The shocking departure of Josep Gombau from Adelaide United has raised a lot of questions about the ability of the Reds to maintain the quality of their play on the field.
The man charged to answer this question is former technical director – now turned head coach – Guillermo Amor.
A former Johann Cryuff protégé in Barcelona – as the Dutch legend gave Amor his debut with Blaugrana in 1988 – Amor spent 12 seasons playing at the Nou Camp, amassing 421 appearances for the La Liga giants. He was a key part of Cruyff’s ‘Dream Team’ that won everything in the early 1990s, Amor’s résumé with Barca counting five La Liga titles, three Copa del Rey victorues, two Cup Winners’ Cups and the 1992 Champions League. His playing career includes also spells with Villareal and Fiorentina, where Amor spent two years. The former midfielder also won 37 caps for Spain, playing at the Euro 1996 and 1998 FIFA World Cup competitions. But Amor’s impressive cv goes beyond his playing career. One of the finest product of La Masia, the youth academy where Barca produced stars as Pep Guardiola, Xavi Hernzndez, Andres Iniesta, and Lionel Messi, Amor was director from 2003 to 2007 and again from 2010 to 2014. It was during this period that Amor met Josep Gombau and a long-lasting professional relationship begun.
In August 2014, Gombau invited Amor to join him in Australia, where the former Barca midfielder became Adelaide’s technical director, but now he is in a much tougher seat. What should Adelaide’s fans and A-League followers expect from the new Reds coach?
From a philosophical viewpoint, Amor is a classic Barcelona coach, meaning he favors the team above the single player. Barcelona’s squads put emphasis on ball retention, passing triangles and careful connections with great pace. That said, there is no surprise that, after Gombau’s sudden departure, Adelaide United has recruited Amor as his successor. In fact, since his arrival in July 2013, Gombau impressed Australian football fans after introducing the ‘tiki-taka’ style to A-League circles. Gombau’s appointment installed a new identity at the club so that we can now talk about an Adelaide playing style, implementing a 3-4-3 with just three defenders, more emphasis on the attacking phase, moving the ball from the back and retaining ball control. Gombau was the father of Adelaide’s new style, in the same way Cruyff did with Barcelona all those years ago.
“From what I have seen, there is not a big difference between us and what Barcelona are doing,” Amor stated.
MORE: Josep Gombau leaves a legacy for both Adelaide United and the A-League
This is a big step away from the stereotypes that describe Australian soccer as tough and physical. With the same legacy of his predecessor under his belt, the 47-year-old Benidorm native should continue the way Adelaide United played football under his friend. The new coach knows tactics and movements quite well and could maybe adjust a couple of things – moving from a three-man backline to a flat four defence is perhaps on the cards – but the team’s mentality and attitude will remain the same.
So, the transition from Gombau to Amor should be smooth, though it does not mean easy. As mentioned earlier, Amor is now in a much more hot seat. Being an academy coach, or a technical director, is a very different thing that being a head coach. Unlike academy staff, Amor’s work will be now measured by victories and defeats. Although results will be ever consequence of the performances, in the eyes of Amor as it was for Gombau, they still matter. And this will put a lot of more pressure on his shoulders. Will the Spaniard be able to get the job done?
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He’s got the results so far!