This is how the Intercontinental became the new Holy Grail

Barcelona closed in December 2009 a sore wound in capturing his first Club World Cup, in Abu Dhabi, thanks to that Messi goal with a shield, after Pedrito had forced extra time in the extremis. The title came seventeen year after the first attack on the Intercontinental Cup, a precursor trophy received by the current Club World Cup. That first attempt, on December 12, 1992, now 30 years old, ended in defeat for the current European Cup champions against Sao Paulo, a team they played for among others Raí, brother of Sócrates, Cafú or Toninho Cerezo, who lost two finals against Barça with Sampdoria, in 1989 the Recopa and in 1992 the European Cup, certainly the competition that gave rise to the Intercontinental Cup in Tokyo.

Although the unexpected elimination in front of against CSKA Moscow in the Champions League, in one of the birds that periodically attacked the ‘Dream Team’, the group of Cruyff and Rexach arrived at the intercontinental event in a climate of strange and unjust euphoria. The European Cup has fought for 36 years since it was created in the 55-56 season, and 31 since the first lost final, in 1961, but Barcelona fans are convinced that the Intercontinental Cup, was created in 1960I won’t wait that long and that in the first final he will fall to Barça’s side. It’s not like that. In a match seen at dawn in Catalonia, Sao Paulo is back Stoichkov’s initial goal, a great goal, through a brace from Raí.

Tension at Camp Nou

Johan Cruyff spoke days before the big game in Tokyo about “closing the three-year cycle.” The process seems natural: League, European Cup and Intercontinental. The truth is that in the fall of 1992, with the elections of 1993 in sight, the Cruyff-Núñez difference emerged, which would continue to crescendo until the end of Cruyff’s time on the bench. Y they have reached their peak after elimination from the Champions League, which prevented the ‘Dream Team’ from defending their championship title. The elimination upset Núñez and Cruyff I don’t want to continue if the president runs for re-election.

This is how they present themselves last weeks at the Tokyo rendezvous. Despite this sporting and social tension, a reaction from the team in the League and the conquest of the Spanish Super Cup served to boost the mood again. After the night against CSKA, the team had a series of victories, including an amazing 1-6 in Romareda, which calmed the atmosphere despite a conflict with Stoichkov due to some statements of the Bulgarian in which he complained that the Barça board did not make an effective effort to avoid having a friendly with his team at the same time as Spain Supercup. The Bulgarian even made angry gestures directed to the box when celebrating one of the goals of the 5-0 against Espanyol at Camp Nou.

christ explained after days escaping from the concentration of his team to play the Super Cup, Barça chained their third consecutive win against Cádiz (0-4) and appeared in the Intercontinental up, as the Stoichkov fire dies down and tensions over bank management are put on hold, if only for a moment.

a quick fight

The Bulgarian, at the peak of his career, opened the scoring at the Tokyo Olympic Stadium with a great goal: a fantastic chip shot, from Guardiola’s pass. Barcelona played wellbut he finds himself with a high school rival, with high-level players and led by ‘Telé’ Santana, a Brazilian soccer legend. After several editions of the Intercontinental in which the South American was clearly underrepresented, Sao Paulo won against Barcelona, ​​in a flash, the Copa Libertadores in 1992 and 1993, the Intercontinental in 1992 (against Barça) and 1993, the South American Cup Winners’ Cup in 1993 and 1994 and the 1993 South American Super Cup. A whole cycle of success that put Cruyff’s ‘Dream Team’ first.

Rai bound after an action Muller’s personal team, defender Adilson served on the line after a play by Txiki, who even fooled the goalkeeper, and in the second half, after a series of brilliant actions by Zubizarreta Raí, he nailed a free-kick in the top corner, a goal he sealed the final.

Then many years of dreaming along with the European Cup, the Intercontinental is now the Barça Holy Grail. He still missed the 2006 Club World Cup, also in Japan (Yokohama) and against a Brazilian team, Inter de Porto Alegre, before the curse ended in 2009, in Abu Dhabi against Estudiantes de La Plata. It’s like the European CupIt should be the third.