Before being dismissed by the club as head coach in May 1996,
Johan Cruyff sought to reinforce the club for the upcoming season. While bids for
Zinedine Zidane,
David Ginola,
Ryan Giggs,
Aron Winter, and goalkeeper
José Francisco Molina all proved unsuccessful,
Laurent Blanc,
Juan Antonio Pizzi and
Luis Enrique did join the club. The team enjoyed a decent season, winning both
Copa del Rey and
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, but extended its run without winning the league title to three years, coming second to
Real Madrid. The season's end saw major departures:
Bobby Robson was replaced as coach by
Louis Van Gaal and
Ronaldo, the club's top scorer with 47 goals, made a surprise switch to
Inter Milan. ==Squad==