The 1995–96 season was the 97th season in existence of F.C Barcelona and their 67th consecutive season in the top flight of Spanish football, La Liga. Barcelona again failed to follow up on their 1993-94 league title, instead finishing third in the league. In April, the team lost the chance at three trophies in 10 days. First, Barcelona reached the finals of the Copa del Rey, losing 1-0 to Atlético Madrid. They then stumbled in the UEFA Cup as they were knocked out by Bayern Munich in a 1-2 (3-4 on aggregate) loss at home, before losing definitively to Atlético Madrid at home, erasing the chance of a league win.
Barcelona were active in the transfer market, bringing in players such as Georghe Popescu, Ángel Cuéllar, Meho Kodro, Robert Prosinečki, and Luís Figo. Hristo Stoichkov and Ronald Koeman were two notable departures.
The season was head coach Johan Cruyff's final with the club, as he was sacked after the May losses. Carles Rexach served as manager until Englishman Bobby Robson was hired.
Summary The season is best remembered as the end of Johan Cruyff's era as Head coach after almost eight years. During the summer the club made the transfers in of Gheorghe Popescu from Tottenham Hotspur, striker Ángel Cuéllar from Real Betis, forward Meho Kodro from Real Sociedad, Robert Prosinečki from Real Oviedo and the controversial move of Luís Figo from Sporting Lisboa (a petition of Jorge Valdano to the Real Madrid) after a two years ban of Italian Federation due to a double accord of the Portuguese midfielder with both Parma and Juventus.
Cruyff took Hristo Stoichkov and Ronald Koeman out of the team with controversy for fans and President included. In this campaign, the plan of head coach was mix arrivals and a new generation known as "La Quinta de Lo Pelat" (The generation of Lo Pelat) young players such as Iván de la Peña nicked as Pelat, Oscar García, Roger García, Toni Velamazan and Albert Celades.
The team reached its climax on 7 October 1995 defeating Real Betis 5–1 in Sevilla with La Quinta de Lo Pelat. The club were struggling in League against leader of table, Atlético Madrid, while competing in the 1995–96 Copa del Rey, where the squad reached the 1996 Copa del Rey Final and the 1995–96 UEFA Cup Semi-finals.
However, the squad lost in ten days the three trophies, first on 10 April 1996 FC Barcelona was defeated 0-1 by Atlético Madrid in the Copa del Rey Final. Six days later, in Barcelona the squad lost the semifinal 1–2 against Bayern München and was eliminated from the UEFA Cup tournament. The bizarre series of results ended on 20 April 1996 when Atlético Madrid won 3–1 at Camp Nou means that FC Barcelona could not win La Liga for second consecutive year.
The shocking 10 days of losses shattered Johan Cruyff as manager and President Jose Luis Nuñez started contacts with English trainer Bobby Robson during May to replace Cruyff for 1996–97 season. Finally, Nuñez fired Cruyff on 19 May 1996 and signed Robson as the new head coach.
Squad
Transfers In Pos. Name from TypeMFLuís Figo Sporting Lisboa MFGheorghe Popescu Tottenham Hotspur MFRobert Prosinečki Real Oviedo FWMeho Kodro Real Sociedad FWÁngel Cuéllar Real Betis MFÓscar García Albacete Loan endedDFLluís Carreras Racing Santander Loan endedMFGoran Vučević Hajduk Split Loan endedDFÁlex García Palamós Loan ended Out Pos. Name To TypeDFRonald Koeman Feyenoord FWRomário CR Flamengo FWHristo Stoichkov Parma FWTxiki Begiristain Deportivo MFEusebio Celta de Vigo MFIgor Korneev Heerenveen DFIván Iglesias Sporting Gijón DFXabier Eskurza Valencia DFXavier Escaich Albacete DFJosé Mari García Real Betis MFÓscar Arpón Real Betis MFSánchez Jara Real Betis MFÁlex García Cádiz DFGoran Vučević Mérida Loan
Competitions
La Liga
League table
Results by round
Note: UEFA Cup Winners' Cup spot (in green) being non-related with a position in La Liga, does not appear until the winner is assured to not win La Liga, thus if wins La Liga has a spot in the UEFA Champions League, then 1995–96 Copa del Rey runners-up earns a spot in the 1996–97 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. Atlético Madrid won their 9th La Liga title in the last matchday, so after matchday 39 Barcelona's places are coloured in green. In light green the spot expected for 1996–97 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.
Matches
Copa del Rey
Round of 16
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Final
UEFA Cup
First round
Second round
Third round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Friendlies GAMES 1995–1996 28-7-1995 FRIENDLY SV EPE-BARCELONA 0–18
29-7-1995 FRIENDLY BUITENPOST-BARCELONA 1–16
30-7-1995 FRIENDLY PEC ZWOLLE-BARCELONA 1–4
1-8-1995 FRIENDLY CAMBUUR LEEUWARDEN-BARCELONA 1–1
3-8-1995 FRIENDLY GRONINGEN-BARCELONA 2–2
5-8-1995 FRIENDLY UTRECHT-BARCELONA 3–3
6-8-1995 FRIENDLY AJAX-BARCELONA 1–4
10-8-1995 CITY OF PALMA TROPHY BARCELONA-VASCO DA GAMA 0–0/2–4/ PENALTY
12-8-1995 CITY OF PALMA TROPHY REAL BETIS-BARCELONA 2–3
16-8-1995 CITY OF LA LÍNEA TROPHY OLYMPIQUE LYON-BARCELONA 2–3
19-8-1995 MEMORIAL MARIO CECCHI GORI AC FIORENTINA-BARCELONA 2–0
19-8-1995 MEMORIAL MARIO CECCHI GORI VINCENZA-BARCELONA 1–2
22-8-1995 Joan Gamper Trophy BARCELONA-CSKA SOFIA 4–0
23-8-1995 Joan Gamper Trophy BARCELONA-SAN LORENZO 5–1
25-8-1995 FRIENDLY SEVILLA-BARCELONA 3–3
28-8-1995 FRIENDLY ALCAMPELL-BARCELONA 0–10
28-8-1995 COPA CATALUNYA BARCELONA-TÀRREGA 4–0
28-8-1995 COPA CATALUNYA LLEIDA-BARCELONA 0–0
13-3-1996 COPA CATALUNYA ESPANYOL-BARCELONA 5–1
Statistics
Players statistics
See also FC Barcelona 1995–96 UEFA Cup 1995–96 La Liga 1995–96 Copa del Rey Spanish Super Cup
References