Roy, Joaquín. (2001) "Football, European integration, national identity: The case of F. C. Barcelona". In: UNSPECIFIED, Madison, Wisconsin. (Unpublished)
Abstract
This paper, drafted in a rather essayistic format and laced with a heavy dose of opinion, reflects on the impact of the Bosman case and its consequences on the evolution of football in Spain in general and in particular on the sports performance of F. C. Barcelona in the second part of the 90s. The main thesis consists of a critical view of how the roster was transformed from a "dream-team" mixture of some of the best players in Catalonia and Spain with some world star figures into a denaturalized conglomerate around an axis composed of no less than eight Dutch players imported by coach Louis Van Gaal. The club leadership placed its bets on this transformation as guarantee of success for surpassing the golden era led by coach Johan Cruiff. European titles and victories against Real Madrid, the ultimate objectives, never came. Simultaneously national and local identity suffered, leaving a negative sports balance and serious economic losses. The Bosman revolution as applied in Barcelona, consequently, has to be considered as a negative experience that will take a considerable effort to be corrected.
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