FCBARCELONA.CAT

28.05.2009 12:59

Barça makes history in the Eternal City

David Saura (enviat especial)

The Eternal City has witnessed the triumph of an unforgettable Barça. The victory against Manchester United has brought the Club its third Champions League / European Cup and an historic treble. Barça, Barça, Barça!

We all know about the Barça of the Five Cups and the Dream Team. Now we have the Barça of the treble. Josep Guardiola’s unbelievable first season as head coach has culminated in taking the Champions League away from Manchester United, until now widely considered the best team in the world. The English champions were looking to be the first side to win back-to-back Champions Leagues. But now there is a new champion. Barça.

The first treble of the 21st century

Until now, only four teams could boast of having achieved the treble of league, Cup and Champions League / European Cup: Celtic (1967), Ajax (1972), PSV Eindhoven (1988) and Manchester United (1999). Now FC Barcelona has entered that select group, the first team to do so in the ferociously competitive 21st century. The 27th May will now be a day for all Barça fans to celebrate.

A love of good football

And what makes victory taste even sweeter is that Barça has risen to the top of European football playing the kind of football that has delighted fans everywhere. The whole of Europe recognizes the Barça style, the natural successor to Johan Cruyff’s Dream Team.

The current squad of players has played a fundamental role. In these days of chequebook teambuilding, Barça has reached the top with 7 first team players that have come up through the Barça youth ranks. This combination of home-grown talent and foreign stars is again a reflection of the Club’s policy of remaining true to its local roots.

Guardiola's role

Guardiola has downplayed the significance of his contribution but there is no doubt that he has changed the face of the team in just one short year. His capacity for leadership, his ability to motivate the players and make them believe in themselves, combined with an extraordinary capacity for work and technical analysis of the game are factors, backed up by results, which have found him a place in the history of FC Barcelona and football in general.

These are the same virtues we saw a year ago (in charge of Barça B) and which won him the chance to lead the first team. It wasn’t an easy decision but it has turned out to be correct. Now the Barça family can enjoy the fruits of that decision. And how!