Béla Guttman curse and the final of the European Cup 1961 between Barcelona and Benfica

The final of the European Cup 1961 played at the stadium Wankdorf Berne will be remembered as the end of the posts. And it is that up to four pitches of FC Barcelona stumbled at the wood of the Portuguese team Benfica. Such was the bad luck with wood Barca, that day marked the end of the square posts, they became round.

The final was preceded by the great performance that had eliminated Barca in previous qualifiers Real Madrid, HR Hradek Kralove and Hamburg among others. Especially, important thing was the win against whites, because the meringues had won five editions of the European Cup disputed until then. For it, Barcelona had world-class players such as goalkeeper Ramallets, Kubala, Suarez, Evaristo, Czibor, Kocsis P.. That is one of the best initial onces that has given the history.

The initial eleven that end is one of the best ever.

Meanwhile, Benfica embodied the talented Portuguese football. Players like José Águas, Mario Column, José Augusto or Santana formed the template of a team that also aspired to win their first European Cup, despite not starting as favorites because of the potential adversary.

Quinielas seemed fulfilled when the 20 minutes of play, Hungarian Kocsis the Catalans ahead. A result that seemed to be extended at any time under a team game and yet otro.Sin, the minutes 30 al 33, Unfortunately it is primed with the Catalan equipment, and especially with his goalkeeper Ramallets. First, the goalkeeper fails miserably a simple clearance to center CAVEM; the ball falls to him to Águas, fusila pleasure that the tie.

Then, Gensana gives the defense the ball head Barca goalkeeper, I dazzled by the sun lets out ball. Caprichosa, it enough is introduced into the goal to seal one of the darkest moments in the history of FC Barcelona.

With 2-1 it would come to rest. A result that would increase at the beginning of the second half when Coluna batia back to Ramallets. From now on, I would get madness, the total siege on the Lisbon goal. a Barcelona, Cowl was going to go all the comeback attempt. the posts, one of Kocsis and other Kubala prevent the gap, thing that if going to get Czibor absence fifteen minutes remaining.

The last moments of the meeting were an avalanche of barcelonista game, where the goal Pereira and again prevented the club one of the best teams in football history add its first European Cup, as he had happened to Hungary seven years ago on this very stage.

The sad blaugrana brought defeat, but nevertheless, a moral of a fable. From this moment, international agencies decided to replace the square sticks sharp rebound, by cylindrical posts that make it easier to score goals, and step, reward attacking play.

Benfica won its first European title against Barcelona.

*The Benfica coach Bela Guttman was, an Austrian who later would win the European Cup a year later, it would mean his farewell club by asking for a raise. Fired with bad arts, Austrian technical uttered a phrase that at first seemed an anecdote and then became a curse: “Benfica without me ever win a European Cup”. and since then he has played a total of seven European finals: five of Champions League (1963,65,68,88 Y 90) and two Europa League (1983 Y 2013) and he has lost all.