5 of the most positive changes made at Barcelona in the last decade

#3 Selling Yaya Toure and promoting Sergio Busquets

Selling Yaya Toure was a huge turning point for the club

One of the biggest single decisions to be made over the last 10 years was when Guardiola sold Yaya Toure. The Ivorian had been a colossus in central midfield for the Catalans and was as responsible for their first treble as anyone, scoring a stunning long-range effort in the 2009 Copa del Rey final.

However, waiting in the wings was a young Sergio Busquets. Sergio who? No one outside of La Masia had heard of the Spaniard, but it wouldn’t be long before everyone sat up and took notice of a player for whom the praise ‘simplicity is genius’ perfectly applies.

Much was made of Toure being ousted by a player who was ‘green’ at the top level but for all of the plaudits that the like of Messi, Neymar, Suarez and Iniesta at al garner, Busquets is the true master of this last decade for Barcelona.

A quiet genius, his omission from the side through injury or suspension is when he is noticed the most. A player’s player and one who former Spain coach Vicente del Bosque said he’d like to be reincarnated as. High praise indeed.