Ranking the 10 greatest Barcelona midfielders of all time
Barcelona are one of the most storied clubs in the history of the game. With 92 trophies across competitions, the Blaugrana are the most successful club in Europe's top five leagues.
They have won 31 Copa Del Rey, 26 La Liga and five UEFA Champions League titles, to name a few. While Barcelona have won the first competition more than any other club, only Real Madrid (34) have won more La Liga titles than the Barcelona.
Only Real Madrid, AC Milan, Liverpool and Bayern Munich have won more titles in the Champions League than the Catalans.
Considering Barcelona's rich history and pedigree, many top players, especially midfielders, have played for the club over the years. On that note, here's a look at the ten best midfielders in Barcelona's history:
#10 Johan Neeskens
Johan Neekens is one of the finest midfielders in Barcelona's history. The three-time European champion with Ajax played at the Camp Nou at around the same time as his illustrious compatriot Johan Cruyff (more on him later).
The midfielder played over 200 games for the club, scoring over 50 goals. Many of these strikes were headers or penalty kicks. Nesskens was particularly renowned for his physicality in midfield, endearing him to the club and faithful.
Johan Neeskens, Barcelona
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Although a league title eluded him in his five years at Barcelona, Neeskens won the Copa Del Rey and the European Cup Winners' Cup in successive years.
#9 Phillip Cocu
Phillip Cocu is another famous Dutch midfielder who turned up for Barcelona. The 51-year-old played nearly 300 games for the Blaugrana, scoring 38 goals. Twelve of those strikes came in his first season with the club in 1998-99, helping them win the La Liga title.
G⚽️AL MORNING!!
😲 Wow, Phillip Cocu! 😲 https://t.co/D6xf1ZkJiw
The PSV Eindhoven legend was not a prolific scorer, but had a penchant for providing the occasional strike from the center of the park.
By the time Cocu departed Camp Nou in 2004, he had set records for most La Liga games (205) and overall appearances (297) by a foreign player for Barcelona. Both records were later taken over by a certain Lionel Messi.
#8 Luis Enrique (former Barcelona player and manager)
Luis Enrique is one of only a handful of players to win La Liga titles with both Real Madrid and Barcelona.
With the Blaugrana, the former midfielder added two more league trophies to his 1994-95 La Liga triumph. During a successful eight-season stay at the Camp Nou, Enrique made over 300 appearances across competitions, scoring over 100 goals.
The 51-year-old could play across a plethora of positions in the attacking and middle third. But it was in right midfield, where he was arguably at his most comfortable.
Years later, Enrique would return to Barcelona and won them their historic second continental treble (2014-15). They won their first in 2008-09 under Pep Guardiola (more on him later).
🏆 Luis Enrique wins his ninth trophy as Barça coach 👏👏 ow.ly/tRvG30c6unz #ForçaBarça https://t.co/aZJz40nUjo
That further endeared him to the club faithful. Enrique is currently the manager of the Spanish men's national team.
#7 Michael Laudrup
Michael Laudrup is one of the most decorated and skilful midfielders to have graced Barcelona's history.
The elegant Dane was an integral part of Johan Cruyff's Dream Team in the early 1990s that won four consecutive La Liga titles and the European Cup.
With nearly 300 appearances and 100 goals for the club, Laudrup was an artist with the ball at his feet. He was renowned for his passing prowess and wouldn't have looked out of place in his Pep Guardiola's excellent Barcelona team of the late 2000s and early 2010s.
The Euro' 92 winner was also a mean striker of the ball, scoring many memorable goals from distance.