There’s no denying that Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona side of the late 2000s and early 2010s was one of the greatest of the modern era.
As well as the silverware - three La Liga titles, two Copa del Reys and two Champions Leagues among other gongs - the team’s style of play, influence and legacy mean that Guardiola’s team’s place in the history books is secure forever.
Guardiola’s success in the role came two decades after that of Johan Cruyff’s ‘Dream Team’ of the early 1990s, a side which provided the intellectual bedrock of Pep’s side.
Michael Laudrup compares Cruyff and Guardiola’s teams
Comparisons between these two iconic sides have been unavoidable in the years since, something that former Barca great Michael Laudrup has addressed.
The Dane forged a formidable forward line with Romario and Hristo Stoichkov, an attacking trident that was replicated when Lionel Messi, Luis Sanchez and Neymar were dubbed the ’MSN’ trio under Guardiola.
“It’s hard to compare,” Laudrup tells FourFourTwo when asked how the two trios compare, before assessing Barca’s other recent strong sides.
“I’ve also been asked to rank our team against other Barcelona sides – I think the teams of Frank Rijkaard and Luis Enrique were stronger than ours,” he continues.
Laudrup - who spent five years at Camp Nou after signing from Juventus in 1989 - also believes that context matters, as his Barcelona side achieved a first for the club.
“Pep Guardiola’s Barça was one of the best teams ever. But our team had something the others didn’t – we were the first to win the European Cup.”
The success of Cruyff’s side also redefined what success looks like for the Catalan side, as sporadic league titles gave way to the expectation that Barcelona should be challenging every single season.
“We also changed the club’s domestic success,” Laudrup adds. “Going from winning La Liga every now and then, to claiming four league titles in a row.”
