Helenio Herrera, a.k.a. “Know your Barca history”

By: Kevin | July 23rd, 2009

Helenio Herrera. Coached Barca from 1958-1960. Why is he important? Because the parallels with Pep Guardiola are uncanny. He came in, and took charge of a side that wasn’t achieving, like Guardiola. And….well….the Guardiola parallels are in bold.

He replaced Dolmingo Balmanya, who was fired essentially for not winning the league, in the face of the onslaught of the all whites. Guardiola replaced Frank Rijkaard, fired for two seasons of futility.

He used psychology to motivate his charges, and got the players believing they could win, and to believe in each other and work together. Guardiola also uses motivational techniques. Recall that Henrique, on his blog, wrote of never having before experienced a more close-knit team.

He upgraded (for that time) the thinking about the medicos, and training, working them hard and making sure that everyone was fit for the full 90 minutes. Guardiola has brought in an upgraded medical staff, and is very much into preventive maintenance and diet as part of an athlete’s regimen.

He changed the thinking about wingers, and brought the fullbacks forward on the attack. Guardiola ensured that the likes of Henry and Iniesta also worked as ball-winners, and thought always about having the ball, for the simple reason that if you have the ball, the other side can’t beat you.

He also worked very well with the cantera, filling first-team slots with those players for lesser competitions. Guardiola was the coach of the B side, and has brought up many a player from there. Busquets is now first team. He also used Pedro! Muniesa, Botia, VicSan and Jeffren, to name a few, and will stock the roster with them for the London friendlies.

In 1959, he grabbed the triplete of Spanish Cup (then), league and UEFA Cup. We know what Guardiola did, right.

Herrera kicked to the curb Ladislao Kubala, one of the all-time Barca greats, said Herrera because Kubala was inconsistent, great one day and merely average the next. Some laid it at the feet of Kubala’s fondness for the grape and the damsels. Kubala was accused of missing training sessions without excuse, or feigned injury, etc. Herrera’s decision sundered public opinion, as well as views inside the boardroom. But he got results. Guardiola/Eto’o. Say no more.

Herrera’s coaching career was short, from 1958-1960 the first go-round. As soon as he didn’t have the same level of success, he was dumped, in part because of his relationship with a strong-willed president, Francesc Miro-Sans. Herrera was brought back in the early 1980s, but couldn’t replicate that same magic. Guardiola hasn’t suffered this same fate yet, but Laporta is certainly strong-willed, and closely linked to Guardiola.

Uncanny, right? I admit to being floored by the parallels. But here’s hoping that some don’t come true, that the team doesn’t achieve decreasing levels of success. Forca Barca!