Terry Venables dies at 80: Former Barcelona stars recall 'innovator', 'revolutionary' and 'great showman' who 'transformed the team' after Diego Maradona's exit

By
published

The Ex-England manager spent three seasons at Camp Nou in the 1980s and led the Catalan club to league title after a long drought

Terry Venables at Barcelona in 1986.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

A number of former Barcelona players have paid tribute to Terry Venables following the news of their ex-coach's death on Sunday.

Venables passed away on Saturday after a long illness, his family said in a statement, and tributes have been pouring in for the former England manager.

Gary Lineker, who was signed by Venables to play at Barcelona in 1985, led those tributes with a heartfelt message on X (formerly Twitter).

The former England striker called Venables "the best, most innovative coach that I had the privilege and pleasure of playing for."

And in Spain, a number of other former Barcelona players remembered Venables following the news on Sunday.

Victor Muñoz, who won La Liga under Venables at Barça in 1984/85, said: "He was an innovator in football concepts like pressing the opponent, which really surprised [people] in La Liga when he arrived at Barça and he led us to that title after a drought."

And he added: "He was a warm and happy man who I met years later, outside of football, sometimes in England. It is a very sad day for football and for Barça. He came with his ideas and was able to carry them out by having the right players for it.

"It was not an easy stage for him because he opted for British players who at that time did not adapt well to the league because football was not so globalised.

"He transformed the team after the departure of [Diego] Maradona and it was a shame about the European Cup final that we lost in Seville against Steaua [Bucharest], which was very difficult to manage due to the circumstances. Rest in peace."

Barça lost on penalties to Steaua following a 0-0 draw in Seville and defender Migueli was also part of that team.

"He was a friend with whom we had a constant dialogue on improving doubts about football," he said. "Venables also confided in me. We had a good feeling. It's a great shame. My condolences to his family."

And the former defender added: "He was a revolutionary at that moment. It allowed us to win the league. He was an honest coach with innovative ideas who knew how to breathe fresh air into the team, who liked to work on strategy and brought in a pressing [style] which was key."

On his personality, he said: "He was charismatic. And always joking."

Lobo Carrasco, a winger at Barça under Venables, said: "A shame. An unforgettable person and coach, who brought high pressing to Spain for the first time and a defensive system which saw our opponents enter a funnel and drawn to the centre-backs.

Terry Venables and assistant Allan Harris look on during the penalty shootout between Barcelona and Steaua Bucharest in the 1986 European Cup final in Seville.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

"I enjoyed myself a lot in attack. I had a good relationship with him. He was charismatic and a fun person, with a good character and he liked to sing. He transmitted good vibes to the dressing room.

"He was very intelligent. He spoke to the press in English in order to give himself time to think of his answers."

And in an emotional tweet, he added: "The lights went out but [you are] always in [our] memory, Terry. Great strategist and, on a personal note, an unexpected showman. A pleasure to play and live together on the historic path of our FC Barcelona."

Captain Jose Ramon Alexanko, who was Barça captain under Venables, said: "Terry was a very positive guy, a delight of a person. He implemented a different kind of football with a lot of pressure and did a lot of work on the physical aspect.

"I had a lot of contact with him and he was not intimidated by anything. The only thing missing was the icing on the cake of the European Cup.

And he added: "I scored many goals in the strategy and that gave me a boost."

Left-back Julio Alberto said goodbye to his "friend" with a post on Instagram and later told Mundo Deportivo: "How I feel his loss, how I loved that man, how I enjoyed myself and how he tought me.

"I've just opened my phone and I have a load of messages there from so many people to talk about Terry. It's a very sad say. My deepest condolences to his family."

Read more

Former England manager Terry Venables passes away at the age of 80

England's formations at Euro 96: a tactical evolution under Terry Venables

Euro 96, the complete history: England vs Scotland and the story behind Gazza's great goal

Ben Hayward
Ben Hayward
Weekend editor

Ben Hayward is a European football writer and Tottenham Hotspur fan with over 15 years’ experience, he has covered games all over the world - including three World Cups, several Champions League finals, Euros, Copa America - and has spent much of that time in Spain. Ben speaks English and Spanish, currently dividing his time between Barcelona and London, covering all the big talking points of the weekend on FFT: he’s also written several list features and interviewed Guglielmo Vicario for the magazine.