Barça won their 4th Champions League title, and Guardiola’s second as manager, after defeating Manchester United 3-1 today at the new Wembley stadium. This victory ensured that Guardiola’s era has been an enormous success but more significantly, he has accomplished the impossible; his team has surpassed Cruyff’s “Dream Team” as the club’s best in history. What was once unheard of is now a reality, the Dream Team have to take a step back to this team.

 

 

We all know the story so there is no need to rehash it again in detail. Cruyff saw his side defeat Sampdoria 1-0 at the old Wembley stadium back in 1992 and with it, the club finally got the cup that they long had been after. Prior to that final, Cruyff did manage to lead his side to two UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup Finals where they defeated Sampdoria in 1989 before they lost the second final to, guess who, Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United in 1991. The following season, Cruyff’s team, with Guardiola as a young phenom midfielder, won the European Cup. The club went on to win four consecutive league titles but the era suffered a devastating loss in the 1994 Champions League final when they got hammered 4-0 by AC Milan. Soon after, the club would struggle to win the league, but did manage to defeat Manchester United 4-0 in one of the last few magical nights of that era. Cruyff was fired during the 95-96 season and the club began a cycle of switching managers with only Bobby Robson and Van Gaal winning some trophies along the way such as the club’s final UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup and back to back league titles with a Copa Del Rey.

 

For many fans, including myself, we never thought we would see a team come close, let alone surpass, what the “Dream Team” had accomplished on the pitch and in our hearts. One team did come close back when Frank Rijkaard managed the club to back to back league titles and the club’s second Champions League but his reign ended quickly and on a sour note. Cruyff’s team still won league titles after capturing the first Champions League title and made it to another Champions League Final; Rijkaard’s team could not accomplish either. However, Rijkaard’s replacement, Josep Guardiola, has not only matched the “Dream Team”; his side has surpassed them.

 

Guardiola took over the helm three years ago it’s been smooth sailing ever since. Under Guardiola, those blowout score lines that we were accustomed to seeing under Cruyff’s era returned but with a better defensive awareness that did not see the team concede as many goals as the “Dream Team” did. Now it’s true that the club has yet to win four consecutive league titles but he has managed to do what Cruyff and his players could not do. Guardiola won the club’s third Champions League title when his players captured the treble in his first season, the Intercontinental Cup which is now known as the FIFA World Club Cup, and oh yeah, another Champions League title.

 

Today’s victory meant that Guardiola and his players have surpassed the “Dream Team”. Now it’s true that Cruyff managed Barça to four different European Finals but only two of them where Champions League Finals and unfortunately, Cruyff only won one. Overall, it terms of results, achievements, style and most importantly, titles, Guardiola and his amazing players have done what many of us dreamed of. It seems like ages ago that the club endured many years of disappointments where the club played second fiddle to Real Madrid during the last years of the Nunez presidency and the black ages of what was the Gaspart presidency era. Awful league results, falling just short at the semi-final hurdles in Europe and disappointment in Blaugrana fans’ hearts were banished when Joan Laporta, along with the aid of vice-presidents Sandro Rosell, who is currently the club’s president, and Ferran Soriano stabilized this club. However, Guardiola deserves as much credit, if not more, for what he has done with this squad.

 

Guardiola’s work with these players is simply remarkable and we Barça fans are fortunate enough to have witnessed this great era. Today’s triumph means Guardiola has 10 titles under his belt, just two short of matching Cruyff. We can only look forward to more success as the club will have the chance to win three more trophies before the New Year and perhaps even more. Now, the only thing missing is finding a suitable name for this team.