The latest instalment in the Forgotten Idols series looks at the centre-back known as “The Beast of Barcelona”. A man who played his entire career in Spanish football, but was on the verge of a move to the Premier League in the 1990’s, Miguel Ángel Nadal.
Early Years
Born in 1966 on the isle of Mallorca, Nadal joined his hometown club CD Manacor (currently playing regional football in the fourth level of the Spanish league). It wasn’t long before the island’s main sports institution, Real Mallorca, acquired his services. He played in their “B” team for the majority of the 1986 – 87 season, before being promoted to the first team squad. In April 1987, he made his debut in a 2 – 0 defeat against the club where he would later achieve fame and international recognition – Barcelona.
Nadal became a mainstay of the Mallorca side shortly after that, although the club were relegated to the Segunda Division at the end of his first full season. He stayed with Real Mallorca, with his solid performances being one of the reasons the club were promoted back to La Liga at the first attempt. He was, however, already gaining a reputation as one to keep an eye on for the future. A big, tough, uncompromising defender, he could head the ball further than some could kick it, and was also a fine distributor of the ball. His fearless, all-action style won him many admirers.
He was defined as a centre-back, but was versatile enough to be positioned all across the back four, and occasionally as a defensive midfielder. It was, however, in the centre of defence where he mainly plied his trade. Over the next two seasons, Mallorca recorded mid-table finishes, having battled relegation previously.
During this time, Nadal grew in terms of reputation and experience, and it was no surprise when the bigger clubs starting dusting off their cheque books. In the summer of 1991, Barcelona manager Johann Cruyff persuaded him that his future lay at the Nou Camp.
Barcelona
The foundations of what would be known as Johan Cruyff’s “Dream Team” had already been in place for a couple of seasons. When Nadal signed for the Catalan giants, they had just secured the first of what would become four successive La Liga titles. In addition to this, they had won the 1989 European Cup Winners’ Cup, as well as the 1990 Copa Del Rey under Cruyff’s guidance. He was joining a team full of winners, and with players such as Michael Laudrup, Hristo Stoichkov and Ronald Koeman, Barcelona were one of the most feared teams in Europe. Within three months of his move to the Nou Camp, Nadal had earned his first cap for Spain.
Despite a long history of success, both at home and on the continent, Barça had never been crowned European Champions at this point. 1992 would prove to be a glorious year, not just for the club, but for the whole city of Barcelona. As well as hosting the Olympic Games that year, it would see its major team retain the La Liga title and bring the European Cup to Catalonia for the very first time. Unfortunately for Nadal, he was an unused substitute as the Blaugranas beat Italian side Sampdoria at Wembley.
Nadal had seen his playing time restricted by his team mate Nando in his first season at the club, but he was sold shortly after Barcelona’s European Cup win. Placed alongside Ronald Koeman at the heart of the defence, he began to flourish during the 1992 – 93 season, becoming an undisputed starter for many years to come. Cruyff made his team even more fearsome with the addition of Brazilian striker Romário in the summer of 1993, and his 30 goals were pivotal in the club’s fourth La Liga title in a row.
When Barcelona qualified for the 1994 European Cup Final (now rebranded as the Champions League), everyone expected them to simply walk away with it. By contrast, the opposite happened, and their usually solid defence was ripped apart in Athens, as AC Milan ran out 4 – 0 winners. Cruyff’s side never really recovered from this. The defeat even seemed to affect Nadal during the World Cup, as he was sent off after just 25 minutes of Spain’s opening match against South Korea, which ended in a 2 – 2 draw. Following a two match ban, he was restored to the side, but the form of Hierro and Abelardo at the back meant that he was deployed in midfield against Switzerland and Italy.
The 1994 – 95 season saw Barcelona play to their full potential just once, as they thrashed Manchester United 4 – 0 in a Champions League group match in the Nou Camp – a game Nadal missed through suspension having picked up two yellow cards in earlier matches. Things took a turn for the worse when Real Madrid dished out a 5 – 0 hammering in that year’s El Clásico. Nadal was only introduced as a half time substitute in this game, by which time his side were already three goals down.
Romário returned to Brazil, joining Flamengo shortly after this game, and both Koeman and Stoichkov left at the end of the season. Barcelona had finished a disappointing fourth place in La Liga.
1995 – 96 would prove to be Cruyff’s last in charge at the Nou Camp. It was a strange season, if not only for the fact that neither Barcelona nor Real Madrid finished in the top two places, finishing third and sixth respectively. Atlético Madrid won the race for La Liga, but from a personal perspective Nadal’s season was a good one. He was almost ever-present for his side and continued in forging his reputation as one of Europe’s finest centre-backs. Despite only missing out on the title by four points, the Barcelona board decided that two seasons without winning La Liga was unacceptable. Johann Cruyff was sacked in 1996, and replaced by the late Sir Bobby Robson.
While Cruyff was clearing out his office, Nadal was in England with the Spanish squad for Euro 96. Spain would lose to the hosts in a penalty shootout in the quarter-final, following a 0 – 0 draw. This match would see Nadal, who had shut out the tournament’s top scorer Alan Shearer for 120 minutes, miss the deciding penalty which meant that England qualified for the semi-final. A particularly cruel blow for the defender, having had such a magnificent game.
It was performances like this that persuaded Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, who had been scouting the player for some time, to step up his efforts to sign him. In September 1996, a deal was agreed in principle, but Barcelona changed their minds at the last minute, and he stayed at the Nou Camp. Had this not been the case, Nadal might well be remembered to United fans in the same way that Jaap Stam is – they were certainly similar in their style of play.
While the 1996 – 97 season would again see Barcelona miss out on the league title, they still scooped three trophies in the form of the Copa Del Rey, the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup and the Spanish Supercup. By this time, Nadal was seen as one of the senior players at the Nou Camp, and had captained both his club and his country on several occasions. Unfortunately, he would miss the Cup Winners’ Cup victory over Paris Saint Germain, as he was sent off in the semi-final against Fiorentina. He would probably not have played, however, even if he had been available, as an injury had forced him off the field in Barcelona’s 1 – 0 victory over Real Madrid four days earlier.
Despite a trophy-laden season, Robson was replaced after just a year in charge by Ajax manager Louis van Gaal. The Dutch manager did not particularly favour Nadal in his defence, and his appearances became less and less frequent. The 1998 – 99 season would be his last at the Nou Camp, during which he played just twice. During the summer of 1999, he returned to Real Mallorca.
Later Years and Resurgence.
The return to Mallorca reinvigorated his career in many ways. Free from the pressure and expectation that comes from playing at one of the world’s biggest clubs, he began to show his true qualities once again. In 2001, Mallorca finished third in La Liga, qualifying for the Champions League in the process.
Although the club didn’t make it past the first group stage, the form showed by Nadal saw him recalled to the Spain side, after an absence of more than two years. He was selected for the 2002 World Cup squad, at the ripe old age of 36, retiring from International football shortly after the tournament.
During his first three seasons back in his homeland, Nadal missed just nine league games, and the move clearly breathed new life into his career. In 2003, fired by the goals of Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o, Mallorca won the Copa Del Rey for the first time in their history, beating Recreativo de Huelva 3 – 0 in the final.
In March 2005, after having made just six league appearances due to a succession of injuries, Nadal announced his retirement from professional football, aged 39. He would return to the club in 2010, joining the coaching staff under the management of his old team mate, Michael Laudrup. He even took charge of one game, following the Dane’s abrupt departure after an argument with one of the club’s directors, but he also left the club the following week.
In 2014, it was announced that Nadal would be returning to Real Mallorca as sporting director, where he remains to this day. He remains a legend at both Barcelona and Mallorca, and is universally respected by fans and pundits alike.
Just like his nephew, legendary tennis player Rafael, Miguel Ángel Nadal is a born winner, as his trophy collection shows. Had his move to Old Trafford come off, it would have been interesting to see how he would have adapted to the English game, although his style of play suggests that he probably would have flourished.
The fact remains, however, that he as genuinely one of the best defenders of his generation.
