In 1961, exactly 60 years ago, the Barça he was experiencing a very serious economic crisis. For 3 months,
Antoni Julià de Capmany chaired a Board Manager that he did make important decisions. Among them, sell to
Luisito
Suarez
al Inter de Milan for 25 million pesetas. Prior to that transfer, five heavyweight players in the locker room went to see the accidental president. That day, with
Ramallets
leading the way,
Segarra
,
Gensana
,
Vergés
Y
Olivella
They offered their money to the president to help the club. The phrase – taken literally by the then manager
Fabián Estapé
– was: “The money we have we have earned at the club, if now the Barcelona they have difficulties, we leave them the money ”. According
Estapé
, that loan was never made effective, but it did show to what extent the players felt the colors. Own
Estapé
asked those present that their offer did not leave that room because, if it were known, everyone would think that this Barça in debt he was on the verge of bankruptcy. Not two months ago, I spoke about it with Josep Pons
, the man who knows so much about masculine aesthetics as Barça 50’s. He himself called his friend
Fair
Tejada
to certify that historical circumstance. And the response was beyond expectations. The former player revealed that, given the seriousness of the situation, the entire squad – with one exception – agreed to lower their salary. It was not a deferral in payments but a reduction of what was stipulated in the contract of each one of them. A historic, exciting gesture, at the moment when the club needed it most.
This noon (2:00 p.m.), a few meters from the Camp Nou, the funeral of
Fair
Tejada
. The Tantori de Les Corts – nothing is by chance – is the point of the city closest to the corner of the north goal that the Barça winger frequented for eight seasons. From there, he would put precise centers – always with the open effect – at the head of his teammates. Tejada He is not just anybody in the history of Barça. He arrived from the subsidiary just after the Barça of the 5 Cups and was in the team until after the unfortunate final in Bern. He won the two consecutive leagues with Helenio Herrera. In the 58-59 season he was a fundamental player. With his 19 goals, he was only surpassed in the Pichichi by Of Stefano
(23),
Puskas
(21) and
Evaristo
(20), his Brazilian partner in the Barcelona attack. After five years at the club, Tejada he charged 125,000 pesetas per season.
Helenio
Herrera
Upon reaching the bench, he snapped: “You are going to collect 200,000.” So it was.
Tejada scored the second goal in the history of the Camp Nou, the day of its inauguration, after the initial goal of
Eulogio
Martínez
that was left for the books. After
Samitier
, Tejada He was also the second player in the history of the Barça in signing for him Real
Madrid. At the time there was a stir, but when he returned to Camp Nou With the white shirt he did not have a bad reception. The chronicles of the day afterBarça 3-Madrid 1) do not dedicate even half a line to the return of the extreme brave.
Last Sunday, before Barça-Athletic, the minute of silence dedicated to
Tejada
, with the field empty, shuddered even on television. Someone who was born on the day of Reyes it was a gift to everyone. Someone they baptized as Fair He lived up to his name until the last day.
Liked: Koeman’s first 30 games
Koeman He said yesterday at a press conference that he is happy in the Barça. We also with him on the bench. Now that he has been in charge of the team for 30 official games, it is time to draw conclusions about the evolution of a team that is physically and football much better than a year ago. Beyond the figure of 20 wins, 4 draws and 6 losses, the Barça is now a more compact team, more supportive and more worked in all facets. Perhaps the ball speed is less than in the first encounters with Koeman but, instead, it has gained in reliability and precision is greater. There are automatisms to start from behind, to build from the center of the field and, also, to attack. He did not marry 4-2-3-1 and the evolution to 4-3-3, with a pure winger on the field as Dembele It has given the team more bite and more difficulty defending rivals. The Barça He has dispensed with the high pressure all the time but has learned to choose the moments to go to steal the ball quickly upstairs. Get on De Jong and delay something to Pedri They have been two great successes. The team under construction grows, despite the 4 heavy casualties. Gone are those 4 childhood mistakes (Alaves, Cádiz, Athletic Y Eibar) which cost 6 points. If they do, the season would be remarkable.
I didn’t like: Font, Freixa, Laporta and the contract
Yesterday, in an interesting article by Màrius Carol in The vanguard as a result of the publication of the contract Messi, the journalist concluded that “the candidates for the presidency have it bad.” He argued that it will be impossible to continue paying these amounts as the club is. Well, precisely for that same reason, today the future president may have something better. Yes Messi He is leaving, which is his right, Barcelona fans will be able to understand that he is hurt by what he has experienced this year and, therefore, his departure will even be understandable. On the other hand, if the first choice of Messi is to stay and Laporta/Font/AshFrom the presidential responsibility, they offer him a contract far below the current one, which does not satisfy the minimum demands of the crack, the partner will also be able to put himself in the shoes of the new president. In times of pandemic and as the club’s coffers have been, it can be justified that it may be convenient to save that investment that is around 150 million. With an income of 1,000 it was manageable. With a budget of 800, less. With an income of 650, it will be impossible to return to those amounts. In that I do agree with the culé Carol. For now, Laporta, Font Y Ash coincide with practically all partners: Messi did not ruin the Barça. Unlike.
BAD MILK
1. The first 30 official matches of Koeman’s Barça (2020-21): 20 wins, 4 draws, 6 losses. Titles?
2. The first 30 official matches of the Cruyff cycle (1988-89): 19 wins, 8 draws, 3 losses. The Recopa was won.
3. The first 30 official games of Guardiola’s cycle (2008-09): 24 wins, 3 draws, 3 losses. He won the triple crown.
4. The first 30 official matches of the Luis Enrique cycle (2014-15): 24 wins, 2 draws and 4 losses. He won the triple crown.
