Substitutes
#1 Carles Busquets
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As the surname would have hinted, Carles Busquets is the father of Sergio Busquets, who is currently playing for Barcelona. Carles mostly served as a deputy to Zubizarreta during his time at Barcelona.
Busquets did get his first team opportunities when Zubizarreta left for Valencia and was the custodian for two seasons, before serving as a deputy once again. He retired at UE Lleida and later joined the goalkeeping staff at Barcelona.
#2 Jose Ramon Alexanko
Another Basque player to shift to Barcelona in the 1980s and form the core of Johan Cruyff’s Dream Team, Alexanko had a successful career at Barcelona and retired at the Catalan club itself. He was capped over 30 times for Spain and captained Barcelona as well.
Alexanko started his coaching career in Romania before returning to Barcelona as an assistant in 2000. He was later named as the youth team co-ordinator in 2005 and was chosen as the director of football at Valencia this January.
#3 Miguel Angel Nadal
As the surname indicates, Miguel Angel Nadal is indeed related to the legendary tennis player Rafael Nadal – he is Rafa’s paternal uncle. In fact, the similarities continue with Miguel nicknamed “The Beast” for being one of the most physically dominant footballers in the game, a trait Rafael Nadal is associated with as well.
Miguel Nadal spent eight seasons with Barcelona between 1991 and 1999 and played either in defence or midfield, making him a versatile asset to the team. He earned 62 caps for the Spanish national team and appeared in three World Cups. He retired at Mallorca in 2005 and returned to the same club, first as an assistant and later as a caretaker in 2010-11.
What is the foot injury that has troubled Rafael Nadal over the years? Check here
