Carles Busquets Explained

Carles Busquets
Full Name:Carles Busquets Barroso
Birth Date:19 July 1967
Birth Place:Barcelona, Spain
Height:1.81 m
Position:Goalkeeper
Youthyears1:1981–1983
Youthclubs1:Ciutat Badia
Youthyears2:1983–1985
Youthclubs2:Barcelona
Years1:1985–1988
Caps1:31
Goals1:0
Years2:1988–1992
Caps2:55
Goals2:0
Years3:1990–1999
Caps3:79
Goals3:0
Years4:1999–2002
Caps4:108
Goals4:0
Totalcaps:273
Totalgoals:0
Nationalyears1:1983
Nationalcaps1:3
Nationalgoals1:0

Carles Busquets Barroso (in Catalan; Valencian busˈkɛts/;[1] born 19 July 1967) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper, mostly for Barcelona.

Club career

Born in Barcelona, Catalonia, Busquets was a FC Barcelona graduate who joined from neighbouring CD Ciutat Badia[2] and possessed very good technical skills for a player in his position,[3] [4] and he made his La Liga debut for the first team on 7 November 1993 in a 2–1 home win over Racing de Santander,[5] going on to appear in the following two games. However, he was mostly back-up for Spanish international Andoni Zubizarreta during his first years; he did manage to feature in the 1990–91 European Cup Winners' Cup final in a 2–1 loss against Manchester United, with two goals from Mark Hughes.[6]

Busquets totalled 69 league matches in two seasons after Zubizarreta left for Valencia CF,[7] and was also on goal in the 4–0 thrashing of Manchester United in the group stage of 1994–95's UEFA Champions League,[8] but during this period Barça failed to win any silverware. The following campaigns he was again second choice, first to Portugal's Vítor Baía then Dutchman Ruud Hesp, and also clashed with new manager Louis van Gaal.[9]

Until his retirement in October 2002, Busquets played a further four seasons with neighbouring UE Lleida, spending two apiece in Segunda División and Segunda División B.[10] He joined Barcelona's coaching staff afterwards, and worked with the goalkeepers.[11] [12]

Playing style

Originally a forward at the start of his career until he had to replace an injured goalkeeper, Busquets notably excelled in footplay. Branded by French newspaper L'Équipe as the goalkeeper with no hands,[13] he has been considered a forefather of this type of play.[14] His style was dismissed by some as less suitable for football than for handball.[15]

Busquets' reputation of being nearly unbeatable in these situations tended to be overshadowed by his occasional baffling blunders.[13] [16] However, he was able to keep the number of goals he conceded below the number of games he played in 1995–96, his final season as Barcelona's first choice, and retrospectively Johan Cruyff considered him one of the club's most secure goalkeepers in the modern era.[17]

Busquets wore tracksuit trousers instead of shorts while playing, even during hot weather. This piqued the attention of the public to the extent that some fans speculated that he was trying to hide a scar, burn or tattoo.[15] He explained that after getting used to wear them in training he decided to use them in matches as well, as he felt safer from knee injuries that way.[18]

Personal life

Busquets' son, Sergio,[19] also a product of Barcelona's youth system, was promoted to the main squad for 2008–09, playing as a defensive midfielder. He reached the national team the following year, winning the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa as a starter.

Honours

Barcelona

1993–94, 1997–98

1996–97[20]

1991,[21] 1992,[22] 1994,[23] 1996[24]

1991–92;[25] Runner-up 1993–94[8]

1996–97;[26] Runner-up 1990–91[6]

1992,[27] 1997[28]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: How to pronounce Carles Busquets. Forvo. 12 October 2008. 18 October 2015.
  2. Book: Gran diccionari de jugadors del Barça. Jugadors oficials i no oficials de tots els temps. Great dictionary of Barça players. All-time official and unofficial players.
  3. News: Busquets: de vocación... ¡ariete!. Busquets: by calling... striker!. Mundo Deportivo. Josep María. Serra. Spanish. 22 July 1990. 10 July 2014.
  4. News: Estoy bien en el Barça. Es mi casa. I feel fine in Barça. It is my home. Mundo Deportivo. Alberto. Sanchis. Spanish. 24 June 1997. 10 July 2014.
  5. News: 'Busi', un extraño en la familia. 'Busi', stranger to the family. Mundo Deportivo. Josep María. Artells. Spanish. 8 November 1993. 10 July 2014.
  6. Web site: Cup Winners' Cup 1990–91. James M.. Ross. RSSSF. 10 July 2014.
  7. News: Busquets coge confianza. Busquets gaining in confidence. Mundo Deportivo. Jesús. Galindo. Spanish. 29 August 1994. 10 July 2014.
  8. Web site: Barcelona 4–0 Man. United. UEFA. 2 November 1994. 10 July 2014.
  9. News: Me ha faltado al respeto. He disrespected me. Mundo Deportivo. Esther. Muntañola. Spanish. 22 June 1999. 10 July 2014.
  10. News: Busquets llora en su despedida como futbolista. Busquets cries in farewell as a footballer. El Mundo. Spanish. 16 October 2002. 10 July 2014.
  11. News: Busi ya imparte lecciones de portero. Busi already giving goalkeeping lessons. Mundo Deportivo. Spanish. 26 July 2003. 10 July 2014.
  12. News: Carles Busquets, nuevo entrenador de porteros del Barcelona. Carles Busquets, new Barcelona goalkeeper coach. 20 minutos. Spanish. 18 July 2010. 20 January 2012.
  13. News: Busquets, puños fuera. Busquets throws a fist. El País. Lluís. Visa. Spanish. 8 May 2001. 7 January 2021.
  14. News: Sergio: Busisolutions II. Sport. Spanish. 24 October 2008. 7 January 2021.
  15. News: Qué fue de... Busquets. What happened to... Busquets. 20 minutos. Edu. Casado. Spanish. 26 February 2008. 7 January 2021.
  16. News: Ter Stegen y la trituradora de porteros del Camp Nou. Ter Stegen and the Camp Nou's goalkeeper-eater. La Vanguardia. Spanish. 22 May 2014. 7 January 2021.
  17. Web site: Todo empezó con el hombre sin manos. It all started with the man with no hands. En un Momento Dado. Spanish. 20 August 2014. 6 January 2021.
  18. News: La promesa de Busquets. Busquets' promise. Mundo Deportivo. Josep María. Serra. Spanish. 12 May 1991. 7 January 2021.
  19. News: "Tú, tranquilo; ya me pondré nervioso yo". "You, be cool; i'll be nervous for two". El País. Luis. Martín. Spanish. 26 May 2009. 20 January 2012.
  20. News: Barça de titanes. Titanic Barça. Mundo Deportivo. Joan. Domènech. Spanish. 29 June 1997. 16 February 2015.
  21. News: Cruyff ya tiene su cuarto título. Cruyff already has his fourth title. Andrés. Astruells. Mundo Deportivo. Spanish. 30 October 1991. 16 February 2015.
  22. News: El Barça juega como quiere en el Manzanares. Barça play at will at the Manzanares. Mundo Deportivo. Joan. Domènech. Spanish. 12 November 1992. 16 February 2015.
  23. News: El Barça paga un precio muy alto. Barça pay a heavy price. Mundo Deportivo. Francesc. Aguilar. Spanish. 31 August 1994. 16 February 2015.
  24. News: Título con súper-susto. Title with mega-scare. Mundo Deportivo. Josep María. Serra. Spanish. 29 August 1996. 16 February 2015.
  25. Web site: Sampdoria 0–1 Barcelona. UEFA. 20 May 1992. 16 February 2015.
  26. Web site: 1996/97: Ronaldo spot on for Barça. UEFA. 14 May 1997. 16 February 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20100503062924/http://en.archive.uefa.com/competitions/ecwc/history/season%3D1996/intro.html. 3 May 2010.
  27. Web site: 1992: Goikoetxea wins it for Barcelona. UEFA. 1 April 1993. 16 February 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20100831071210/http://en.archive.uefa.com/competitions/supercup/history/season%3D1992/intro.html. 31 August 2010.
  28. Web site: 1997: Barça in command. UEFA. 16 February 2015.

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