Buckingham lost the reins of the team just as any possibility of winning the title was about to be ruled out. They were ninth in the League, seven points behind the leader. Finally, the situation improved considerably and the team ended up in fourth place.
1969 was a historic year, not only because of an epic victory, but because of the scandal caused by the referee Guruceta in the Camp Nou. In the Cup semi-finals, Barça were playing Real Madrid. Rifé tackled Velázquez and the referee awarded a penalty for a foul that had clearly taken place outside the area. The scandal was monumental.
The following season, the team were runners-up in the league and won the Cup after an exciting 4-3 extra time victory in the final against Valencia. However, a back injury forced him out of the job at the end of the season and he was substituted by the prestigious Marianus Michels, who had been coaching Ajax Amsterdam.
