Top Performers Of Fc Barcelona In 2009

By Author: Jamie Hanson
Total Articles: 3495
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After a torrid season last year, FC Barcelona is looking good to end their silverware drought this season. It did surprises a lot of people when FC Barcelona failed to win any trophies for two consecutive seasons. They had one of the best squad in Europe and still the FC Barcelona side failed to win anything. But Guardiola has revived their hopes with a sterling performance. When it all started even Guardiola wouldn't have imagined that FC Barcelona would be competing for all three cups available this season. The architects of this turn over are:

1) Guardiola - A Coach is good as his players but with Guardiola that statement has to be reversed. He was a legendary FC Barcelona player and one of the stalwarts in the last decade. Between 1990 and 2001 he made 379 appearances for FC Barcelona. He made senior La Liga debut for FC Barcelona on December 16 1990 in a 2-0 win against Cádiz C.F.. Playing as a defensive midfielder, he went onto become a key member of the Dream Team put together by Johan Cruyff, providing a local presence in a team made up of mainly Basque and foreign players. He became FC Barcelona captain ...
... in 1997. There were many doubters about Guardiola's ability to coach this FC Barcelona side. True to his nature Guardiola on arrival to FC Barcelona announced that he will offload Eto, Ronaldinho and Deco. He revived the team such a way that FC Barcelona is once again playing the best football in continent.

2) Xavi - Puyol might be the captain bu Xavi is the Heart of FC Barcelona. FC Barcelona has produced a lot of little midfielders recently but this Barca player is a tough one. Xavi is a product of FC Barcelona's youth system and has spent all of his footballing life at the Camp Nou since the age of 11. Ironically he replaced Guardiola in his debut match. Xavi is just second to Rexach in terms of overall appearance for Barca. He not only has become the heart of Barca but also the brain of Spanish national side. He was rightly adjudged as the player of the tournament in Euro 2008. Xavi is that kind of player who is good going forward and while defending. Under Guardiola he has improved a lot and has featured regularly in the score sheet.

3) Lionel Messi - If Xavi is the heart of FC Barcelona, Messi is the brain. Without any doubt Messi is the best player in the world at this moment. His playing style and ability have drawn comparisons to football legend Diego Maradona. Indeed, Maradona himself declared Messi his successor. Messi began playing football at a young age and his potential was quickly identified by FC Barcelona. He left Newell's Old Boys' youth team in 2000 and moved with his family to Europe, as Barcelona offered treatment for his growth hormone deficiency. Making his debut in the 2004-05 seasons, he broke the La Liga record for the youngest footballer to play a league game, and also the youngest to score a league goal. Messi was hampered by injury last season; even then he managed to overshadow Ronaldo in Manchester United clash. This season he is in tremendous form scoring 33 goals and assisting 14. He also helped Argentina win the Olympic Gold Medal.

For more about FC Barcelona Players visit AllAboutFcBarcelona.com. Also get all the latest FC Barcelona Players Pictures.