5 Best Managers to manager FC Barcelona

Barcelona are the best football club in the world, making it no surprise that some of the best managers in the world have been at the helm over the years. Below are some of the best managers to manage FC Barcelona.

Johan Cruyff
11 trophies in 8 years make Johan Cruyff arguably the best manager in the club’s history. Cruyff led Barcelona to 4 consecutive league titles and their first Champions League triumph.

Frank Rijkaard
Rijkaard was a fans favourite as a player and also achieved success as a manager, including leading the club out of a trophyless slump. Rijkaard won two league titles and the Champions League and also introduced Lionel Messi to the team.

Pep Guardiola
Guardiola was already a Barcelona hero when he took over at the young age of 37 as he had captained the side for years and won many trophies. In his first season in charge Guardiola became the youngest manager to win the Champions League, whilst also winning the Spanish cup and the league title. This success has continued into subsequent seasons.

Ferdinand Daučík
Barcelona’s success is long standing and Daučík was leading the club to trophies as far back as the early 1950s, including one season when the club won 5 trophies.

Bobby Robson
Having achieved moderate success as the England manager as well as various clubs around Europe, Bobby Robson became manager of Barcelona in 1996, with Jose Mourinho by his side. In his season in charge Robson won three trophies, the European Cup Winners Cup, The Spanish Cup and the Spanish Super cup, and whilst he was not one of most successful in terms of high profile trophies, Robson was influential in building the blocks for a successful future.

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5 Best English players to have played for FC Barcelona

Surprisingly few English players have ever turned out for FC Barcelona over the years, and below are the pick of the bunch.

Gary Linekar
As one of the best strikers to play for England it is no surprise that Gary Linekar attracted the attention of the world’s largest club. Linekar moved to the Nou Camp in 1986 after winning the golden boot at the World Cup. Linekar set the Spanish League on fire in his first season by scoring 21 goals and helping Barcelona to two trophies. Linekar is perhaps the most well known and bst remembered English player to play for FC Barcelona.

William Parsons
Barcelona played their first game in December 1899 and their lineup included the Englishman William Parsons who played in the side against a group of English ex pats who won a tight affair by one goal to nil. William was joined in the side by his Brother John and was one of the key founders of the club.

Jack Greenwell
Greenwell played for Barcelona in the build-up to the First World War and went on to become their longest serving manager, a record which survived until the 1990s when Johan Cruyff overtook him. 

Walter Wild
Although registered as a player, Walter Wild was also the club’s first president in 1889.

Stanley Harris
In the early years of Barcelona there were a number of Englishmen involved in the club, including Stanley Harris. The key principles of the club during this period were to act like a gentleman at all times, never back talk to the referee and always be graceful in defeat, principles which were typical of the English influence at the club.

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The best 5 Spanish players in the English Premiership

The English Premiership attracts the best players from around the world due to its high paced and entertaining style. Below are some of the best Spanish players currently playing in the division.

Fernando Torres
As far as top quality strikers go there are not many better than Fernando Torres in the world at the moment. After a couple of seasons at Liverpool where he scored for fun and displayed the talent which catapulted him into the international spotlight Torres moved to Chelsea for a record fee.

David de Gea
Manchester United ended their search for a successor to Edwin Van Der Sar in 2011 by signing young Spanish Goalkeeper David De Gea. After a shaky start De Gea has gone on to show outstanding form and cement his place as the club’s number one. De Gea has some of the best distribution skills in world football.

Mikel Arteta
Mikel Arteta was the linchpin of the Everton side for years. He demonstrated the ability to play with flair and deliver killer balls, but also has the ability to track back and contribute defensively, something which is essential in the English game. Arteta moved to Arsenal in 2011 and is a regular in the side.

Juan Mata
Chelsea are one of the top clubs in the country at the moment and have high standards for their players, and Juan Mata has more than lived up to these standards since arriving from Spain. A killer touch and the ability to easily beat defenders has made Mata a firm favourite with the Stamford Bridge faithful.

David Silva
Manchester City have spent unprecedented amounts of money on international superstars in the last few years, but David Silva is arguably the best purchase alongside Sergio Aguero. Silva scores great goals, can hold the ball and has an eye for a killer pass.

Best 3 Barcelona Players Ever

As a glamorous club which has an enormous reputation and has experienced a great amount of success, it is natural that the best players in the world relish the opportunity to play for Barcelona. Below are some of the best players to pull on the famous shirt in the past.

Johan Cruyff
It takes a special player to leave a constant mark on the game, and the so called Cruyff turn serves as a fitting legacy to the skills and quality of Johan Cruyff. The charismatic Dutchman had a reputation for turning defences inside out, something that he achieved successfully for both Barcelona and Holland. The space which Johan Cruyff would create for other players created havoc for opposition defences and made Barcelona almost impossible to play against.

Ronaldinho
This Brazilian forward arrived at the club with a huge reputation having shone for the national team. However, the huge transfer fee didn’t faze Ronaldinho at all and he was the linchpin of the Barcelona team for the entire time he played there. With fantastic creative skills, impeccable execution and the knack of scoring exquisite goals, Ronaldinho was a pleasure to watch.

Diego Maradonna
When you think of the best players ever to have stepped onto a football pitch Diego Maradonna is one of the names which immediately come to mind. This man was a genuine football phenomenon who scored some of the best goals ever seen as well as pulling off unimaginable dribbling skills. Maradonna played at the Nou Camp for two years and won three trophies.

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FC Barcelona’s main competition this season

FC Barcelona are the most successful football club in Spanish history, and the past few years in particular have seen Barcelona pull away from the competition, both at home and in Europe. In the domestic league, La Liga, Barcelona have won the title three years in a row, and with the club strengthening its ranks once again this season, there is nothing to suggest that they will not do so again.

The pressure from other teams who are hoping to stop them doing so will lead by Real Madrid, an absolute giant in the world of football who have a star studded squad and strive to live up to the massive expectations of the fans and owners. The gap between Barcelona and Real Madrid was only four points last season, so this season’s title charge promises to be highly exciting. The other club in La Liga who pose a slightly lesser threat to Barcelona’s reign are Valencia, who finished third last season and have a winning pedigree.

In the Champions League, Europe’s premier football competition, Barcelona are the reigning champions, something they achieved with style and apparent ease. Unless there is a shock result or controversy it is difficult to see who will knock Barcelona from their perch. The teams who are capable of beating Barcelona on their day include Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Manchester United and both Milan clubs, but none of these clubs perform to the high standards that Barcelona produce on a regular basis. Clubs including Paris Saint Germain and Manchester City are big spenders, but this season may come too soon for them to challenge.

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Why Cesc Fabregas can become one of the best ever players for FC Barcelona

Why do people from Public schools generally end up with better jobs? Why do people with a higher standard of music teacher generally end up being better musicians? The answer to both of these questions is that when people are in a strong environment the quality of those around them rubs off on them and they improve as a result. I predict that the same principle will apply to Cesc Fabregas when he plays his first season for Barcelona in season 2011-12. This is because Barcelona have an array of world class talent, and by spending every day training and playing with players of this standard it would be no surprise to see an increase in the already high standards that Cesc Fabregas has set. 

Aside from the quality of players he will be playing with, another important factor which will affect how well Cesc fabregras will play in Barcelona colours is the fact that he will be playing in familiar surroundings. Fabregas grew up in Barcelona and is noticeably comfortably since returning to this familiar environment. The fact that Fabregas was able to perform to such a high standard in strange surroundings leaves one wondering what he can achieve when in a familiar one.

Whilst at Arsenal there was a lot of pressure on Fabregas to perform each week as he was the captain and key player in the team. At Barcelona there will be significantly less pressure on him to perform as the pressure will be shared amongst the many superstars in the team. This will allow Fabregas to open up and really enjoy his game.

What we can expect from Lionel Messi this season

The simple answer to the question “what can we expect from Lionel Messi” this season is that if the form he has displayed for the rest of his career is anything to go by then we are in for a treat. Messi is one of the most celebrated players of all time, and the fact that he is still playing is fantastic as it means that all football fans get to opportunity to see a modern day genius at work, with every suggestion being that he will only get better.

It is sometimes difficult to believe that Lionel Messi is only 24 years old giving that he has had such an impact on the game and has achieved so much, added to the fact that his physical appearance suggests that he is much older. In his short career, Messi has already won many of the game’s major honours, including the Champions League, the Spanish league title, the World Youth Championship and an Olympic gold medal.

With so many honours it would be easy for Messi to become complacent and lose his drive and passion for the game, but anybody who has viewed his performances over the last year, as well as in recent pre season games, will know that this is certainly not the case, and the current list of honours is destined to grow much bigger.

Playing for the best club side in the world allows Lionel Messi to really flourish as opposing teams cannot afford to divert too much of their attention to him as there are so many other players to monitor. The addition of Cesc Fabregas will only emphasise this and create even more room for Messi to weave his magic. Buy tickets for the Champions League in Barcelona, Spain.