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, Lee Sharpe,[1][deprecated source] 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.

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