IceBreaker14
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In July 2010, I retired from professional football three months after my club of seventeen years Manchester United released me. I had been courted by several Championship sides but football just didn't seem interesting outside of the Theatre of Dreams. In August I had booked a flight to Barcelona to become the assistant manager at Barcelona B. I had gained my Continental C license in the December of 2008 and was an English football legend who many admired so getting along with the players wasn't much of a problem. I could speak some conversational Spanish but language is only a small barrier in professional football.
In 2011, Luis Enrique left Barcelona B and the new manager Eusebio Sacristán fired me even after a third place finish in the Segunda División. I was devastated but swallowed my sorrows and moved back to the UK. I worked briefly for TalkSport but soon left due to a new job opportunity - assistant manager to old friend David Beckham's team LA Galaxy. I was there for two years and loved it, yet felt I couldn't ever advance past head coach Bruce Arena's formidable record as manager there. I wanted to try the ultimate test - management.
I applied for jobs at West Brom, Cardiff and Fulham between January and March 2014 but all were taken by more capable, experienced managers (including my old teammate Ole Gunnar Solksjær). In March I finished my Continental Pro license qualifications and I decided I would wait until the summer to look for jobs abroad. After two months of peace and quiet I got a phone call in late May. It was my old boss Luis Enrique, who told me that Eusebio Sacristán had left by mutual consent after Luis' employment. The job was mine if I wanted it.
I did some research. Of the nineteen Barcelona B managers five went on to manage Barcelona with two winning the Champions League. It seemed like a great career starter. Barcelona B managers have gone on to manage Villarreal, Celta, Betis, Real Oviedo, Atlético Madrid, Rayo Vallecano, Espanyol, Málaga, Sevilla, Tottenham Hotspur, Real Madrid, CSKA Moscow, Catalonia, Bayern Munich and Roma as well as Barcelona, so it looks like a promising and exciting job to have. Naturally, I accepted the offer.
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In 2011, Luis Enrique left Barcelona B and the new manager Eusebio Sacristán fired me even after a third place finish in the Segunda División. I was devastated but swallowed my sorrows and moved back to the UK. I worked briefly for TalkSport but soon left due to a new job opportunity - assistant manager to old friend David Beckham's team LA Galaxy. I was there for two years and loved it, yet felt I couldn't ever advance past head coach Bruce Arena's formidable record as manager there. I wanted to try the ultimate test - management.
I applied for jobs at West Brom, Cardiff and Fulham between January and March 2014 but all were taken by more capable, experienced managers (including my old teammate Ole Gunnar Solksjær). In March I finished my Continental Pro license qualifications and I decided I would wait until the summer to look for jobs abroad. After two months of peace and quiet I got a phone call in late May. It was my old boss Luis Enrique, who told me that Eusebio Sacristán had left by mutual consent after Luis' employment. The job was mine if I wanted it.
I did some research. Of the nineteen Barcelona B managers five went on to manage Barcelona with two winning the Champions League. It seemed like a great career starter. Barcelona B managers have gone on to manage Villarreal, Celta, Betis, Real Oviedo, Atlético Madrid, Rayo Vallecano, Espanyol, Málaga, Sevilla, Tottenham Hotspur, Real Madrid, CSKA Moscow, Catalonia, Bayern Munich and Roma as well as Barcelona, so it looks like a promising and exciting job to have. Naturally, I accepted the offer.
View attachment 237452
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