Barca, Barca, Barca: historic treble

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.

He took charge of Barça B and won promotion from the Third Division to Second Division B. A year later as first team coach he has led the team to an historic treble.

He’s only 38 but he has already won the respect of the entire world of football. And yet in every public utterance he plays down his role and passes all the credit to his players. “I’m fortunate to have these players”. However, we all recognize the vital role he has played throughout an amazing season.

He started his coaching career just a year ago with the Barça reserve squad and has now established himself among the elite of European football coaches.

Promotion in his first season

After qualifying as a coach, Pep took over Barça B for the 2007-08 season – his objective was to win promotion. More than that he took the team to first place and then won promotion in the playoffs.

Glory in his second season

At the end of last season, Josep Guardiola was appointed first team head coach. The results couldn’t have been better. The world of football has showered him with praise for the quality of Barça’s football and the team has achieved the first ever treble.

The youngest

Josep Guardiola has also become the third youngest manager to win European football’s top club competition and the youngest of the Champions League era. He also joins that small band of professional who have won the trophy as both a player and as a manager - Miguel Muñoz, Giovanni Trapattoni, Johan Cruyff, Carlo Ancelotti and Frank Rijkaard.

“I can’t do more”

Immediately after the match he was asked, touch in cheek, if he would now be leaving the Club. Guardiola smiled and joked: “I can’t do more”.

He also placed the team’s achievement in context. “This is the legacy left behind by Cruyff and Charly (Rexach). They’re the parents of the baby”.

Committed players

The players have given him their all right from the beginning of the season. The fantastic harmony between players and coach was perfectly demonstrated by the celebrations on Wednesday evening and previously after winning the league and the Cup –on each occasion the players sought him out to carry him on their shoulders. And although Guardiola wanted to stay out of the limelight in Rome, Thierry Henry gave him the trophy to offer to the fans.