March 1st, 1981, was the precise day that Barcelona's season came off the rails. The Catalans had just crushed Hércules 6-0 and were sitting well-placed in second spot in La Liga when news came through that their prolific striker Quini had been kidnapped by two men at gunpoint.

Spanish international Quini had arrived at the start of the season from Sporting Gijon and had been a revelation, but the four games he missed until released safe and well were disastrous for Barcelona with just one point taken from the eight available. Not even big-name imports Bernd Schuster and Allan Simonsen could lift the team in Quini's absence.

A League campaign that promised so much ended with a fifth-placed finish and some consolation from a Copa del Rey win. Sporting Gijon were defeated 3-1 in the Final with two of the goals scored by none other than the returning Quini against his old club.