Barcelona’s football memory gathered in the Mooby Bosque cinema as Joan Manuel Serrat made an unannounced appearance to honour his close friend Carles “Charly” Rexach at the first screening of Correr es de cobardes, a documentary tracing the former Barcelona player and coach’s life in the game.
Serrat, the celebrated singer-songwriter from Poble Sec, had immediately accepted the invitation weeks earlier. His arrival nevertheless caught Rexach completely off guard. The two men, along with agent Josep Maria Minguella, traditionally meet before Christmas for a long lunch dominated by football conversation. Minguella, known for bringing Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi to Barcelona, could not attend the screening.
An unexpected reunion in Barcelona
- Rexach arrived at the cinema for the preview of the film after spending many days involved in its production and filming.
- Serrat appeared without warning, prompting an emotional reaction from Rexach, who is four months away from his 80th birthday. “I truly did not expect this. It has made me so happy,” he said.
- Rexach warmly described Serrat as “top class”, aware of the musician’s enduring devotion to Barcelona and his daily attention to news surrounding the club.
- Serrat reflected the upbeat feeling around the side under Hansi Flick, saying: “Everyone is happy with Barça. We should enjoy it for now; nobody can take that away from us.”
The screening also brought together Rexach’s family. His wife Silvia, children Carlos and Marta, and grandchildren Carlos, Paula and Naroa joined him in the auditorium. His eldest granddaughter, Ainara, is studying in the United States on a field-hockey scholarship, while Naroa also shares that sport as a passion.
Football remains a family link for Rexach. The documentary includes time spent with his grandson Carlos kicking a ball at Escola TARR, the academy Rexach founded in 1984 with Antoni Torres, Juan Manuel Asensi and Joaquim Rifé.
Dream Team figures and old Barcelona conversations
There was scarcely time for Rexach to greet every former player who came to embrace him. Serrat, visibly moved, spoke with contemporaries including Pere Valentí Mora, Ramon Alfonseda and Tente Sánchez.
Once inside the packed theatre, Serrat hurried back towards the photocall when he spotted three figures from Johan Cruyff’s Dream Team: José Mari Bakero, Eusebio Sacristán and Julio Salinas. He joined them for a photograph with Santi Nolla and Rexach.
The afternoon became a reunion of trophies, arguments and tactical memories. Rexach and Eusebio were seen recreating tactical diagrams with imaginary arrows on a wall, while Guillermo Amor and José Ramón Alexanco reacted emotionally to footage recalling Barcelona’s four consecutive league titles and the 1992 European Cup triumph at Wembley.
Barcelona past and present in the audience
Current club representation included vice-president Rafa Yuste and board members Jaume Santiveri and Xavier Barniol. Former president Joan Gaspart attended, as did former vice-presidents Ángel Fernández and Francesc Closa, former general director Xavier Pérez Farguell and former manager Anton Parera.
Pau Vilanova, Xavier Vilajoana and Joan Camprubí were also present, in an audience united around one of Barcelona’s enduring football figures and encouraged by the club’s opening months under Flick.
Correr es de cobardes will be available to the public on Movistar Plus from Monday the 21st.
