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It was January 1980, and little did he know it, but Guillermo Amor’s life was about to change forever. After impressing in a youth tournament against Barcelona, Valencia, and Hércules, Amor was invited to undergo a week-long trial at Barcelon and eventually earned a spot in Barcelona’s La Masia academy, which had launched just three months prior. Amor ascended the ranks and eventually broke into the team under new manager Johan Cruyff, scoring 13 goals in 36 appearances across the 1988/89 season and helping the Blaugranas win the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. And after opening the scoring in Barcelona’s win vs. Real Madrid in the 1990 Copa del Rey Final, Amor helped Barcelona put an end to Los Blancos’ dynasty, winning four league titles in a row and claiming a first-ever European Cup in 1992.

Amor didn’t just emerge as an indispensable figure in the ‘Dream Team,’ but he also excelled for the Spanish national team in the 1996 Euros and the 1998 World Cup, scoring 4 goals in 37 Spain caps between 1990 and 1998. But after returning from France, he found himself on the outside looking in under Louis van Gaal. It’s why he departed Barcelona as the winningest player in club history, spending two years with Fiorentina before returning to Spain and helping newly promoted Villarreal establish themselves in LaLiga. After a swan song with Scottish outfit Livingston, Amor retired in 2003 and has since occupied four different backroom roles with FC Barcelona, as well as a three-year spell in Australia as Adelaide United FC’s Technical Director and Head Coach. Today, Amor spends his time in Barcelona, working with his oldest son (a licensed FIFA agent) in his consulting and player representation business.

Protagonist Soccer spoke to Amor about a number of topics, including:

You played against some of the best teams of the 1990s, but who would you say was your toughest opponent?
I’ve played against a lot of tough opponents, but from a team perspective, our biggest rival was always Real Madrid. Real Madrid was always the team to beat in the league, in the cup, even in Europe, if we had to play them…in any competition, it's the team you always try to be better than. The truth is, they are a worthy rival, and I think that Barça and Real Madrid, in that sense, need each other a little, not just as big clubs, because El Clásico is one of the most followed matches in the entire world. Both clubs have fans from all over the world, you can go to Russia or China or wherever and find fans, which is very nice. I also played against some very tough, powerful rivals, and sometimes one was better than the other, but I’ll always say that my toughest was Real Madrid.

For those of us who were too young to watch you play, how would you describe yourself as a midfielder? And is there any current player whom you’d liken yourself to?
I think everyone is different; we all have our strengths and weaknesses, maybe one is taller, the other shorter, one is better at heading, and the other reaches the final third more, the other uses both legs more, and the other runs more kilometers and works harder. In the end, each one has their own little qualities or strengths. I don't know, I don't like to talk about myself that much, but I consider myself a very team-oriented person. I’m a person of FC Barcelona, where I've been able to live and defend, and a team player, and I've always been available for whatever the coach might tell me. I've never complained; maybe I played in a position that wasn't mine, but if the manager thinks he has to put me here today, then I'll try to do my best. If he thinks he has to put me in another position, that’s fine with me. For example, there was a time where we went from playing with a 4-3-3 to a 3-4-3, where we were playing with four midfielders in a diamond formation, and that gives you the possibility to play in each of these different roles. I was willing, and that suited me very well, because I knew that one day I'd play a bit more offensively, another day on the right, another day on the left, and another day in front of the defense. It worked well for me, because I had a better chance of playing. If you only play one position, sometimes you’ll think, ‘I play right back or not at all.’ I always tried to adapt. Naturally, you always think, "Well, I like it better to get forward and be more offensive and have the opportunity to get closer to the area and score goals. All footballers like, but there were times when it was time to row together and defend. If you're going to play in front of the defense, and you're going to defend, you're going to be more positional, or if it's on one side…I've always been someone who has adapted to what the manager tells me, and I've tried to do my best. From there, well, sometimes I've been more successful and other times less so, but the intentions were always good.

Ever since leaving FC Barcelona in 2021, you’ve had the chance to start a new career in the player representation field with your son. What has that been like?
Everybody looks for good footballers, but you’re always searching for talent, while age is also a factor. Naturally, professional footballers are already established, so everything is already set, because you're finding them at a certain age and at a very high level of football. We’re working with young talents who are just starting out. We don’t like working with really young people, as that should be the responsibility of their families and their parents, but around 14/15/16 years of age, some families may need someone to help guide them a little through the steps to follow because they're entering more serious years starting at 16, so that's when we start recruiting players from different teams. You're always looking for that talented young player who catches your eye, the technically gifted one, the one who reads the game quickly, the one with a good attitude, the one who is hard-working, the one who strives for success, the one who is a good person. We know it’s very difficult to find someone who ticks all these boxes, but we always try to make it happen if possible.

Lastly, FC Barcelona are looking to become the first team in seven years to win back-to-back LaLiga titles, whilst they’re also vying for their first Champions League title since 2015. What have you made of their season thus far under Hansi Flick?
With regards to Barcelona, I don't really like to do analysis or go into detail, because we tend to be very alarmist here. You lose, and then everything’s going wrong, and then you win, and everything is fantastic? I think you have to maintain a certain level of calm and composure. It's true that things are changing, but the important thing is how the team is performing. I always say that the most important thing is that the team arrives in fresh, good conditions in March/April/May, and that the players don’t have any issues, they’re united in a good atmosphere, and they are in a position to achieve something in LaLiga and the Champions League. If they arrive in good form and with everything in place during these months, then you'll have a chance to win now. Now, there are still a lot of matches to be played, and the team should continue to improve because it needs to go further. I think the team is like last season, which was very good, and they will be there, fighting and competing in all of the competitions. I'm sure they'll qualify for the Champions League if everything goes normally, and they'll be in contention in the league title alongside Real Madrid, as well as the other competitions. I think there are times and matches when Barcelona plays well, they play really well, but there have also been times where they’ve faced some really strong teams and lost against Real Madrid, Chelsea, Atlético Madrid. There will be some tough matches coming up, because all the rivals at this level are important and can beat you, but Barcelona will be in a position to compete in all competitions.

- by Zach Lowy