There’s a photograph doing the rounds of Pep Guardiola, then a wide-eyed 15-year-old ball boy, looking up to Terry Venables after the grinning English coach had been hoisted onto the shoulders of two Barcelona players at the Camp Nou.
Venables had just guided Barcelona to the European Cup final in 1986, adding to his popularity after leading the Catalan team to its first Spanish league title in 11 years the previous season.
Guardiola was in Barcelona’s storied La Masia academy at the time and he could sense the impact Venables was having around the club.
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More than bringing some typically English elements — physicality, strength at set pieces, hard pressing and organisation — to the team, former Socceroos coach Venables also added tactical acumen to Barcelona and to Spanish football as a whole.
Plenty of excitement, too, as Barcelona finally started to compete again with the likes of Real Madrid, Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad for the league title.
Guardiola was in a reminiscent mood as he looked back with fondness at the short but very sweet era of Venables at Barcelona in the wake of his death at the age of 80 at the weekend.
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“His impact was incredible there,” the Manchester City manager said.
“He introduced some things that had never been (there) before. A certain type of pressing, set pieces — for example, I don’t remember how many goals (Jose Ramon) Alexanko, the central defender and captain, scored.
“I saw the games and thought, ‘Wow, they run a lot’, how good they press, the set pieces are good, the transitions, such a physical team, how he changed to different shapes. How fun was my club then, winning games, winning La Liga.”
On Monday, the front pages of Spanish dailies Mundo Deportivo and Sport carried a picture of Venables with the words “Adios, Mister” (“Goodbye, sir”) next to it.
Guardiola remembered him as a “gentleman” and an entertainer.
“He was not just a manager,” he said, “but a person who was so funny, who did TV programs where he was singing and imitating Frank Sinatra. He was a proper, proper man.”
Venables couldn’t quite bring a first ever European Cup to Barcelona.
In that 1986 final, the team lost to Steaua Bucharest in a penalty shootout where Barcelona missed all four of its kicks.
It was left to Johan Cruyff to achieve that feat, guiding a team containing Guardiola to the biggest prize in European football in 1992.
Guardiola is a three-time European Cup-winning coach himself, twice with Barcelona and most recently with City last season.
Looking to retain the title, City has already qualified for the knockout stage with two games to spare and can guarantee first place in its group with a draw or victory against Leipzig on Wednesday (AEDT).
“The first step is done for both sides,” said Guardiola, referring to the fact that Leipzig has also secured progress to the last 16, “but it’s important to finish first for prestige and because we believe when we play the last 16, to have the second leg at home is not decisive but a little bit of an advantage.”
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Meanwhile, a win against Porto will be enough to put Barcelona back in the knockout rounds of the Champions League after two consecutive group stage eliminations.
It may not be enough, though, to ease the pressure on coach Xavi Hernandez, who has struggled to get his team to play well recently.
Barcelona is coming off a stretch that includes a 1-0 loss to Shakhtar Donetsk in its last Champions League game, and a 1-1 draw at Rayo Vallecano in its previous Spanish league match.
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The team has even produced lacklustre performances when winning recent matches.
“Things did not go as expected lately,” Xavi said.
“Against Rayo it was better, but we have lacked continuity. Tomorrow is a great opportunity for us. It can be a turning point. I really believe we will be playing better again. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t even be here.”
Barcelona will advance with a win, or with a draw if Shakhtar doesn’t beat Antwerp in the other Group H match on Wednesday (AEDT).
The Catalan club failed to reach the knockout stage in the two seasons after Lionel Messi left the club.
“There’s always pressure at Barca,” Xavi said.
“It’s always been like this and that won’t change. You have to win at this club.”
Xavi said he feels the full support from the club despite the recent struggles. “We all believe in the project and there is total trust,” he said.
Barcelona has the same nine points as second placed Porto, which is coming off a win against last placed Antwerp.
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Shakhtar is third with six points.
“We will be up against a highly technical team, with a coach in Xavi who has plenty of experience in this competition,” Porto coach Sergio Conceicao said.
“A victory would mean a great night for us, and we will need to be at our absolute best. There is always pressure, but we can use that pressure in a positive manner.”
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Xavi could be without Marc-Andre ter Stegen because of a back injury.
The goalkeeper did not practice with the rest of the group in training and is doubtful for the match.
“He will undergo tests before the match to check on the pain and see if he is 100 per cent to play,” Xavi said.
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The coach was certain to be without Gavi after the young playmaker sustained a serious knee injury while on duty with Spain.
Xavi was not expected to rest anybody against Porto even though Barcelona at the weekend hosts Atletico Madrid in a match that could be crucial in the Spanish league.
“In the last few matches we haven’t played how we wanted,” Barcelona defender Joao Cancelo said.
“We have a chance now to play well and gain some confidence going forward.”