Barcelona’s ‘Dream Team’ defender on rooming with Pep, learning from Cruyff and facing reality checks at Chelsea…
Describe learning to play at La Masia.
It imprints a coherent philosophy about the positional game through constant repetition in training, which develops the understanding of those triangles that stitch it all together. Then, if you make it to the first team, you’ve got the clearest possible idea of how to play.
What role did Johan Cruyff play in your development as a footballer?
He was my salvation. I did pre-season with the first team in 1989, then in January he said, “I want you to go on loan. Tenerife are interested. You’ll play six months in La Liga, then come back and be in the first team.” Tenerife were fighting
