Ranking the 10 greatest Barcelona midfielders of all time

#6 Pep Guardiola (former Barcelona player and manager)

Pep Guardiola is a Barcelona legend.

Former Barcelona player Pep Guardiola is perhaps better known for his exploits on the touchline.

Regarded as one of the finest tacticians in the game's history, Guardiola has won three league titles in three different top-five leagues. He first rose to prominence as a manager after guiding a brilliant Barcelona team to their first continental treble in the 2008-09 season.

However, Guardiola was also a fine midfielder back in the day. Like Laudrup, the Manchester City manager was an integral part of Johan Cruyff's Dream Team, the team to beat in Spain and Europe for half a decade.

In 12 glorious seasons with the Blaugrana, the midfielder, an elegant passer, played nearly 400 games. Although Guardiola scored only 11 times, he was the club captain in the last few years of the Dream Team.

He epitomized Cruyff's total football style during his playing days, and improvised it to devastating effect later as Barcelona's manager.

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#5 Sergio Busquets

Sergio Busquets is still playing for Barcelona.

Sergio Busquets is the only active player on this list. With over 650 appearances during an illustrious career spanning almost a decade and a half, Busquets (652) is Barcelona's fourth-most capped player.

Widely regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in the world, the 33-year-old's powers may be on the wane after years at the top. However, during his prime, Busquets was a key player in a brilliant Barcelona team that won two continental trebles in six years and eight La Liga titles.

Often the one who does the 'dirty' work for the team without any fuss, Busquets remains a key player for Barcelona. He has assumed the captain's armband after the departure of club legend Lionel Messi this summer.

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#4 Johan Cruyff (former Barcelona player and manager)

Johan Cruyff of Barcelona.

Johan Cruyff is widely regarded as one of the most skilful players, particularly from Europe, to have graced the sport.

The late Ajax legend enjoyed success at the club on both sides of the touchline. After arriving at Barcelona as a multiple European Cup and Eredivisie winner, in the early 70s, Cruyff ended the Blaugrana's 14-year-long league drought.

Renowned for bringing legendary coach Rinus Michel's revolutionary "total football" philosophy to life, Cruyff epitomized the concept as a player. He later implemented that as a tactician at Barcelona as well, laying a roadmap for future Blaugrana managers.

The midfielder wasn't a prolific goalscorer, but he scored a few memorable goals that endeared him to the Blaugrana faithful. In only five seasons at the club, Cruyff racked up nearly 250 appearances, scoring 86 goals.

A decade after leaving Barcelona, Cruyff returned in 1988 to manage Barcelona in one of the most prosperous eras in their history. The Blaugrana won a plethora of titles under their former player in the early 90s, including four La Liga titles and one European Champions Cup.