5 greatest Barcelona managers of all time

johan cruyff and pep guardiola

Barcelona are one of the greatest clubs of all time and they have won an incredible number of trophies in their long and illustrious history. While the Catalan giants have always had some incredible players, they have also been blessed with some true revolutionary managers who have changed the very fabric of the game.

Barcelona are always expected to adhere to their philosophy of beautiful football and these managers have not only been very successful, they have also ensured that their teams have played some extremely entertaining football.

With Luis Enrique announcing that he will step down from his position as Barcelona manager, we take a look at the 5 greatest managers in Barcelona history:

#5 Frank Rijkaard (2003-2008)

frank rijkaard barcelona

When Frank Rijkaard was appointed Barcelona manager in 2003, not many fans were enamoured with the prospect. However, after Rijkaard signed Ronaldinho, the club went from strength to strength and finished second in his debut season.

From then on, the Dutchman guided the Catalan giants to an incredible era of success where they won 2 La Ligas, a Champions League title and 2 Spanish Supercups. He also made some incredibly important signings such as Samuel Eto’o, Deco and Guily and he even became the first Barcelona manager ever to win twice at the Bernabeu.

Also read: Lionel Messi rates former manager Frank Rijkaard as the most important coach in his career

Rijkaard soon became a fan favourite for the beautiful attacking football his sides played. Speaking about his philosophy, Rijkaard once said:

“you gain many impressions from the past. You still have it in your mind when you become a coach, and if something happens you can recall how it was dealt with. But I strongly believe that you cannot copy anyone. The decisions that a great coach made years ago will not necessarily work today.”

A manager who is credited with turning around Barcelona’s fortunes in this millennium, the Dutchman is definitely one of the greatest Barcelona managers of all time.

youtube-cover

#4 Luis Enrique (2014-2017)

luis enrique barcelona champions league

Luis Enrique sent shockwaves around the world of football when he announced his decision to quit as Barcelona manager at the end of this season. One of the most successful managers in Barcelona history, Enrique incredibly has won 8 out of the 10 trophies he has competed so far.

Credited with creating the most destructive trio in football history (Messi, Suarez and Neymar), Barcelona have broken all kind of records under Enrique winning a stunning quadruple in his debut season. He is also the most successful manager in terms of win % and is still in with a chance of winning another domestic double this season.

Also read: Barcelona target Arsene Wenger as replacement for Luis Enrique

With all these records, Enrique should have been higher up on this list, but some public falling outs with stars like Lionel Messi in his first season at charge and accusations of not playing the Barcelona way sees the Asturian at 4th position.

youtube-cover

#3 Ferdinand Daucik (1950-1954)

ferdinand dauckick

Daucik arrived with his brother-in-law Lazlo Kubala and managed the club for 4 incredibly successful years. The manager of the legendary ‘Cini Copes’ side, Daucik even won an incredible 5 trophies in a single year.

Daucik managed some amazing players like Kubala, Velasco, Ramallets and Joan Segarra and ushered in an era of dominance for the Catalan giants in the 1950s. During his time, Barcelona won two La Liga and Copa del Genaralisimo doubles back to back and were the most successful side in Spain.

Also read: Why Laszlo Kubala, and not Lionel Messi, is the greatest Barcelona player of all time

The Slovakian departed Barcelona in 1954 due to some differences with the first team squad but his impact during his reign as the Catalan side’s manager is till remembered fondly by the Barcelona faithful.

youtube-cover

#2 Pep Guardiola (2008-2012)

pep guardiola barcelona celebration

The most successful manager in Barcelona’s history, Pep Guardiola revolutionised the way football was played and introduced the beautiful tiki-taka system which was both aesthetically pleasing and brutally effective.

Credited with bringing the best out of 5 time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi, Guardiola never hesitated to put his stamp on the side and made some bold decisions during his managerial career such as selling stars like Ronaldinho and Deco and sidelining Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Also read: 10 greatest football teams of all time

A brilliant tactician, Guardiola won an incredible 14 trophies in 4 years which included 2 Champions Leagues and 3 La Liga titles. Guardiola was more than just a manager, he introduced his own philosophy and made stars out of plenty of La Masia graduates like Sergio Busquets and Pedro.

One of the managerial greats of the modern era, Guardiola’s Barcelona are probably the greatest team to have ever played club football.

youtube-cover

#1 Johan Cruyff (1988-1996)

johan cruyff barcelona manager

Probably no person has had more of an impact at a single club than Johan Cruyff at Barcelona. A legend and a fan favourite as a player, Johan Cruyff arguably is remembered more for his role as the manager of the Barcelona ‘dream team’ which dominated world football in the early 1990s.

The impact he had, could probably be best summarised by Gabriel Marcotti’s quote about Cruyff:

“You can separate Barça's history into BCE (Before Cruyff Era) and CE (Cruyff Era). And, yes, Barça are still, nearly 20 years after he coached his final game for the club, still very much in the Cruyff Era.”

As manager of the Catalan giants for close to a decade, he helped create one of the greatest dynasties in world football both in terms of trophies and playing style. When the legendary Dutchman took over as manager in 1988, the club were in debt and in a situation of crisis. However, Cruyff in the space of six years with his man management and leadership skills transformed the club and made it into a true La Liga and European Superpower.

Also read: 5 most important signings in Barcelona's history

Famous author Jonathan Wilson remarked:

“He [Cruyff] was a beautiful, brilliant and inspirational player and that alone would have placed him firmly in the pantheon, but what he did as a coach is unparalleled. When he took over Barcelona in 1988, they had won two league titles in 28 years. Crisis had followed crisis. In the 27 years since, they have won 13 league titles and five Champions Leagues... All with the football of Cruyff.”

Winner of 11 trophies which included Barcelona’s first Champions League triumph, Cruyff’s work at La Masia and with the first team has contributed greatly to Barcelona's dominance in the recent era.

youtube-cover

Quick Links

Edited by Staff Editor