FCBARCELONA.CAT

10.06.2008 10:48

Fifteenth Catalan coach

www.fcbarcelona.cat

Josep Guardiola will be the fifteenth Catalan coach in the history of Barça. The last one was Carles Rexach in the 2001-02 season.

Over the course of its nearly 109 years of history, Barça has had 50 managers. The latest is Josep Guardiola who will also become the fifteenth Catalan to hold the post. From Forns to Rexach, below are Barça’s Catalan managers.

Forns the pioneer

Barça’s first Catalan manager was Romà Forns who was in charge for the 1927-28 and 28-29 seasons. In the second of these Barça won the first League title in its history. There were four more Catalan coaches over the next twenty years: Josep Planas in the 39-40 and 40-41 seasons, Ramon Guzman in 41-42, Josep Samitier from 1944 to 1947 and Ramon Llorens in 1950.

The time with most Catalans

In the 56-57 season Domènec Balmanya kicked off a period which featured the most Catalan coaches. Balmanya was there for another season followed by Enric Rabassa (1960), Lluís Miró (1961), Josep Gonzalvo (1963), Vicenç Sasot (1964-65), Salvador Artigas (1967-69) and Josep Seguer 1969-70. Then came a pause which wasn’t broken until the arrival of Joaquim Rifé in the 79-80 season.

18 years later

It would be 18 years before a Catalan was in the manager’s seat again, when Carles Rexach was in charge for a King’s Cup match in 1988 when Luis Aragonés was indisposed. Rexach did the same in the 90-91 and 95-96 seasons, firstly standing in for Cruyff for 9 games when he was on sick leave for a heart complaint, and the second time after the Dutchman was fired.

Six seasons later, Rexach again took the reigns at the start of the 2001-02 season. Since then no Catalan has been Barça’s coach until the arrival of Guardiola.

Click here to see a complete list of all Barça's coaches.