Replacing Diego Maradona is a difficult task for almost anyone, but Scotland hero Steve Archibald took up the challenge unscathed when swapping Tottenham for Barcelona in 1984.
After a stunning 1983/84 season in which he scored 21 Premier League goals, Archibald naturally attracted the attention of some of Europe’s top clubs. Opportunity to play for Barcelona however, it proved difficult to refuse as the then 27-year-old made a transfer worth £1.15 million.
He will become the second Scot to play in La Liga, with John Fox Watson the first to do so while appearing on the pitch Real Madrid Archibald remembers the expectations placed on the club when he joined in the 1940s, although having Terry Venables as manager certainly helped boost his confidence.
Diego Maradona’s number 10 shirt was handed to Archibald
“The club was similar to Tottenham at the time because they hadn’t won a league title in over a decade,” says Archibald FourFourTwo. “Cup success didn’t matter; they wanted to win the league. They explained this before I went there.
“Me and Bernd Schuster were foreigners, so Terry chose me out of all the foreign players in the world, which gave me confidence. He bet his job on me because Barcelona didn’t tolerate fools. I never felt intimidated, but I saw a lack of a winning mentality.
“I knew Bernd was equal to or better than Glenn Hoddle in terms of passing ability and I knew I would get the serve. I scored immediately: my first goal was on my debut against Real Madrid and we won 3-0. Doubts were high. I wasn’t immediately accepted up to this point, but this game solved everyone’s problems.
Archibald immediately put pressure on him when he arrived at Barcelona for a different reason, namely with the number 10 shirt he was given for the 1984/85 season. Previous user of this number? Diego Maradona, who has just passed away Naples.
“When I signed a contract with Barcelona, it was written in the contract that I would wear the number 8 shirt. However, it was Bernd Schuster’s shirt,” adds Archibald. “I felt that eight was lucky for me and otherwise I wouldn’t have scored. I said it was in my contract that I could wear it, but Bernd said he didn’t care.
“Venables was watching all this and asked me if I wanted him to talk to Bernd. I said, ‘No, just give him number 8.’ Terry would have backed me no matter how much it would have pissed Bernd off, so I took Maradona’s number 10 shirt instead to keep my cool.
This decision did not prove to be a blow to him, as the striker scored 15 goals in La Liga, ending Barcelona’s 11-year wait for the league title. They also dominated this season, finishing the season 10 points ahead Atletico Madrid in second place at a time when two points were awarded for a win.
