It all started on July 31, 2008, when Pep Guardiola was appointed as the manager of the struggling Football Club Barcelona. But that changed the course of that football club.
The fans were skeptical about Joseph Guardiola (aka Pep) as a manager. The guy didn’t have first-team management experience at the time of his appointment. He just previously coached Barca B and was successful. Based on his team management in the Barca B, Joan Laporta (president of the club in 2008) selected him as the next coach after losing trust in Frank Rijkaard.
The bet on the Barca manager was proven successful as Barca won every trophy in each competition they participated in. The complete list of the trophies in that season is:
- UEFA Champions League
- LaLiga
- Copa Del Rey
- Spanish Super Cup
- UEFA Super Cup
- FIFA Club World Cup (finally)
Barca already have won the above trophies at least once in their history but the Club World Cup was the missing piece of the puzzle which they won in that season and added another silverware to the cabinet.
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The Principles
Almost all of these victories came in as a result of a strong philosophy that was injected into the players playing for the Barca badge. The first glimpses of this philosophy were seen when the founder of the philosophy, Johan Cruyff implemented these principles and won Barca’s first ever European silverware in 1992.
The foundations were established and the principles sounded simple but were difficult to implement.
The principles? Having the ball as much as you can so that you defend less against the opponent and attack more while making simple passes with quick player movements. Sounds simple? It does but the true execution of the philosophy can’t be possible without the right set of players.
Enters – La Masia and its graduates. A little on La Masia: Football Club Barcelona’s academy is dedicated to training youth for the first team. The principles taught by Johan Cruyff came into full flow when LaMasia produced one of the best players that ever graced the game – Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets, Puyol, and more. The players at LaMasia are usually taught about how they should be playing football.
This is called El Juego De Posicion (aka positional play). One can argue that this type of play can stop the players from developing and playing fun football but it’s the exact philosophy that won Barca multiple silverware.
The First Treble and Its Importance
It was Pep Guardiola’s debut season as the Barca manager and though he won everything, it wasn’t just the winning but the way they won the games in itself was a joy for the eyes.
The beautiful football, the purest form of football with swift movements and high possession led the teams to glory. As a cherry on top, everything was achieved with most of the players from their academy. This feat was no small, and to this date, it is Barca’s biggest-ever achievement as the club.
The glory in the 2008-9 season is still craved by fans and somewhat is part of Barca’s philosophy. That is why Barca is looking to sign players who can fit well in their system and properly help in the execution of the possession-based football.
The Rise of LaMasia
From producing arguably the best player that has ever graced the game of football to producing football legends like Sergio Busquets, Pedro, Iniesta, and Xavi, LaMasia established itself as the world’s most elite football academy.
Players like Xavi and Iniesta dictated the midfield play and set the course of the game, whereas forwards like Messi, Pedro, and David Villa all took the responsibility of going forward in the final 3rd of the pitch. With Puyol and Pique at the heart of the defense, this team was destined for greatness.
Fun fact: all of the players that I have mentioned are the production of Barcelona’s youth academy LaMasia. Pep Guardiola promoted multiple youth team players to the first team and few of them established themselves as the starter. And the greatness he achieved became possible because of the highly technical players with him on the bench.
Wrapping Up!
FC Barcelona, if not the greatest, is one of the greatest football clubs in the history of football. The season 2008-9 is the best season of the club and overall Pep Guardiola’s management era is the best in FC Barcelona’s history.
