Josep Lluis Nunez: Story of the man who hired Johan Cruyff and oversaw Barcelonas ascent to the European throne
Recognised and supported around the world, known for their attacking football and for featuring many of the greatest players of all time, Barcelona are undoubtedly one of the global super clubs.Josep Llus Nez was a definitive part of making that a reality.The former Barcelona president, who died at the age of 87 on Monday, was and will remain a divisive figure, but regardless his name will go down as a key one in creating the Bara of today.Whether Barcelona makes you think of Diego Maradona, Romario, Michael Laudrup, Rivaldo or the brilliant mind of Johan Cruyff, it is in some way because of Nez.By extension, if it makes you think of Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho or Pep Guardiola, then the lineage can be traced back to the late president.
4Without Nez, the modern day Barcelona would probably look a lot differentNez was in charge at the Camp Nou for 22 years, the longest of anyone in the clubs history. For some perspective, consider that he took the reins just as Cruyff was departing as a player, then relinquishing them just as Messi was about to sign on a paper napkin to move to the now iconic building known as La Masia the foundations of which had been laid early in his presidency.From 77,000 club members when he started to 106,000 when he left, at a local level, Barcelonas growth in popularity under him is easily quantifiable. At an international level, his influence can be seen in the lengthy list of superstars who chose to sign for the Blaugrana during his tenure: Maradona for a record fee, then European Championship winner Bernd Schuster, then Golden Boot winner Gary Lineker. Ronald Koeman, Laudrup, Hristo Stoichkov, Romario, Ronaldo and Rivaldo the enviable list rolls on and on.
4Appointing former player Johan Cruyff as manager was a masterstrokeThe smartest thing Nez ever did, however, and the move that has without a doubt had the longest-lasting impact on Barcelona as well as the football world, was appointing Cruyff as manager in 1988. At that moment the hangover from missing out on the European Cup in 1986 plus a messy dispute with players over pay dominated the atmosphere at the Camp Nou. Then their former player was brought back and tasked with rebuilding, 10 years after leaving.We all know how that worked out. With the backing of Nez, Cruyff completed an overhaul of the Bara squad, and after a slow start eventually went on to win four leagues in a row, playing mesmerising attacking football to which there are still clear links to this day.Nezs crowning jewel came at Wembley in 1992 when Cruyff finally guided Barcelona to their first ever European Cup thanks to a winning goal from one of the players the manager had been allowed to bring in, Ronald Koeman.
4Barcelona’s 1992 European Cup winners were known as the ‘Dream Team’Nezs relationship with Cruyff eventually broke down in dramatic, ugly fashion, resulting in the coach being sacked in 1996 following a string of smears on his name, and the presidents position never really recovered. The move created a divide that can still be felt to this day among Barcelona supporters, between those who backed Cruyff and those who backed the president. Successors Bobby Robson and Louis van Gaal could not deliver the same level of stylish glory that fans had become used to, so there was to be no forgiving and forgetting.Pressed by a generational change that eventually resulted in Joan Laportas presidency a couple of years later and all of the success that followed, Nez finally resigned in 2000, proclaiming that they crucified Jesus Christ, too in typically understated fashion. Incredibly, his lowest point was yet to come. In 2011 the former construction magnate was convicted of bribery, and spent several months in prison at the age of 83.
4At the age of 83, Nunez spent time behind bars after being convicted of briberyAs messy as things would ultimately get however, that Nez had an impact for the good of Bara is not up for debate. Veteran Catalan journalist Antoni Bassas described him on Monday as the father of the modern Bara, under who Bara ended up definitively becoming a winning club.Cruyff may have been the mastermind of that on the sidelines the one responsible for the footballing vision and the details but without Nez putting him in the job in the first place there is no Dream Team. By extension, there would be no Pep Team either. Modern football would look very different without Nezs rule over the Camp Nou.
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