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The team that Pep Guardiola built at Barcelona will surely go down as one of the most superior footballing sides in history. The fact that he was making them play a mesmerizing brand of football in only his first job makes him more special.
Since then, the Spaniard has taken over some elite clubs in Europe and established a monopoly in top domestic leagues. Guardiola will undoubtedly go into the history books as one of the most successful and intelligent coaches.
It is the free-flowing style of football that he has envisioned and brought on the field that makes his teams so entertaining to watch. There is no denying that the Spanish maestro has always had some high-quality players to work with. But he has identified top talent and harnessed their full potential time and again.
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Pep Guardiola signed many special players as Barcelona coach
The journey began at Barcelona, a club very dear to Guardiola. He had some of the top-rated names in Europe playing under him in Spain but took his team to the next level by recruiting quality talent. There are many who believe that he could do so because there was enough financial backing.
But hey, one look at the history of the game and you'll find enough examples where huge sums of money fail to fulfill aspirations. His spell with the Catalans saw him sign nearly 20 players, some of whom turned out to be huge success stories.
Here are five of the best signings that Pep Guardiola has made at Barcelona.
#5 David Villa
Pep Guardiola has signed some great strikers as a coach and David Villa is undoubtedly among the best he has signed. Even after years of working with him, Villa has always spoken of Guardiola in high regard and admires him.
The striker was signed by Barcelona in 2010 one year after Zlatan Ibrahimovic's move to the Catalans. The Swede and the Spanish boss had a tense relationship and due to the same, Ibrahimovic was sent out on loan to AC Milan. In came Villa, who comfortably slotted in the front-three with Pedro and Lionel Messi.
The Spanish striker was primarily a centre-forward but was played by the boss on the left-side more often. Despite not playing in his preferred position for the majority of his spell, he registered 48 goals in 119 appearances. He also played his part in the partnership with 28 assists.
During the striker's three-year stay with the Catalans, two were spent under Guardiola's management. Villa is Spain's top-scorer in international football with 63 goals. If he wasn't being played out of his position, the Spaniard could have scored with a better strike rate.
Nonetheless, the striker left Barcelona with two La Liga titles and one Champions League. The club, however, must have felt hurt when they had to sell their €40 million forward for just €2 million after three years.
#4 Alexis Sanchez
A symbol of the phrase "fall from grace" for many football fans, Alexis Sanchez has surely seen a downhill climb in his once so successful career. Some players in football have an innate 'X-factor' that makes it difficult to take your eyes off them. In his prime, no one dared take their eyes off Sanchez.
He was a live wire, always threatening to make a run, slice the defense and test the goalkeeper to his limit. The Chilean's very best version was turned on during his tenure at Arsenal. But at Barcelona he showed everyone that he was not one to play in anyone's shadow.
Guardiola approved his signing in 2011 as Sanchez arrived from Italian club Udinese for a decent fee of €26 million. In doing so he brought a profitable asset to the club. He paid dividends both on and off the pitch even after the manager left himself.
The Chilean's first season in Spain was hampered by injuries but he picked up the pace quickly and showed his class on the big stage. He was always decisive in the final-third and had a directness to his game that facilitated the link-up play.
Sanchez made 141 appearances for Barcelona in his three-year spell and scored 46 times. Notably, his knack for finding a teammate in the attacking third was equally efficient and he had his 37 assists to show for it.
The Catalans secured a decent profit when they sold him for €42.5 million to Arsenal in 2014.
#3 Javier Mascherano
Pep Guardiola has had an obsession with genius midfielders throughout his career as a coach and things were no different at Barcelona. He had two of the most accomplished players in the midfield position pulling strings for him, namely Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez.
In his future job, the Spaniard went on to develop many other mesmerizing midfielders who displayed grace and elegance. But he has also wanted a solid figure in the squad who can allow those gifted technicians to display their masterclass.
That was Javier Mascherano's importance to the Barcelona side and it could be argued that they miss him for his utmost conviction. The Argentine wasn't the biggest frame and was originally a holding midfielder, but was mostly utilised as a centre-back.
Signed for €20 million from Liverpool, this turned out to be another versatile signing by Guardiola. He was value for money and a true servant to Barcelona. A rough and expert tackler, Mascherano was lauded for his positional awareness and the reading of the game.
The ease with which he intercepted attacks was truly enjoyable. The Argentine also had the ability to supply long balls. It was not a trademark playing style of Guardiola's Barcelona, but with the defensive ace, they had the unpredictability.
The way the Spaniard helped Mascherano adapt to his new role was truly one of his biggest successes as a coach. The Argentine made 334 appearances in his time at Barcelona. He won five each of the La Liga and Copa del Rey titles, two Champions League trophies and two Club World Cups.
#2 Dani Alves
Regarded by many as probably the best right back in Barcelona's history, Pep Guardiola deserves credit for bringing Dani Alves to the club. He was signed from Sevilla in 2008.
Now in his second spell with the club, the Brazilian is only going to cement his legendary status. His longetivity and and loyalty have endeared him to Barcelona fans.
Alves built a telepathic partnership with Lionel Messi and was lethal when allowed the space to venture forward. He marshaled the touchline extremely well and would give the wingers a run for their money on any day. The Brazilian really defined the role of a modern fullback and was world-class for nearly a decade.
The right-back was a serial winner and has won accolades everywhere he has gone. During his eight-year spell with Barcelona, he won six La Liga titles, three Champions League medals and four Copa del Rey trophies.
His 21 goals all came at crucial junctures and his 103 assists were proof of his clinicality in the final-third.
#1 Gerard Pique
Gerard Pique is the joint-highest scoring defender in the UEFA Champions League with Roberto Carlos at 16 goals. He was a product of the La Masia academy who had been taken away by Manchester United. However, he never really became a regular for the Red Devils given the competition at the club.
In 2008, Guardiola brought the Spanish defender back home, and as they say, the rest is history. With 592 appearances in his bag for the Catalans, Pique will always be a part of their history. A great leader and a tough competitor, he has always been an everpresent figure in their rearguard.
The Spaniard has always been a threat in the air from set pieces and has been equally effective in winning aerial duels. His passing has been top-notch and he reads the game pretty well.
Guardiola and the defender conquered La Liga thrice and the Champions League twice. After the Spanish tactician left, Pique collected five more Spanish top-flight trophies and one Champions League title.
It cannot be disputed that Pep Guardiola has given Barcelona some of its most loyal and fantastic players. Many of them have helped the club even after his departure.
