All-time greatest XI: Barcelona edition
The beginnings of one of the greatest footballing club was a very humble one. It all started when Hans Gamper went to meet his uncle in Barcelona. The Swiss national fell in love with the Catalan city and decided to stay there. He practised football in the streets of Barcelona and in 1899 placed his advert in Los Deportes to form a football club. Apart from being the founder of the club, he, later on, went to become the captain and five-time president of the club.
In the 1951/52 season, the club secured 5 trophies including LaLiga, the Copa del Generalísimo, the Copa Latina, the Copa Eva Duarte, and the Copa Martini Rossi, which authenticates the clubs' glorious history.
One of the most prolific decision in the clubs' history was taken in 1979 when they opened La Masia de Can Planes or La Masia for short. The youth academy has produced numerous talents throughout the years, some of whom are also featured in the list.
In 1988 Johan Cruyff returned to the Camp Nou but as a manager this time and assembled one of the strongest squad in the clubs' history which was also dubbed as the "Dream Team".
In the 2008-09 season, Pep Guardiola took the charge of clubs' helm and brought with him the tiki-taka style of play. In 2009 the club created history by winning 6 trophies in a year, namely the LaLiga, Copa del Rey, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, Supercopa de España and the FIFA Club World Cup.
Barcelona's rich history has been procured by many individuals who over the years have featured for the club. I have fielded a full-fledged playing XI of the greatest players who have embraced the club jersey.
The formation that I'm going with is a 3-5-2.
Before we start, I would like to name out a few honourable mentions: Joan Segarra, Hristo Stoichkov, Pep Guardiola, Rivaldo and many others.
Goalkeeper
Andoni Zubizarreta
Appearances: 490
Years played: 1986-1994
In between the sticks, who else can it be other than Andoni Zubizarreta, one of the greatest shot-stoppers in the Spanish club history. The Spaniard was a great motivator, encouraging his defenders from behind. He captained the club for several seasons and played a crucial role in Barcelona's first ever European Cup triumph in 1992.