Carles Rexach facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Carles Rexach

Rexach in 2008
Personal information
Full name	Carles Rexach Cerdà
Date of birth	(1947-01-13) 13 January 1947 (age 78)
Place of birth	Pedralbes, Spain
Height	1.82 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Winger
Youth career
1958–1959	Rosés
1959–1965	Barcelona
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1965–1981	Barcelona	328	(81)
1965–1967	→ Condal (loan)	22	(2)
Total		350	(83)
National team
1965	Spain U18	2	(0)
1966	Spain amateur	3	(0)
1967–1970	Spain U23	7	(3)
1969–1978	Spain	15	(2)
Teams managed
1982–1983	Catalonia (youth)
1983–1984	Barcelona B (assistant)
1984–1987	Barcelona (youth)
1987–1996	Barcelona (assistant)
1988	Barcelona (interim)
1991	Barcelona (interim)
1996	Barcelona (interim)
1998	Yokohama Flügels
2001–2002	Barcelona
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Carles Rexach Cerdà (born 13 January 1947) is a famous Spanish former football player and manager. He spent most of his amazing 44-year career at Barcelona. He was a player in their youth teams and later became a coach.

Rexach worked closely with football legend Johan Cruyff, both on the field and as a coach. As a player, he played in 638 games and scored 197 goals. He even won the Pichichi Trophy in 1971, which is given to the top scorer in Spain's top league. Overall, he won eight major titles as both a player and a coach. These included the La Liga championship in the 1973–74 season and the 1979 Cup Winners' Cup.

Carles Rexach also played for the Spanish national team. He represented his country at the 1978 World Cup. He played 15 games for Spain over nine years.

Playing Career Highlights

Rexach (first row, first to left) with his Barcelona teammates in 1975.

Carles Rexach was born in Pedralbes, Barcelona, Catalonia. He joined the Barcelona youth system when he was just 12 years old. He made his first team debut on 25 April 1965. In that game, he scored a goal in a 4–0 away win against Racing de Santander in the Spanish Cup. His first game in La Liga, Spain's top football league, was on 10 September 1967. He scored in that match too, but Barcelona lost 3–2 to Real Zaragoza. Early in his career, he also played for Condal for two years on loan.

In the 1970–71 season, Rexach had his best scoring year. He scored 17 goals and won the Pichichi Trophy. He shared this award with Atlético Madrid player José Eulogio Gárate. His team, Barcelona, finished second in the league that year. They also won the domestic cup.

Rexach scored three goals in one game (a hat-trick) on 5 November 1974. This helped Barcelona beat Feyenoord 3–0 in the European Cup. His teammate Johan Cruyff helped set up all three goals. In the 1978 Spanish Cup final, Rexach was named the Player of the match. He scored two goals in Barcelona's 3–1 win over Las Palmas. The next year, on 16 May, he scored a goal in the Cup Winners' Cup final. Barcelona won that exciting game 4–3 in extra time against Fortuna Düsseldorf.

Rexach stopped playing football in 1981 when he was 34 years old. On 1 September, Barcelona played a special farewell match for him against the Argentina national team at their home stadium, the Camp Nou. He first played for the Spanish national team on 23 April 1969. He played in the second half of a friendly game against Mexico. He was chosen for the 1978 FIFA World Cup squad. He played one game in that tournament before Spain was knocked out.

Coaching Career Journey

After retiring as a player, Rexach joined the coaching team at Barcelona B, which is Barcelona's reserve team. In 1984, he helped start the TARR football school in Barcelona. He created it with other former players like Juan Manuel Asensi, Joaquim Rifé, and Antoni Torres.

Rexach became an assistant coach for the main Barcelona team in 1987. He worked under manager Luis Aragonés. He briefly became the main coach when Aragonés left. When Johan Cruyff was hired as the new manager, Rexach stayed on as his assistant. They formed a very successful partnership.

In 1991, when Cruyff had heart surgery, Rexach stepped in as the temporary head coach. He led the team to win their 11th league title that season. His first game in charge was a big 6–0 home win against Las Palmas in the Spanish Cup. He remained an important part of the coaching staff during the famous Dream Team era. This was a time when Barcelona won many trophies under Cruyff. After Cruyff left in 1996, Rexach became the head coach again for a short time. Later, he became a scout for the club. In this role, he is credited with discovering the incredible player Lionel Messi.

Rexach also had a short time managing in Japan with Yokohama Flügels. He returned to Barcelona as head coach in 2001. This happened after the previous manager, Lorenzo Serra Ferrer, was let go. In the very last game of the season, Barcelona beat Valencia 3–2. A fantastic goal by Rivaldo in the 87th minute helped them qualify for the Champions League. Because of this success, he was made the permanent coach for the next season. However, after losing to Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals and being knocked out of other cups, he was replaced by Louis van Gaal. Rexach continued to work for the club in other important roles.

In 2010, Rexach announced he wanted to run for Barcelona's president. This did not happen, but he was later chosen as a sporting advisor by the new chairman, Sandro Rosell. He worked alongside Josep Maria Fusté and Migueli.

Managerial statistics

Honours and Achievements

As a Player

With Barcelona

• La Liga (Spanish League): 1973–74
• Copa del Rey (Spanish Cup): 1967–68, 1970–71, 1977–78, 1980–81
• UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1978–79
• Inter-Cities Fairs Cup: 1971 (play-off)

Individual Awards

• Pichichi Trophy (Top Scorer in La Liga): 1970–71

As a Manager

With Barcelona

• La Liga (Spanish League): 1990–91 (as interim manager)

See also

In Spanish: Carles Rexach para niños