Last update July 6, 2020 by Javier Argudo
The 13 from December to 1998 came the Villarreal CF al Camp Nou to face FC Barcelona for the first time in its history in First Division. The yellow set and was a newly promoted newcomer category and visited culé manor wrapped by 5.000 full of enthusiasm fans.
The match was very important to Barça I was plunged into a deep crisis. its technical, Louis van Gaal, He is facing his second season in charge FC Barcelona and he was more challenged than ever. Barca accumulated three consecutive defeats in the league, They occupied a surprising eighth place in the standings and had already been eliminated in the group stage of the Champions League.
Yet this very rarefied atmosphere, the Villarreal CF Barcelona reached without any resort to try to fish in troubled waters. El conjunto ‘groguet’ ocupaba en aquel momento una cómoda posición en zona media de la clasificación.
Craioveanu two goals DAN DE LA VICTORIA Villarreal CF
That historic match was a protagonist who stood out above the rest: Gica Craioveanu. Romanian player handled shake Camp Nou bien pronto con dos goles antológicos en el 12′ y el 24′ de la primera parte. White handkerchiefs directed towards the box seat at the culé fiefdom soon appeared. The president's face Nuñez and Vice President Joan Gaspart They were a poem. With 0-2 on the scoreboard came to rest.
In the restart Barça He tried to turn the result but found a Andrés Palop superb in goal Villarreal. After many tries, far from achieving the gap, came the 0-3 in a counter topped by Gerardo en el 76′ tras un buen pase de su hermano moisés. The bombing was served.
The Barça achieved the 1-3 with a goal of Giovanni which only served to make up the result. With the final whistle came one of the biggest fights in recent memory at Barça calling for the resignation of the president and, Of course, head coach.
curiously, that season 1998-1999 (which incidentally it was the centenary of FC Barcelona) He ended with the team Van Gaal Champion League 11 points over the Real Madrid which it was second. Meanwhile, the Villarreal He descended to the second division after losing in the promotion against Sevilla FC which could climb.
But regardless of that, that day Palop, Pascual, Tasevski, Aitor Arregui, Alberto Saavedra, David Albelda, Antonio Diaz, Gerardo, Robert, Craioveanu, moisés, Alfaro, Imanol and Serer They made history by defeating Barça of Figo, Guardiola, Xavi, Rivaldo, Kluivert and company.
