Barcelona Football Club finally secured a league title after years of waiting, a landmark achievement that echoed the days when Johan Cruyff reshaped the club from the ground up. The 1984-85 season saw Terry Venables take the reins, initially handing over to the relatively unknown English coach Cesar Luis Menotti and marking a decisive shift after the Maradona era, which had its own dramatic moments, including a notable Copa del Rey final setback against Athletic Bilbao.
Terence Frederick Venables passed away on a recent Saturday at the age of 80 after a lengthy illness, according to family statements from Dagerton, London, dated 6 January 1943.
“We mourn the loss of a wonderful husband and father who left us peacefully after a long illness. In this incredibly sad time, we ask for privacy as we remember the life of this remarkable man,” read the family note.
first tribute
The first club to respond to the news was Tottenham Hotspur, a club Venables helped to both cup and league success as a player and as a manager. The initial act of remembrance planned was a minute of silence (with applause) before Sunday’s match against Aston Villa.
Venables’ career extended beyond Spurs. He also coached Crystal Palace, Queens Park Rangers and Leeds United at club level, and led England from 1990 to 1996 and Australia from 1996 to 1998. He was inducted into the British Hall of Fame in 2007.
Venables is remembered as a Barça icon as well, arriving under the presidency of Josep Lluís Núñez during a period of heavy signings. His appointment at QPR followed a breakthrough Cup final for the London club, which ended in a loss to Tottenham, while QPR had been promoted from League Two and then Crystal Palace. Núñez offered Venables a chance at a new era, appointing him with Allan Harris as his assistant. Bernd Schuster became a central figure, while Diego Maradona had already moved to Napoli, arriving as a marquee transfer at his own request. Steve Archibald, Tottenham’s Scottish forward, helped steer recruitment alongside Hugo Sánchez.
best moment
The team’s defining moment came with a 0-3 victory opening the league at the Bernabéu, a performance that included Archibald scoring, Ángel scoring for Real Madrid to make it 0-1, and Ramón María Calderé sealing the triumph. It remains, for many, one of the finest memories of that era. Venables would later recall it fondly when reuniting with Barcelona nearly two decades later during a visit to the city.
Barcelona cruised through a 34-match league campaign, losing just two games. Each win carried two points, and the club finished ten points ahead of Atlético Madrid, clinching the title in Valladolid with five games to spare. A controversial moment arose in the 87th minute when a penalty, attributed to Sánchez Arminio, was saved by Urruticoechea, preserving a 1-2 result. The lineup for the decisive stretch included Urruti; Gerardo, Migueli, Alesanco, Julio Alberto; Victor, Schuster, Calderé; Carrasco, Archibald, Rojo, with contributions from Marcos Alonso, Esteban Vigo and Paco Clos.
Venables’ tenure saw its rough patches as well, including a European Cup final setback where Sevilla fell to Steaua Bucharest on penalties. A disappointing league finish – one win in the final seven matches – contrasted with European qualification for a decisive match. The following season brought upheaval: Schuster and Archibald were moved aside, and new signings arrived, including Mark Hughes and Gary Lineker, star players from the World Cup 1986. Archibald came in midway through the season, and Schuster was recalled the next year, but Venables’ time at Barcelona ended after a string of losses, with Luis Aragonés taking over late in the 1987-88 period.