Barto came, their sporting director was Zubi.
He was a GK.
No offense to anyone, but which is more likely:
1) that a GK will be better at spotting talent for Barca
2) or a midfielder/attacker?
Now, our director is Abidal.
Imo, he is hired only because he is a former player and survived a cancer, so that Barto gets points with fans.
But again, he was a fullback who was a crap in attack, like Semedo.
Now, imagine in 20 years:
1) would you rather have Busi/Xavi as a director?
2) Semedo?
3) or Mats?
This is exactly how I am looking at Zubi, Abidal vs Pep, Rijkaard and Begiristain.
Further, we have just hired Valdes, as a new youth coach, another GK...
Also, an interesting thing, Begiristain went to City in 2012, and of course that all of their transfers are AWESOME, unlike ours.
So, a good team should have:
1. money
2. a good sporting director with knowledge and vision
3. a good coach and his team
Today, we have only:
1. money
2. our directors suck
3. our coach and his team sucks
8. Also, back then, we didn't buy young players at all.
Ronnie and Etoo were 23 and 24. They were the youngest players.
Other guys were usually aged 25-28.
The only kid whom we bought was Quaresma, and he sucked like Dembele.
Rijkaard and Begiristain NEVER again bought a youngster from 2004 to 2009.
Yet, a current board is obsessed with Dembele, Malcom, Denis, Gomes, Paco, Digne, Mina, Todibo, Lenglet, Arthur etc.
9. Laporta hired 2 coaches:
1. Rijkaard, 3 times CL winner and Euro 88 winner
2. Pep, a pivot in Crujff's Dream team
Rosell and Barto hired:
Tito
Tata
Lucho, a former star
Valverde, a former squad player
And we were on a verge of hiring Unzue, lol.
Now take a lok at Laporta's and Barto's list of coaches and their career's, knowledge and personality pre Barca.
