Barça’s Ballon d’Or Winners.

With Messi about to be awarded his fifth Ballon d’Or, we look back at the previous Barça players who won this award.

Luis Suárez was the first Barça player, and the only Spanish player, to ever win this award back in 1960. Luis Suárez guided his team to the Spanish League title and the UEFA Fairs Cup (now known as the Europa League) double in 1960. He received more votes than Real Madrid’s Ferenc Puskás and Alfredo Di Stéfano who finished second and fourth respectively. The size of the award was noticeably much smaller back then compared to today’s version.

The next Barça player to win the award was the Dutch legend Johan Cruyff back in 1973. He had transferred to Blaugrana during the summer from Ajax after winning a Dutch league title and European Cup with Ajax so this award was more for his success with Ajax. However, he would win this award again after completing his first season, the 1973-1974 season, as a Barça player that saw the Blaugrana end a 14 year wait for a league trophy. This was his third and final Ballon d’Or after winning his first one in 1971.

Cruyff would be the Barça manager when the next Barça player would win the Ballon d’Or. In 1994, the Bulgarian striker Hristo Stoichkov became the third ever Blaugrana player to win this award over the likes of Roberto Baggio, and Paolo Maldini who finished second and third respectively. Stoichkov helped guide Barça to the 1993-1994 league title, the 1994 Champions League Final along with guiding his country to the 1994 World Cup Semi-Finals.

Three years later, Brazilian legend Ronaldo would win the 1997 Ballon d’Or following his successful 1996-1997 Barça season that saw him score 47 goals while helping his side win the Supercopa, Copa del Rey and the UEFA Cup. He would leave the club in the summer to join Inter Milan and receive the award a few months later. The same chain of events would take place in 2000 when Luis Figo was awarded the Golden Ball for his performances for Barça and Portugal and Real Madrid. Hence, why he received this award as a Madrid player.

Before the Figo betrayal, another Brazilian player would win the Ballon d’Or. In 1999, Rivaldo won this award following his superb 1998-1999 season for Barça and Brazil. Barça won the Spanish league title and Brazil won Copa America due in large to his performances. He was voted Copa America’s player of the tournament and a few months later, was awarded the Ballon d’Or.

Another Brazilian player would win the Ballon d’Or as a Barça player when Ronaldinho would win this award in 2005. He was also the third ever Brazilian player to win this award for his performances during the 204-2005 season that saw Barça end a six year wait to win a league title. He also helped Brazil win the 2005 Confederations Cup and received the Bronze Ball award as third best player in the tournament. His contribution in bringing the Blaugrana to prominence could never be forgetten and this award is a reminder of the magic and hope he brought to the club.

Thus, Suárez, Cruyff, Stoichkov, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho were the five Barça players to win and receive the Ballon d’Or as Barça players. Messi would become the sixth Barça player to win this award and the last to win this award in 2009 before it was merged with the FIFA World Player of the Year award in 2010. Messi will be receiving his fifth Ballon d’Or today. No other player has ever won more than three. Barça fans have been blessed to have a player of his magnitude and the team’s success has seen Messi win this award in 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012.

Messi and fellow finalist Neymar seem likely to contend for this award in the near future. Team success however will be influential in whether or not these players will win it again. This year’s award is a “Job Well Done” reward for a superb 2014-2015 for Barça. Here’s to hopefully many more successful seasons.

Barça Chasing History On The International Stage.

For the fourth time ever, Barça are participating in FIFA’s Club World Cup since its incarnation. Another successful conquest would be a vital accomplishment in the club’s long history regarding their short history of winning on the international stage.

Before FIFA decided to launch the FIFA Club World Cup in 2005, football fans were entertained by the Intercontinental Cup which pitted the champions of Europe against the champions of South America. It was the Super Cup of Super Cups for us football fans. It started out as a home and away two legged cup clash that then became a one match final held at a neutral site in Japan.

Even with Barça’s rich football history, they only featured in this competition once during the 20th century. That was during the Johan Cruyff “Dream Team” era in 1992 after Barça finally ended their long wait and won the European Cup against Sampdoria. Barça would face Brazilian side São Paulo back then in Japan and took the early lead through Hristo Stoichkov. However, the very talented, and in my opinion historically underrated, São Paulo side equalized in the first half and scored the game winner in final 15 minutes of the match. Thus, Barça were denied their first ever Intercontinental trophy.

Barça’s failure to win another Champions League meant only Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid were the only Spanish clubs to win the Intercontinental trophy. Real Madrid won it a record three times while Atlético won it once even though they were European Cup runners-up because European Champions Bayern Munich declined to participate. The trophy back then was considered too dangerous to play for because of the tendency of South American’s clubs to play rough and dirty in these matches.

Barça’s long wait to win another Champions League title ended when they defeated Arsenal in 2006 under the management of Frank Rijkaard. This triumph meant that Barça booked their first ever ticket in the new FIFA Club World Cup where they defeated Mexican side Club America 4-0 to face another Brazilian club, Internacional in the final. Unfortunately, Barça’s long wait in capturing this elusive trophy would have to continue as they fell to their Brazilian foes 1-0. Barça’s two bites at the apples were denied by Brazilian opposition much to the Blaugrana faithful’s chagrin.

However, Barça proved that the saying “Third time’s a charm” is true when they finally captured their finally ended their wait in 2009. Under the guise of Pep Guardiola, Barça won their first ever treble and then continued their winning ways by capturing the UEFA and Spanish Super Cups. All that was left was for the club to end their hoodoo at this stage and bring home the sixth and final cup of the “Sextuple”. Barça defeated another Mexican side, Atlante, in the Semi-Finals before facing Argentinian side Estudiantes in the final. Barça were down before halftime and it seemed that Barça were going to miss out on this trophy for the third time. Fortunately, the Blaugrana did not relent and  Pedro scored in the 89th minute to level the score and thus became the first player to ever score in all six competitions. Messi’s legend grew when he scored the game winner in extra time with his chest and was awarded the player of the tournament.

Finally, Barça had captured the missing piece for their museum. They would not wait too long to add another one as Pep and the players were back in 2011 after defeating Manchester United, just as they did in 2009, in the Champions League Final. Barça defeated Qatari side Al Sadd 4-0 while resting a few of their key starters. The venue was Japan and Barça’s opponent in the Final was Brazilian side, Santos, which featured a 19 year old Neymar. There was some concern as to whether Barça can end their short comings against Brazilian sides in this competition with the bitter taste of 1992 still in the minds of many fans. Whatever concerns existed were soon eradicated when Barça demolished Santos with three goals in the first half alone through Messi, Xavi and Cesc. Messi scored his second in the second half for Barça’s fourth and final goal of the Final. Messi would win his second player of the tournament which no other player has ever accomplished in this competition’s brief history and also matched Pedro in becoming the second Barça player to ever score in all six competitions.

So here we are in 2015 and once again, Barça are back in Japan. Their Semi-Final opponents are Asian Champions League winners Guangzhou Evergrande who are coached by former Brazil’s World Cup winning manager, Felipe Scolari. Scolari was once rumored to be the next Barça manager if the Blaugrana had fired Rijkaard during his first season in charge. Fortunately that did not happen and the rest is history. Also featuring for the Asian champions is former Real Madrid player, Robinho, so we will get to see another duel between him and Messi which was widely debated in the Spanish media during Messi’s early years. Messi is also only one goal away from tying another Argentinian, “El Chelito” César Delgado as the competition’s top scorer with 5 goals.

If Barça succeed in defeating Guangzhou Evergrande, they will face Argentinian side River Plate in the final. It’s not too often teams from the world’s two biggest Clásicos get to face one another. In 2000, Real Madrid lost to Boca Juniors in Japan and now the other two Clásicos teams might face one another. There will be a reunion of some sorts if both teams meet in the final since former Barça player and teammate to some of the current Barça players, Saviola, is now a member of River Plate. Saviola was a member of the 2006 Barcelona team that came up short.

Barça will be chasing history and making history this week. Success would mean they would be the only side to ever make it to a fourth Final and also become the first club to win the FIFA Club World Cup for a record third time. This would also mean that they would be only one title behind Real Madrid who won this trophy last year. A loss in the final however would also make them the first side to ever lose in a final twice. But before we think ahead to the final, Barça also have to make sure they do not become the first European side to fail to make it to the final if they fail to handle their business against Guangzhou Evergrande.

Luis Enrique and his players are hungry for success and this trophy will help quench their thirst for more titles. Barça are about to embark on a new adventure where unwritten pages of the next chapter in their history book are about to be typed. Here’s hoping they fill those pages with success and new records.

Barça’s Fourth FIFA Club World Cup Commences.

FC Barcelona are in Japan for the 2015 FIFA Club World Cup. They face Guangzhou Evergrande in the Semi-Final where the winner will face River Plate in the Final.

Barça continue to be presented with the opportunity to make history. Their reward for winning the Champions League is a trip to Japan for the FIFA Club World Cup. This is their fourth participation in this event and they could become the first club to win this award thrice. Barça’s first participation back in 2006 ended in disappointment when they lost to Brazilian club Internacional 1-0 in Japan.

 

Barça though were successful in their second attempt when they defeated Argentinean club Estudiantes 2-1 in extra time in UAE which capped their magnificent run of a “sextuple” in 2009. Their third participation was in 2011, back in Japan, which saw the Blaugrana clobber Brazilian side Santos, featuring Neymar, in an impressive 4-0 victory. Both victories came during Pep Guardiola’s time as manager.

 

Luis Enrique is now presented with the opportunity to help Barça become the first side to win this tournament three times. Barça will first have to defeat AFC Champions League winners, Chinese side Guangzhou Evergrande who are managed by former Brazil manager Felipe Scolari. A win ensures a fourth final for the Blaugrana where they will face Copa Libertadores champions, Argentinian club River Plate.

Just two games for Barça to end 2015 with another trophy. This week will afford them the opportunity to do so against uncommon foes. Here’s hoping they return from Japan with success and not disappointment.

No Busquets, No Party.

When UEFA.com released its nominees for UEFA’s Team of the Year, one omission struck a nerve with the Blaugrana faithful. It’s not a team if Sergio Busquets is not part of it.

Busquets seems to be one of the most under-appreciated players of this era. Perhaps it is because his style of play on the pitch is so discrete that it is undetectable. It’s hard not to appreciate the hard and dirty work he puts in for the club in every match ever since his debut back in the 2008-2009 season. So when his name was missing from UEFA’s Team of the Year nominees, the Blaugrana fans protested and some even mocked the decision.

Sergio Busquets made his debut with Barça back in the 2008 summer friendlies during Pep Guardiola’s first year in charge. I won’t lie; I had no clue who he was and had to ask, “Is that Busquets’s kid?” when I first saw the name. His father, Carles Busquets, was Barça’s backup keeper, serving as Zubizaretta’s deputy who was mostly remembered for his blunders.

Nevertheless, the son of the goalkeeper whose back of the shirt only has his first name has done a great job in making a name for himself since his debut. He filled in superbly for the injured Yaya Toure at the start of the 2008-2009 season and I had no qualms with him remaining the starter after Yaya was fit. Barça were on a superb run at the time, so why tinker with it. Guardiola also preferred the younger player and Yaya left the club after 2009-2010 season.

Busquets was only 20 during that magical 2008-2009 season that saw the club win a treble. Again, he was just 20 when he started both Copa del Rey Final and Champions League Final and became one of the few players to ever win a treble. Fast forward to today and he is one of the rare few to win two trebles. Since his debut, he has won five league titles, three Copa del Reys, and three Champions League titles along with a World Cup and European Cup for Spain. Yet, Busquets seems to not get the love or the respect that he deserves.

Football fans keep bringing up the “Peek a Boo” incident against Inter in the Champions League Semi-Finals after Motta struck him in the throat with his arm. Motta had already been booked prior to that incident so his sending off was inevitable after that second bookable offense. Yet, Busquets was the villain for his actions. That is an odd reaction seeing as many of those same fans seem to worship Totti even though he was sent off for spitting at an opponent during Euro 2004 and Zidane, who also saw red for head butting Materazzi during the 2006 World Cup Final.

Busquets is one of those rare players who has a knack for being at the right place at the right time to recover the ball on the pitch while putting his body in harm’s way. Fans might prefer defensive midfielders who are swashbucklers and fly in with sliding tackles to win the ball. Give me Busquets who will be in the right place to win the ball back and then pass it to the right player in an instant while leaving his body in harm’s way. David Beckham received criticism after England’s elimination to Brazil in World Cup 2002 after he jumped to avoid a tackle and lost the ball that resulted into an equalizer from an ensuing counter attack for Brazil. Busquets though is the type of player that would do the opposite to protect his team.

Busquets also possesses superb skills with the ball where his one touch passes are mesmerizing and his first touch is sublime. The opening seconds of the most recent Clásico is a great example of his underrated skills. After the opening whistle blew, Busquets played the role of a matador with a cape to perfection when the bull, Gareth Bale, rushed at him to win the ball, only for the midfielder to drag the ball behind him in a manner much like the matador performing a “veronica” and elude the ball away from Bale.

Fortunately, there are those who do appreciate Busquets. Former Real Madrid manager and current Spanish National team manager Vicente del Bosque once said, “If I were a player, I would like to be like Busquets.” Guardiola paid Busquets the highest compliment possible when he stated, “If I was reincarnated as a player, I’d like to be like him. He’s the best defensive central midfielder in the world. Barça has a priceless player.” After UEFA announced its nominees for team of the year, former Barça player and teammate of Busquets, Éric Abidal said, “Those who have made the list have no idea about football because Busquets isn’t on it.”

Barça fans will forever be grateful for Busquets. This team is not the same without his presence and influence on the pitch. He may not get the recognition that he deserves and he might not care about such recognition. However, what is obvious is if there is no Busquets, there is no party. So the next time you watch a Barça match, pay attention to Busquets while operates and appreciate his body of work.

The Aftermath From El Clásico.

A week has passed since Barça crushed Real Madrid 0-4 at the Santiago Bernabéu. The lasting effect from that outcome has rejuvenated Barça while Madrid are still in a state of unpleasantness.

Barça’s domination of Real Madrid in their own Santiago Bernabéu was one for the ages for Blaugrana fans, and one that will haunt Madrid fans for a long time. El Clásico is usually a hard fought battle between two arch enemies regardless of form and league position in the standings. Yet, Barça’s 0-4 win seemed pedestrian without any bad blood. It was one sided from the opening whistle to the final whistle.

Barça have had a few great victories of such magnitude against Real Madrid in the Bernabéu in the last few decades. There is the 0-5 “Manita” in Cruyff’s first Clásico in the 70’s, perhaps the 2-3 win during the 97-98 season, the Ronaldinho inspired 0-3 performance and the legendary 2-6 win during the 2008-2009 season that felt like a separate trophy in itself during the treble season and now, the 0-4 victory will go down as another successful triumph on enemy ground.

Following that victory, Barça routed Roma 6-1 and Real Sociedad 4-0 in successive matches this week. Confidence is at an all-time high and praise was being bestowed on many of the players, including the magnificent trident of Messi, Neymar and Luis Suárez. All the players performed well and made their manager, Luis Enrique, very proud. The only sour note was Barça not getting the fifth goal to add another “Manita” to the history pages of this rivalry. Nonetheless, for me, this felt like a “Manita” even though only four goals were scored, the fact that this took place in the Santiago Bernabéu can be considered as the fifth goal.

Meanwhile, this loss just magnified the issues that continue to plague Real Madrid this season. Is this a team built to win or a team built to make money? Does the manager have the final say on who plays or the president? It was surprising to see Casemiro on the bench and not in the starting eleven and the end result was Iniesta running rampant and earning applause from the Madrid fans after he was substituted in the second half. While everyone is praising the harmony between Barça manager and players, the opposite was being discussed about the state of discord facing Real Madrid. Is Ronaldo unhappy and planning on leaving? Is Benzema’s mind distracted because of his involvement of a sex tape blackmail scandal? Do players like Rafa Benítez? Can Ronaldo and Bale co-exist? Is Rafa going to get sacked?

Madrid’s drama increased when their four goal lead against Shakhtar Donetsk was reduced to one as the Ukrainian side scored three unanswered goals to lose 3-4. They also looked sluggish during their 2-0 away win to Eibar. All is not well in Madrid while Barça and their fans are in a state of Euphoria. However, last season showed us that it’s not how you start, but how you finish. Madrid won the first clash last season and were on top of the world before their season burned into the ground with a trophyless season. What’s to say history won’t repeat itself and see Barça finish empty handed down the stretch?

Nevertheless, one feels that Barça can weather the storm if the wheels start coming off based on their style that they have learned over the years coupled with the new tweaks from Luis Enrique. The manager and the players have been on the same page since that infamous Sociedad loss back in January. The same cannot be said about Real Madrid. If the wheels start coming off, expect more drama from the Madrid press and discord between the players, the manager and the club president. There is a great expression we use in the US that applies to Madrid; “Winning is a great deodorant.” A few wins and perhaps everything will be fine in Madrid and this loss will be forgotten. But the attitude right now is that Barça got their mojo and Madrid is in search of an identity before they can get their mojo.

Barça’s Historic Clásico Victories in Madrid.

 

Barça’s demolition of Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu was a thing of beauty. Even though it was not a “Manita,” it still ranks as one of the greatest wins on enemy ground.

Barça’s 4-0 win against Real Madrid was surprising and very pleasant for the Blaugrana faithful. It was one sided as Barça dominated their arch enemy on enemy grounds. We are used to seeing the Blaugrana clobber their arch enemy at the Camp Nou, but at the Bernabéu, well that’s a different story.

 

There’s the Johan Cruyff inspired5-0 victory during the 1974-1975 season which was one of the first “Manita” in recent history. Barça would claim another “Manita” during the “Dream Team” era but that took place at the Camp Nou. That team was managed Johan Cruyff.

 

The next big victory on enemy ground would take place during the 1998-1999 season. Barça were victorious in a back and forth encounter that ended in 2-3. Current Barça manager Luis Enrique scored the team’s second with the Brazilians Rivaldo scoring the opener and Giovanni scoring the game winner. This game is also remembered for the “Butifarra” goal celebration by Giovanni after he scored what ended up being the goal winner and thereby infuriating the Madrid fan base.

Ten years ago, we would see the Madrid fans give a standing applause to a Barça legend. Barça defeated Real Madrid 3-0 with Eto’o scoring the opener before Ronaldinho scored a brace in the second half. It was a one sided affair and the match is mostly remembered by Ronaldinho’s display of magic as he scored two amazing goals. After Ronaldinho scored his second goal, some Madrid fans got out of their seats to applaud the player. This was an act that had not occurred since Maradona’s goal in the 2-2 draw in the first leg of the 1982-1983 defunct League Cup.

Nevertheless, the most memorable result is the 2-6 victory during the 2008-2009 treble season. The buildup to this match was immense with both teams neck and neck in the standings and the league title was bound for whoever would win this match. Madrid took the lead before Barça scored three unanswered goals through Henry, Puyol and Messi. Madrid pulled one back early in the second half to make it 2-3 before Barça scored three another unanswered goals through Henry, Messi and Pique.

Pique was furious when Munir scoffed his chance at scoring the fifth goal during the last Clásico. Barça’s 4-0 win was too easy from the opening whistle and that was with Messi on the bench. Suárez and Neymar scored the first two goals in the first half before Iniesta and Suárez scored the other two goals in the second half. It could have been, and should have been, five had Munir converted on his chances or left his first chance to Pique to score from close range.

Those results are Barça’s “Manita” of big wins on their arch enemy’s grounds in recent history. Which one is your favorite?

Neymar and Suárez shining in Messi’s absence.

With El Clásico a day away, all eyes will be on the Spanish capital for tomorrow’s game. Messi has been cleared to return but the spotlight right now is shining on Neymar and Luis Suárez.

Many believed Barça would be in trouble when Messi went down with an injury back in September. Messi was the man who made things happen for the Blaugrana last season. He either scored, assisted or provided the superb pass that lead to the assist for Barça. His absence was going to be missed as he truly is irreplaceable.

Nevertheless, Barça managed to get by without the amazing player. Neymar took on the role as the man who had to pull the strings on the pitch and impressed as he tried his best to fill the void left by Messi’s absence. Not many can play like Messi but Neymar admirably played the role of goal scorer and playmaker in his own way that helped Barça. His partner in crime, Luis Suárez, also benefited from Neymar’s new role and both have carried the team on their backs which now sees them in first place in the league standings. Both have scored ten goals in Messi’s absence. Moreover, Neymar and Suárez are currently first and second in the Pichichi race as league top scorers with 11 and 9 goals respectively.

Of course, the world will be looking at Messi tomorrow. Yet, the spotlight will be on Neymar and Suárez if Messi starts the match from the bench. Messi’s inclusion for the Madrid trip might be mind tricks by Luis Enrique but then again, Messi is not the type to sit out a match, regardless of the match’s importance. I would prefer Luis Enrique to play it safe and have Messi come in the final half hour of the match against a tired Madrid side and cause havoc. With the lone exception of the Sevilla match, the team has done well with the Brazilian and Uruguay superstars and should be entrusted with our faith against their arch rivals if Messi does not feature. They have earned that truth.

The game tomorrow will not be won or lost if Messi plays or not. It will come down to mistakes. The outcome will be based on which counter attacking side will present the fewer scoring chances to their opponents and not squander their scoring chances. Also, this outcome will not decide the league title. We are still in November and last season showed us that the winner of the first Clásico did not fare too well down the stretch. A setback tomorrow will not be catastrophic towards to league title aspirations. It will only bring justified and unjustified heat from the media and fans but there’s still a lot of football left to be played.

What is certain is that if Barça win and both Neymar and Suárez perform well, then expect their names to surface as potential Ballon d’Or finalists with Messi. Both have had a magnificent 2015 thus far. The second half of the 2014-2015 season saw the duo score big goals in big games down the stretch that saw Barça capture a historic second treble. The first half of 2015-2016 has also seen them perform remarkably, especially during Messi’s absence. The results and performances speak for themselves. Tomorrow will be their final opportunity to shine in the spotlight before sharing it back with Messi. Do they have one last dynamic performance to give?