Coaching Career
After retiring as a player Rexach joined the coaching staff at FC Barcelona B. In 1984 he co-founded a school of football, Escuela TARR, with fellow ex-players Antoni Torres, Juan Manuel Asensi and Joaquim Rifé. Rexach served as assistant coach to Luis Aragonés during the 1987–88 season and briefly became caretaker manager when Aragonés departed. When Johan Cruyff was appointed as successor to Aragonés, Rexach stayed on as assistant coach. When chain smoker Cruyff needed emergency heart surgery during the 1990–91 season, Rexach once again stepped up. He was in charge of the team from February 1991 until the end of the season and led FC Barcelona to the La Liga title. He continued to assist Cruyff throughout the Dream Team era and after Josep Lluís Nuñez sacked Cruyff in 1996, Rexach became coach once again. The controversial decision allegedly cost him the friendship of Cruyff. Under Bobby Robson he worked as a scout where he discovered Lionel Messi but in 1998 he left for Japan and spent one season as coach of Yokohama F. Marinos. Rexach was joined at the club by Julio Salinas and Andoni Goikoetxea.
After Llorenç Serra Ferrer was sacked by FC Barcelona during the 2000–01 season, Rexach was called upon once again. The only objective left was to qualify for the UEFA Champions League. Rexach managed the team for last seven games and in the very last game against Valencia CF, Rivaldo scored a spectacular goal, enabling the club to finish 4th in the league and sealed qualification to UEFA Champions League. This minor success resulted in Rexach being appointed coach by Joan Gaspart for the 2001–02 season. Despite finishing 4th in La Liga and reaching the UEFA Champions League semi-finals, the season was underachieved by the club's standards. The season saw defeats to Tercera División clubs, UE Figueres and CF Balaguer, in the Copa del Rey and the Copa Catalunya final, respectively, and a humiliating 3–1 aggregate defeat to Real Madrid in the semi-finals of the Champions League. The following season Rexach was replaced by a returning Louis Van Gaal. In July 2003 Rexach ended his long association with the club.
Read more about this topic: Carles Rexach
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