He had the whole canvas on which to paint his outline of the game, while Guardiola filled in the details. Ronald Koeman: sweeper and playmaker ??⚽️ /H8hbPY3Uv0 Were Koeman playing today, it’s easy to imagine him, with a little added athleticism, playing a similar role to Kevin De Bruyne. One through-ball just before half time was the pass of which the most visionary creator would have been proud. The Dutchman acted as a playmaking sweeper, receiving the ball from goalkeeper Andoni Zubizarreta before feeding a short pass to midfield or going long to wide-forwards Hristo Stoichkov and Julio Salinas. Sweeping behind Guardiola and regularly joining him in the side’s creative hub, Koeman sprayed passes around the field from the back. Cruyff’s playmaker, regardless of his station. Even the Marcelo Bielsa-inspired running and pressing carried out by his sides today is done as intelligently and economically as his midfield passing 28 years ago.ĭespite his deep position, Guardiola wore the No. He was the embodiment of Cruyff’s comment that “you play football with your head, and your legs are there to help”, a mantra which Guardiola has taken with him as a manager. The midfielder ambled around the pitch but somehow managed to evade opponents and find space to receive the ball ahead of anyone else. Guardiola patrolled the middle of the park, his style making him instantly recognisable even now, even with hair, as he regularly popped off considered passes to the more dynamic attackers around him. Players exchanged positions, drifted into space, and swapped assignments with ease as Pep Guardiola and Ronald Koeman tried to pick a way through the tight Sampdoria defence.
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The 1992 final was hosted by England at Wembley Stadium, which bore more significance as it was the first season an English side – Arsenal on this occasion – had taken part in the competition following their ban after the Heysel Stadium disaster.Īs the game kicked off, Barcelona were instantly Cruyff-like. Sampdoria lineup for the 1992 European Cup Final vs Barcelona.