Spain

 

VAN GAAL “KING” OF CATALONIA


Even without Ronaldo, Barcelona overcomes the surprising
Athletic Bilbao and wins the Liga


This season Barcelona ousted Real Madrid from the top of the Spanish football by winning both the Championship and the national Cup (defeating Maiorca by the penalty kicks).
A very controversial season which risked to become a real failure before Van Gaal turned it into a great personal success, at the end of his first year in Spain.
Van Gaal changed several times his formation, was eliminated from the Champions League, repudiated the Portuguese Vitor Baia and Fernando Couto, and required the acquisition of his pupils Michael Reiziger and Winston Bogarde (both coming from an unsuccessful stint with Milan).
One year ago Van Gaal agreed with Barcelona’s President Nunez to reorganize the juvenile area of the Catalan Club but shortafter he was called to coach the major team by replacing Bobby Robson, who just after winning the Cup of Cups quietly accepted to step aside accepting a new, curious appointment as a “Coordinator of the football operations”.
Robson stayed behind the scenes without taking advantage of Van Gaal’s troubles during the first half of the season and, as soon as Barcelona officially became the Spanish champion, he announced the beginning of a new personal challenge as a PSV Eindhoven’s coach.
Van Gaal had to face several critics because of the unexpected elimination from the Champions League but at the same time a few thought that a Barcelona without Ronaldo could win the national Title overcoming Real Madrid.
Especially considering that Ronaldo’s heir Anderson had some controversy with his Holland coach and for the same reason former Milan’s Dugarry was traded to Marseille.
Goals came from Luis Enrique and from Rivaldo, another crack of the market, who was acquired from La Coruna a few hours before the start of the season, trying to make up for the loss of Ronaldo.
The final result was better than any expectation but problems were many along the way.
However Van Gaal proved to be brave and talented enough to face these obstacles.
He got rid of icons like Ferrer and launched his favourite Reiziger, leaving Abelardo on the bench and Fernando Couto in the stands.
Then he moved Sergi to the midfield and Bogarde in the middle of his defense.
He overcame the injuries of Guardiola and De la Pena by turning Celades into a playmaker, a move that could seem risky at the beginning but that was eventually adopted by the same coach of the Spanish national team Clemente.
Figo never lost his brilliant pace and was chosen as the new captain because of his talent and his personality.
Stoichkov instead decided to give up and aiming at the next World Cup in France tore his contract with Barcelona and moved back to Bulgaria.
Still the main disappointments were Barcelona’s rivals.
Disappointing was Jupp Heynckes’ Real Madrid that lost both the matches versus Barcelona and couldn’t repeat the success achieved the previous season with Capello.
Useless were the change of the goalkeeper (Illgner for Canizares) and the arrival of former Sampdoria’s Karembeu.
The forwards were also disappointing: Suker, Raul and Mijatovic who was distracted by his goals with the Jugoslav national team and then got injured.
The young Morientes couldn’t be enough to solve all these problems but still he finally ousted a starting role from Suker.
Things didn’t go better for Atletico Bilbao (that is now restarting with Sacchi), for Ranieri’s Valencia and for Deportivo La Coruna.
Also Betis was disappointing and next season Denilson could be not enough.
Very good performances were instead offered by Maiorca, Celta, Real Sociedad and especially Athletic Bilbao, that will play the next Champions League.

 

Top 11 of Barcelona champion

 

  role nationality

data
di nascita
Ruud Hesp goalkeeper olandese 31-10
1965
Albert Ferrer defender spagnolo 6-6-1970
Michael Reiziger defender olandese 3-5-1973
Miguel A. Nadal defender spagnolo 28-7
1966
Winston Bogarde defender olandese 22-10
1970
Figo Luis F. midfielder portoghese 4-11
1972
Albert Celades midfielder spagnolo 29-9
1975
Sergi Barjuan midfielder spangolo 28-12
1971
Sonny Anderson forward brasiliano 19-9
1970
Rivaldo Vitor B. forward brasiliano 19-4
1972
Luis Enrique Martinez forward spagnolo 8-5-1970
Louis Van Gaal allenatore olandese 8-8-1951
 

Top 11 of season 1997-98

 

Player role nationality date of birth team
Cesar Sanchez goalkeeper spagnolo 2-9
1971		 Real Valladolid
Michel Salgado defender spagnolo 22-10
1975 		Celta
Mauricio Pochettino defender argentino 2-3
1972		 Espanyol
Hristo Vidakovic defender jugoslavo 5-1
1969 		Betis Siviglia
Nacho defender spagnolo 3-2
1967 		Compostela
Figo
Luis F.		 midfielder portoghese 4-11
1972 		Barcellona
Mazinho midfielder brasiliano 8-4
1966 		Celta
Paulo Bento midfielder portoghese 20-6
1969 		Oviedo
Roberto Pompei midfielder argentino 14-3
1970 		Oviedo
Christian Vieri forward italiano 12-7
1973 		Atlético Madrid
Luis Enrique forward spagnolo 8-5
1970 		Barcellona
Claudio Ranieri allenatore italiano 20-10
1951 		Valencia
 

Leaderboard of Liga

 

Leaderboard Points g v n p gf gs
BARCELLONA (champion) 74 38 23 5 10 78 56
Athletic Bilbao 65 38 17 14 7 52 42
Real Sociedad 63 38 16 15 7 60 37
Real Madrid 63 38 17 12 9 63 45
Atlético Madrid 60 38 16 12 10 79 56
Maiorca 60 38 16 12 10 55 39
Celta 60 38 17 9 12 54 47
Betis Siviglia 59 38 17 8 13 49 50
Valencia 55 38 16 7 15 58 42
Espanyol 53 38 12 17 9 44 31
Real Valladolid 50 38 13 11 14 36 47
Deportivo La Coruña 49 38 12 13 13 44 46
Saragozza 48 38 12 12 14 45 53
Salamanca 45 38 12 9 17 46 46
Santander 45 38 12 9 17 46 55
Tenerife 45 38 11 12 15 44 57
Compostela 44 38 11 11 16 56 66
Oviedo 40 38 9 13 16 36 51
Mérida 39 38 9 12 17 33 53
Sporting Gijon 13 38 2 7 29 31 80


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