Terry Venables, the former England manager, passed away at the age of 80 on Sunday. Venables did not only manage England but was also involved in managerial spells with big teams like Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspurs. Venables was at the helm for England during the EUROs in 1996.
His demise has deeply affected the world of football because of his brilliant character and involvement with Premier League teams like Chelsea, Spurs and QPR during his senior player career. Thoughts and prayers have come in numbers for the former Barcelona manager, who was a very likable figure.
Ex-England, Barcelona manager Terry Venables dies at 80
A statement from League Managers Association on Sunday confirmed the sad news that Terry Venables had breathed his last. His family revealed that Terry died peacefully in his sleep after suffering through illness for quite a long time.
Terry Venables has passed away after a long illness. Rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/wrOavIXJ7k
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) November 26, 2023
There have been a lot of tributes offered to Terry, an immensely vibrant and flamboyant manager who led England to the brink of a European Championship triumph in 1996. Gary Lineker, one of England’s greatest, who played under Venables at Barcelona, tagged Terry as “without doubt the most technically gifted British coach we’ve ever produced.”
Devastated to hear that Terry Venables has died. The best, most innovative coach that I had the privilege and pleasure of playing for. He was much more, though, than just a great manager, he was vibrant, he was charming, he was witty, he was a friend. He’ll be hugely missed.…
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) November 26, 2023
Current England Manager Gareth Southgate also paid tribute to the former England coach and said that Venables was “an outstanding coach and manager” who was “tactically excellent” and was “capable of handling everyone from the youngest player to the biggest star.”
Venables was also greatly known for his stint at Camp Nou, where he managed Barcelona to their first league title win after a long time in 1986, ending Blaugrana’s 11-year-old title drought. He got honored with the nickname ‘El Tel’ following his success.
Exploring Terry Venables’ soccer legacy
Terry’s legacy is mostly defined by his success in Barcelona and the Euro 1996 campaign managing England, only to be knocked out by Germany in the semi-finals. He also managed Tottenham for a while, getting them silverware in the form of the FA Cup in 1991. Adding to it, Terry was also the brain behind the promotions of Crystal Palace and QPR.
Venables’ legacy is not only restricted to the managerial aspect, as he had a decent player career as well. Venables was a talented midfielder who made 526 appearances and was a winner of the League Cup while playing for Chelsea and the FA Cup while playing for Tottenham.
"A real revolutionary of his time"
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) November 27, 2023
Mark Bosnich pays tribute to Terry Venables, who managed the Australian national side between 1997 and 1998 pic.twitter.com/HBN6PV29WK
After his retirement from football, Terry moved to Alicante, Spain, with his wife, Yvette. His family has said they are “totally devastated by the loss of a wonderful husband and father.”
We wish for his soul to rest in peace.
