Terence Frederick Venables (London, January 6, 1943), Terry Venables for English and world football, went down in Spanish history for having led Barcelona to win the 1984-85 League after a decade of Barça drought. And also for having lost in Seville, against Steaua Bucharest, in the unforgettable due to an unfortunate penalty shootout, the final of the European Cup in ’86. He won another competition, the League Cup. And he lost another, the 86 Cup, against Zaragoza.
But no triumph as resounding as that of the longed-for, longed-for League. And no setback as loud as that of the “damned” Champions. Heads and tails, light and shadow for a coach who only left England, as a club coach, from Crystal Palace (1976-80) and Queen Park Rangers (1980-84) to end up at Barcelona in that 84-season. 85, replacing César Luis Menotti.
It was a year after the departure of another Argentine, Maradona. But he received a great team: Urruti, Migueli, Alexanco, Julio Alberto, Schuster, Calderé, Archibald, Marcos… he left the Camp Nou at the beginning of the 87-88 campaign. He was replaced by Luis Aragonés. And he returned to England, to Tottenham (1987-91). A year with the Australian national team (1997-98), and return, always in brief periods of debut or reunion, to Crystal Palace (1998-99), Middlesbrough (2001-2002) and Leeds United (2002-03) .
The eternal and fleeting return of a typical English coach. And also a player. A good footballer from those of the Islands at that time. A midfielder at Chelsea, where he played 204 games, Tottenham and Queen Park Rangers, where he hung up his boots. He was an absolute international on two occasions, but he is the only English footballer who has been international, from childhood and cadetship, in all categories.
He deserved the honor of leading England between 1994 and 1996. He reached the semi-finals of the Euro 96 Championship, played in his country, after having eliminated Javier Clemente’s Spain in the quarterfinals. This time, after 0-0 in regulation time and extra time, the penalty shootout smiled at them 4-2. Shearer, Platt, Pearce and Gascoigne scored for England. For Spain, Love and Belsué. Hierro sent the ball to the post. And Nadal, at the hands of Seaman.
During one season (2006-07) he was an assistant in Steve McLaren’s England. He died at the age of 80 after “a long illness”, a frequent euphemism to name the … unmentionable illness.
