5 Greatest football clubs of all time

2. FC Barcelona:

FC Barcelona

FC Barcelona or Blaugurana, as they are popularly known as because of their red & blue jersey, are among the most successful and passionately supported clubs in the world. They stand for the pride of Catalunya, which comes under Spain. The Catalan giants have won the European Cup on 5 occasions and the La Liga 25 times. They have also won the Spanish Cup 30 times and the Fifa Club World Cup 3 times.

FC Barcelona had some legendary players like Kubala and Luiz Suarez Miramontes in the 1950s, but usually played second fiddle to the mighty Real Madrid side. They were revamped and rejuvenated by their ex-player Johann Cruyff in the late 1980s and started following the “total football” model popularized by Rinus Michels.

Cruyff incorporated the passing game in Barcelona’s senior team as well as their football academy, La Masia. The results were immediate as the “dream team” of Barcelona won the European Cup in 1992. They made it to the Champions League final again in 1994, but lost to Fabio Capello’s Milan 0-4 in the final. Barca also won the La Liga 6 times during the 1990s. Romario, Hristo Stoichkov, Pep Guardiola and Ronald Koeman formed the core of the Barca team under Cruyff.

After Cruyff’s departure as a manager, Barcelona again started to be dominated by Real Madrid, who had a brilliant side in the late 1990s and early 2000s. However, Frank Rijkaard’s appointment as manager turned the tide again and Barcelona went on to win the Champions League in 2006. Pep Guardiola continued the good work and won the Champions League twice in 3 years from 2009 to 2011.

Barcelona again won the Champions League in 2015. Players like Lionel Messi, Xavi Fernandez, Andres Iniesta, Carles Puyol, Ronaldinho, Luiz Suarez and Neymar have made Barca the most delightful team to watch in the past decade. They have won the La Liga 9 times since 2000.