FCBARCELONA.CAT

12.05.2009 10:40

What was the current squad doing in 1998?

Sergi Nogueras

It’s 11 years since Barça was last in the Spanish Cup Final. That’s so long ago that most of the players in the current squad still hadn’t even started playing professional football. Let’s see what they were doing at the time.

Valdés: “In the 97/98 season I was playing for the under-16s A team and the coach was Albert Benaiges. It was my third year at La Masia and I remember we watched it in the TV room at La Masia with Andrés Iniesta and other youth team players. Like a lot of people what sticks in the mind for me is Ruud Hesp saving the last penalty with his foot.”

Cáceres: “I was 11 and playing for Defensor Sporting Montevideo youth teams. That’s always been my club in Uruguay. We call the youth teams different names there and I was in the ‘Spring Onions'.”

Piqué: “I saw that final at home with a friend, my parents and my brother. I was only 11 and played for the under-12s A team. Of course there was no way I could imagine that I’d be playing in Barça’s next final.”

Márquez: “I was still playing at Atlas in Mexico under Lavolpe. A bit later on I moved to Monaco in Europe.”

Puyol: “I was 20 and playing for Barça B under Gonzalvo. That year we got promotion to Second Division A by winning in Santiago Bernabéu. I saw the final in a flat I was sharing with other academy players after having left La Masia.”

Xavi: “That season I was in Barça B, though I was already training with the first team and I went to Mestalla to watch. We went down early in the morning on the Euromed with the families of the other players.”

Gudjohnsen: “At that time I’d just gone back to Iceland as my contract with PSV Eindhoven had ended after we’d won the League. A bit later on I signed for Bolton.”

Iniesta: “I’d been in La Masia for two years and I watched the game in the TV room with other resident players including Víctor Valdés. I was playing for the under-14s with Ursicinio López as coach. We won the League that year.”

Eto'o: “That year I was on loan at CD Leganés, in the Second Division A. Two years later I signed for Mallorca and from there came to Barça.”

Messi: “I was ten and in Argentina at Rosario. A bit later on I came to Barcelona to join the academy.”

Bojan: “I was seven and was still playing for the under-8s at Bellpuig. The following year I joined Barça’s academy.”

Pinto: “It was my first season with Celta Vigo. Víctor Fernández was the coach. I saw the game at home in Vigo.”

Henry: “I was at Monaco under Jean Tigana. That year we played in the CL semi-finals against Juventus with Del Piero and Zidane, and a few months later I won the World Cup with France. I didn’t see the final but I remember the side amongst other things because my great buddy Sonny Anderson was playing for them.”

Keita: “I was 18 and playing for Olympique Marseilles, my first team in Europe.”

Sylvinho: “At the time I was trying to win the Brazilian League with Corinthians. Wanderlei Luxemburgo was manager and in the end we won the title. I don’t recall seeing the game and didn’t think I’d end up at Barça.”

Milito: “That was my first season in Independiente’s first team and I was only 17. The manager was Menotti. We followed Mallorca because there were lots of Argentineans. I don’t recall seeing the whole game but I did see the highlights and the shoot-out.”

Dani Alves: “In 98 I didn’t imagine I’d end up playing in a Cup final for Barça. I was 15 and playing for Sport Club Baia under-16s. It was my last season in Brazil before going to Seville.”

Hleb: “That was my first season at Stuttgart, and my first outside Belorussia.”

Abidal: “I was 19 and starting out in the semipro game. I played for Lyon Duchere in a top regional league. I’d just got over a serious injury and was enjoying playing again.”

Touré: “I was 15 and playing youth football at ASEC and living in Abidjan with my parents. Barça was already famous in Ivory Coast but I don’t think I saw the Mallorca final.”

Jorquera: “That was my last season at Barça C before moving up to Barça B. The coach was Joan Vilà. I saw the game on TV with my family at home in Girona.”

Víctor Sánchez: “I was 11 and playing for Jabac Terrassa. That year my coach with the under-12s A team was Sergio Lobera, who later on was a Barça academy coach. I watched the final at home.”

Pedro: “I was playing in the under-12s A team at San Isidro, my club before I joined the Barça academy in the under-18s. I watched the game at home with my family.”

Sergio Busquets: “My dad wasn’t called up for the game and we went down on Euromed on matchday. My granddad came with us. I was then playing for Barberà.”