5 greatest Barcelona managers of the 21st century

Current Barcelona manager Xavi (C) along with Pep Guardiola (right) and Sergio Aguero (left)
Current Barcelona manager Xavi (C) along with Pep Guardiola (right) and Sergio Aguero (left)

#3 Frank Rijkaard

Frank Rijkaard looks on during a Barcelona La Liga game.
Frank Rijkaard looks on during a Barcelona La Liga game.

Dutch legend Frank Rijkaard will always be remembered by Barcelona fans as the manager who gave Lionel Messi his first-team debut at the club. The club also signed Brazilian superstar Ronaldinho in Rijkaard's debut season as club manager in 2003.

Despite a difficult start to life at Camp Nou, Rijkaard would go on to establish himself as a Blaugrana legend. By leading them to the 2004-05 La Liga title, he ended the club's trophy drought stretching back to 1999.

He also became the first Barcelona manager to win twice at the Santiago Bernabeu against Real Madrid. That was something even Cryuff and Luis Aragones had failed to achieve.

The Blaugrana won two league titles and two Spanish Super Cups under the Dutchman, along with the 2005-06 Champions League title.

He departed Camp Nou in 2008 after a five-year spell, making him the longest-tenured Blaugrana manager of the 21st century so far. The club won 159 of his 272 games as head coach.


#2 Luis Enrique

Luis Enrique looks on in the Camp Nou dugout.
Luis Enrique looks on in the Camp Nou dugout.

Current Spanish national team manager Luis Enrique had an exceptionally successful three-year tenure with the Blaugrana between 2014 and 2017.

He memorably led Barcelona to a continental treble in his debut season as manager, with the club winning La Liga, Champions League and Copa del Rey. He followed that up with a domestic double (league and cup) in his second season in charge.

Barcelona won 138 of their 181 games under Enrique, and also clinched a Spanish Super Cup, a UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup in that period.

He chose to walk away after the expiration of his contract in 2017. With nine trophies in three years and an astonishing win percentage of 76.2, Enrique is statistically one of the greatest managers in Blaugrana history.


#1 Pep Guardiola

Pep Guardiola directs his Blaugrana team
Pep Guardiola directs his Blaugrana team

Pep Guardiola has a convincing case for the greatest manager in Barcelona history, never mind the 21st century. Under the Spanish genius, the 2008-12 Blaugrana side became arguably the most feared club team football has ever seen. Even the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho had no answer to Guardiola, Messi and Barcelona's 'tiki-taka'.

Already a club legend from his playing days, where he captained the team, Guardiola was appointed the Blaugrana manager in May 2008. He led the team to a historic continental treble in his debut season, becoming the youngest manager to win the Champions League in the process.

The following season, he added the UEFA Super Cup, Club World Cup, Spanish Super Cup and another La Liga crown to his tally. Guardiola wasn't done, and led Barcelona to a third successive league title in his third year at the club, and a second Champions League crown, and retained the Spanish Super Cup.

The Blaugrana failed to win La Liga or the Champions League in Guardiola's final season in 2011-12. However, they added a third UEFA Super Cup, a third Spanish Super Cup, a second Copa del Rey and another Club World Cup to their burgeoning trophy cabinet.

Guardiola won an unbelievable 14 trophies in his four-year spell with Barcelona. The team won 179 of their 247 games under the Spaniard, giving him a win percentage of just over 72.

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