The first meeting for Eusebio Sacristán as a coach against FC Barcelona

The visit of Real Sociedad to Camp Nou this Saturday at 4.00pm CET will be a special occasion for at least one man. The team from San Sebastián in the Basque Country come to Barcelona with a new coached recently appointed, Eusebio Sacristán. The man from Valladolid has only ever been charge in one game in the Spanish First Division and that was his debut as txuri-urdin coach in the 2-0 win over Sevilla last weekend. This weekend sees his first game away from home as coach and his first against his former club, FC Barcelona.

Blaugrana past

The name of Eusebio Sacristán is one that immediately brings to mind Barça. He joined the Club as a player in the 1988/89 season, arriving from Atlético Madrid. His seven seasons as a blaugrana coincided with one of the most successful periods in the team’s history, the era of the Dream Team. Eusebio claimed four league titles, a Copa del Rey, a European Cup Winners Cup, a Spanish Super Cup and, most notably of all, the first European Cup in the Club’s history with the victory over Sampdoria at Wembley in 1992.

Once he hung up his boots as a player he moved into coaching and his first job was at FC Barcelona. In 2003 he joined Frank Rijkaard’s coaching team and claimed another two league titles and another Champions League title.  Once Rijkaard’s time at the Club as coach was over, Eusebio also moved on, taking the job at Celta Vigo. In 2011 he returned to FC Barcelona to take charge of Barça B. Over four successful seasons the high point came in the season 2013/14 when the team finished in third place in the Spanish Second Division.