Sacred champion of Saudi Arabia with Al-Ittihad, from his first season on the bench, Laurent Blanc probably does not regret having joined Karim Benzema in Djeddah. One of the good choices of his coach career. That of signing to FC Barcelona when he was a player in 1996 was also a good decision, also successful.
The “president” won the Spanish Super Cup, the Spanish Cup and the European Cup Cup. But his adventure in Catalonia only lasted, the former French central defender who joined OM the following summer. A sudden departure. “There was a circumstances competition”he confides to the Catalan sports daily
Sport.
Laurent Blanc in the jersey of FC Barcelona, in February 1997.
“Already, my signature in Barcelona, she is paradoxical because I am free to get involved anywhere and I'm ready to go and play in an English club. And at one point, there is Mr. Cruyff who calls me. He calls my agent and he said to him, 'That he doesn't move, I want to meet him, I want to speak to him and convince him to come to Barcelona'. »»
Laurent Blanc signs, Johan Cruyff gets fired
“Mr. Cruyff, well … so I say: 'I'm going to Barcelona'. He even suits me the contract: 'Laurent, you will sign two years, we will play like that. Tonight, I take you to the restaurant and we're going to talk about how we're going to play '. And in the hour that followed, he was dismissed. I said to myself: 'No, is it a joke?!' But no. And he calls me to tell me that he will not be the coach. »»
@diariosport🔴 𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐀 𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓 | Laurent Blanc: “Cruyff me dijo 'firma, that vamos a jugar así', una hora más tarde lo descidieron” 👀 así fue la historia ♬ sonido original – Diario sport
Bobby Robson is then recruited by the FCB to succeed the legendary Dutch. And the English coach
“Does not have the same vision” that his predecessor, dixit Laurent Blanc: “We were doing a happy new year, I identified myself with the game, but then Mr. Robson leaves, (Louis) Van Gaal arrives and he brings a wave of Dutch players. »»
The start of the end for him and a good part of the locker room:
“Many players left, who were much more identified at Barça than me. The Stoichkov, Pep (Guardiola), Popescu, Abelardo. Ronaldo also left. So I was part of this wave and went to my great regret. To my great regret. But I broke out for a year. »»
