In the summer of 2005, after winning the League, Joan Laporta’s first, Barcelona only made two hires. Both at zero cost. Ezquerro arrived free from Athletic and Mark van Bommel (4/22/1977) landed from PSV. In the only season he wore Blaugrana, the Dutchman started 26 games – he is one of the heroes of the Champions League in Paris (2-1 against Arsenal) – and in seven he shared midfield with Xavi Hernández, who in December He suffered a serious knee injury and only played four more games that season. This Tuesday, the two former teammates will meet on the benches when Barça hosts Royal Antwerp.
The good moment of the Belgian champion cannot be understood without the arrival of Van Bommel, who in 15 months in office has already led them to win three titles. Last season they did a double: they won the league one point ahead of Genk and Union St. Gilloise and won the cup against Menchelen, from whom they also took the Super Cup on penalties.
At 46 years old, Van Bommel has found his place after not succeeding either at PSV, with whom he already visited the Camp Nou (4-0 in 2018 with a hat-trick from Messi) or at Wolfsburg. In the German club, in his first official match, a cup match in August 2021, he made six substitutions when only five could be made and was eliminated in the offices.
The Dutchman cannot say that being a coach is new to him, since his father-in-law is Bert van Marwijk, the Netherlands coach in the World Cup final in South Africa that Spain won. He worked with him on the Saudi Arabian and Australian national teams before flying solo.
That tough final in Johannesburg, with Van Bommel on the pitch for 120 minutes, was decided by Andrés Iniesta, who, four years earlier, in Paris, had remained on the bench in a decision that Rijkaard rectified at half-time when he had to come back to Arsenal. And it was done.
Despite that friendship with Iniesta, his footballing antithesis, Xavi, who was the Manchego’s great partner, opted for diplomacy yesterday. “I have very good memories of Mark as a teammate,” said the coach. Then they faced each other as rivals, in Bayern and Milan. “As an opponent he was very strong and very approachable.”
Now the Blaugrana coach is concerned with Antwerp’s style. “It is a very dynamic team, especially on the wings. Even the goalkeeper dares to play,” analyzes last) and Kerk and Marc Overmars, another ex-Barça player, in the technical secretariat.
“If you see Barça play you see Xavi’s signature, his way of playing is reflected. He could win the Champions League. They are very technical and dominant in the area,” said Van Bommel, who tries to escape his role as a villain by recommending his pupil Arthur Vermeeren, an 18-year-old midfielder.
