Top 5 Barcelona players who became managers

#1 Johan Cruyff

Alfred Dunhill Links Championship - Previews — Johan Cruyff will definitely be remembered at Barcelona for years to come

Johan Cryuff is a name that will always be remembered at Barcelona. The Dutch legend was a real force during his playing days. His individual brilliance earned him several individual awards including the IFFHS European Player of the Century and 3 Ballon d'Or awards.

Johan Cruyff represented Barcelona between 1973 and 1978 and helped the team to their first La Liga title in 14 years. He also helped Barca to the Copa Del Rey and other trophies.

After retiring, Cruyff emulated his mentor Rinus Michels by managing a young Ajax side to win the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1987. He returned to manage Barcelona's 'Dream Team' in 1988 where he led the team to glory after glory with his tiki-taka system.

He helped Barca to their first Champions League trophy in history, as well as four consecutive La Liga trophies during his incredible managerial career.

His dream team produced the greatest set of footballers in history. All of these footballers became successful in their careers, with many of them making great impacts both during their playing days and after retirement.

About the author

Jidonu is a European and international football news writer at Sportskeeda. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and has around 7 years of previous experience working with the likes of Tribuna and SportRaba, Jidonu has a good eye for detail and has the ability to created cohesive articles, and reporting exploits have also led him to exclusively cover the 2018 FIFA World Cup in the past.

Jidonu’s tryst with football started after watching the 2002 FIFA World Cup final between Brazil and Germany, being mesmerized by Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. Barcelona philosophy and approach towards the game under Pep Guardiola further fueled the burgeoning love for the sport, and he has been a Culer ever since.

Unsurprisingly, Lionel Messi is his favorite player and is the one true GOAT for him over Cristiano Ronaldo. The 2022 FIFA World Cup final, where Messi's brace led to La Albiceleste lifting the cup left a lasting impact on him. His love for Messi also sees him follow Major League Soccer apart from Europe’s top five leagues.

In his free time, Jidonu raps and produces music, and also enjoys reading and swimming.

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Edited by Shyam Kamal