FC Barcelona Away 1996/1997
After legendary coach Johan Cruyff fell out with chairman Josep Lluís Núñez, Cruyff left. Sir Bobby Robson to took over in 1996. After the old guard left it was time for a new generation. Robson brought Ronaldo, Giovanni, Laurent Blanc and Luis Enrique to the club.
With an inspiring style of play they utilized Ronaldo’s quality’s. He was the absolute new star on the scene, scoring 47 times in 48 games got the fans in Catalunya to their feet. Ronaldo was a real force, scoring with both feet and dazzled through defenses on his own. He played the game like nobody had played it before. He was the world’s best player by FIFA in both years.
Everyone remembers the goal against Compostela. The date was October 12 1996, and the venue was San Lazaro. The crowd numbered 12,000. But the only detail that really mattered was that Ronaldo was on the move with the ball at his feet and that meant there was nothing that any defender in the world could do about it.
They tugged at his shirt near the halfway line. They tried to knock him off his feet. But he was too strong, too speedy, too skilful. The two defenders were speechless. Another two with some lightning quick footwork inside the box. The finish was the easy bit.
Sir Bobby Robson, the new Barcelona manager, looked on in sheer disbelief but he was not alone. Nobody at Barcelona had ever seen a goal like this before. But then, nobody at Barcelona, nobody anywhere, had ever seen a player like Ronaldo before.
Ronaldo initially signed for eight seasons in Camp Nou. But his representatives bundled him and transferred him to Inter Milan before the Copa Del Rey was won. Barcelona did not win La Liga that season but when Paris Saint-Germain were beaten 1-0 in the European Cup Winners’ Cup Final, Ronaldo did deliver a European trophy with one of his 47 goals for the club. This shirt was worn during that final in Rotterdam.
He was still only 20 at the time. To put that into some sort of context, neither Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi managed 20 goals in a season before their 21st birthday let alone nearly 50. There was a reason why they called him El Fenomeno.
This was a season of extraordinary highs and maddening distractions in a hectic haze of hype and hysteria. He wowed the crowds but they whistled him too. The drama was endless. The speculation constant. It was a career crammed into a year. And nobody who witnessed it will ever forget it. Ronaldo went on to become one of the best strikers football has ever seen.
The Shirt
If you are a fan of Barça, you can be like El Fenomeno again! Think about the head that will be turn if you walk around the city with this iconic piece. Or the looks you will get when you visit your local gym to work out. The shirt is light blue with a pattern coming through in the shirt. If you like a player name on the back, please select before adding the shirt to the basket. You can now finally order your legendary FC Barcelona Away 1996/1997, here.
Please consent the size chart before purchasing the products.
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