Former English footballer and coach Terry Venables, who coached FC Barcelona in the 1980s and the England team in the 1990s, has died at the age of 80, according to his family.
He managed FC Barcelona between 1984 and 1987, managing to win the League in his first season at the head of the Blaugrana bench. He also managed to take the Catalan club to the final of the 1986 European Cup. They lost on penalties against Steaua Bucharest and it would not be until six years later when Barça would manage to lift their first European title at Wembley, with Johan Cruyff in the bench.
Venables died yesterday, Saturday, after a long illness, his family said in a statement released by the British media. "FC Barcelona deeply regrets the death of Terry Venables, Barça coach from 1984 to 1987. Our condolences to his loved ones. May he rest in peace," FC Barcelona wrote on its social networks.
Before being a coach, he was a player. He wore the Chelsea shirt for more than two hundred games and also played for Tottenham and Queens Park Rangers. In addition, he was capped by England on two occasions.
When he retired he moved to the bench. His great opportunity came from his supporter Bryan Robson, who recommended him for the FC Barcelona bench in 1984. In one year he led the Catalans to their first League title since 1974, in a team in which Bernd Schuster stood out in the midfield.
In 1986, he managed to qualify Barça for the European Cup final in Seville against Steaua Bucharest, an unfortunate memory for the Spanish club when they lost on penalties after the match ended 0-0.
Dismissed in September 1987, just two months later he was called up by Tottenham, to whom he won the FA Cup in 1991. But if Venables is remembered for something in his country, it is for his period at the helm of the English team, with which was on the verge of reaching the final of the Euro Cup of which they were hosts in 1996. After having eliminated Spain on penalties in the quarterfinals, England fell in the same way against Germany in the semifinals.
As a coach he also managed other Premier teams such as Leeds and Crystal Palace. All of them have shared messages of mourning on their social networks. "The Club is very sad to hear of the passing of former player and coach Terry Venables. Our deepest condolences go out to Terry's friends and family at this incredibly difficult time. In tribute, we will offer a minute of applause before kick-off and our players will wear black armbands during this afternoon's match against Aston Villa. Rest in peace, Terry," Tottenham writes.
One of the players coached by Venables was Gary Lineker, now a British television star, who declared himself "devastated" by the news and considered the deceased "the best and most innovative" coach he worked with.
