What Catalans Want 1 Pronounced Approximately “Ou, Ou” As in French “Ou” = Where
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“U, U Oleguer”1 was one of the favourite chants of FC Barcelona and Catalan National team supporters at matches in and around the 2005 season. Strange though it was that the hard-to-impress Barça terraces should hail a defender – hat-tricks by Argentinians or Brazilians being more in line for cheering – Barça fans had a soft spot for this rather shy but very committed central defender from Sabadell. Oddly enough, Oleguer Presas hadn’t been brought up in Barça’s famous Masia football nursery but joined Barça’s junior team at the age of 21 after playing for a number of second and third division sides. In the 2002- 3 season, Dutch trainer Louis Van Gaal spotted him and promoted him to the first team. Oleguer made his first team debut in a Joan Gamper trophy match against Red Star Belgrade. At first, he had to contend for a place in the defense with world class players such as the Dutch National team captain Frank de Boer. By the 2004-5 season, he had won the confidence of the new trainer – another Dutchman, Frank Rijkaard – and played 36 matches. It was Oleguer’s best period as a player. He contributed to winning the 2004-5 and 2005-6 Spanish League titles, two Supercups (2005 and 2006), three Catalan Cups and – most importantly – Barça’s second European League Championship (2005- 6). An untimely hand injury in the 2007-08 season, as well as the arrival of vintage Juventus star Gianluca Zambrotta – signed for free – reduced Oleguer’s first team presence somewhat. That may have led to his decision to move on to Holland’s Ajax in 2008 where in his first season he played twenty-seven matches. As regards his qualities, most experts point to a cool head and a capacity for concentration as his major assets. He was always quick to cut off the progress of attackers, and his height ensured he could head off dangerous centres into the area. photographer Lluís Brunet Some people think that the Madrid media bias against Oleguer’s ideological stance – clearly left-wing and in favour of Catalan independence – may have contributed to his move to Holland. The fact remains that Oleguer’s popularity at home contrasted sharply with the slanging he had to put up with on many Oleguer Presas 2 grounds around Spain. In 2006 he published a book, Camí d'Ítaca, along with fellow Sabadell writer A committed defender Roc Casagran. The book reflects on the success of FC Barcelona in earlier seasons and also serves to air Oleguer’s views on the struggle against Francoism, the Iraq war (which was then being fought) and other contradictions generated by the current economic and social model. Oleguer contributed part of What Catalans Want 1 Pronounced approximately “ou, ou” as in French “ou” = where. 2 Next new state in europe Since singer Lluís Llach’s mythical LP “Itaca”, Ithaka is a favourite reference for Catalanists. Toni Strubell Culture 2 the profits arising from the book to the Bressola Catalan schools in the northern part of Catalonia under French administration. When Oleguer received ¤25,000 on winning the President Companys Prize in 2006 for his support for the Catalan National side, he contributed the prize-money to a project run by Escola Valenciana, in favour of education in Catalan in Valencia. 3 4.