Close to christmas 1992, December 20, Barça, who defended his title of League and European champion that season, spent a night of dogs in Vallecas against Rayo Vallecano. And especially, your Wembley hero. Ronald Koeman lived one of his hardest nights as a Barça player. As soon as the game starts, in minute three, he left a ball dead with the chest in the frontal. One of those mistakes that he hates as a coach today. Toni Polster, forward from tronío, outwitted him with a wall and scored the 1-0 for Rayo. In the box, while Nicolau Casaus was quietly smoking a cigar, Jose Maria Ruiz Mateoyes, the eccentric owner of the Lightning, went mad.
But things got worse. Stoichkov, who had old troubles with Pizo Gómez, Rayo winger, was sent off after a quarter of an hour for a double yellow. The first, for hitting Pizo from behind. The second, for advancing a free-kick on the side of the area while López Nieto placed the barrier. Koeman arrived at the scene to protest the decision. The Malaga referee received him with a yellow card. Polster made it 2-0 at the exit of a corner for Rayo Vallecano and, to the surprise of the staff, López Nieto annulled a goal from Nadal for an alleged foul in the jump. Shortly after, he 'compensated' the action by a penalty light from Miguel to Salinas. Koeman did not fail; 2-1.
But the night could be worse for him Dutch, who took out walk your hand inside the area for interrupt a Polster header, his nightmare. López Nieto saw it, he hit the penalty mark and got the second yellow card, which left Barça with nine, and went to the Vallecas race while Wilfred, mythical franquirrojo goalkeeper, whispered something. Polster put the 3-1. Surprisingly, and with two players less, Barça was able to tie the game with goals from Bakero, after a play by Laudrup, and an agonizing shot from Salinas.
The 'party' continued at the end of the match. In the locker room Pizo Gomez said goodbye to Stoichkov calling him Van Basten, who had won him the Ballon d'Or France Football. He Bulgarian, what called “asshole” to one of López Nieto's assistants according to the Andalusian collected in the minutes, it was still hot. Koeman was no longer around. He had been thinking about the night Polster had given him. And in the red one that López Nieto had taught him.