Terry Venables, The Former England, Tottenham And Barcelona Coach, Has Died At 80

Terry Venables, a dynamic and tactically inventive English soccer coach who guided his country to the European Championship semifinals in 1996 after winning titles with Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur, has died. He was 80.

Venables’ death was revealed on Sunday in a statement to British media by his family, who said he died on Saturday after a protracted illness.

According to the English Football Association, Venables left a legacy that “captured the imagination of many and enhanced the global reputation of the English game.”

Former England captain Gary Lineker, who played for Venables at Barcelona and Tottenham, called him “the best, most innovative coach that I had the privilege and pleasure of playing for.”

Venables, who was born close outside London, was a charming, humorous, and popular player who played for Chelsea, Tottenham, Queens Park Rangers, and Crystal Palace — all clubs in the city — over a 16-year senior career that featured two appearances for England in the mid-1960s.

Palace and QPR were the first clubs “El Tel,” as he was known, managed before moving to Barcelona from 1984 to 1987, where he led the club to its first Spanish league title since 1974. He also led Barcelona to the European Cup final in 1986, where Steaua Bucharest defeated them on penalties.

Venables handled the sale of Argentina legend Diego Maradona to Napoli during his stay at the Camp Nou.

As Tottenham’s manager from 1987 to 1991, he won the FA Cup in his final season and became chief executive before being fired after his relationship with then-chairman Alan Sugar deteriorated. Later that year, the BBC’s Panorama documentary accused Venables’ firms of unethical activity, to which he responded by threatening legal action.

Venables moved into international management, and his proudest moment was coaching England from 1994 to 1996, including at Euro 96 on home soil, where a talented team — led by the mercurial Paul Gascoigne and Alan Shearer and playing in a “Christmas tree” formation — lost in a penalty shootout to Germany in the semifinals. England’s 4-1 group-stage victory over the Netherlands will be among the national team’s best performances.

“He was an unbelievable personality and character, larger than life,” commented Gary Neville, a former England right back, on X, formerly Twitter. “He was someone who was a players’ man, looked after his players, stood up for his players in big situations.”

Venables was employed by Australia in 1997. However, the team could not qualify for the 1998 World Cup after losing a playoff against Iran. He left an impression on Australian soccer despite his brief tenure in charge, according to Tottenham’s Australian coach, Ange Postecoglou.

Terry Venables, The Former England, Tottenham And Barcelona Coach, Has Died At 80

“The biggest testament,” said Postecoglou, “is that anyone who I have ever come across that has worked with him will say he is by far the best coach, manager and tactician they have come across.”

Venables’ final coaching stints were with Palace, Middlesbrough, and Leeds. However, he briefly served as an assistant to England coach Steve McClaren in 2006 before leaving after the squad failed to qualify for the European Championship.

England’s current coach, Gareth Southgate, characterized Venables as “tactically excellent” and “capable of handling everyone from the youngest player to the biggest star.”

“He was open-minded, forward-thinking, enjoyed life to the fullest, and created a brilliant environment with England that allowed his players to flourish and have one of the most memorable tournaments in England history,” said Southgate, who missed a penalty for England in a shootout against Germany in 1996. “A brilliant man who made people feel special; I’m very sad to hear of his passing.”

Tottenham observed a minute of applause before their Sunday match against Aston Villa, with both players wearing black armbands.

SOURCE – (AP)