5 top European sides and their greatest-ever managers

#1 Johan Cruyff (FC Barcelona)

Cryuff turned Barcelona into the super club it is now

It was going to take someone very special to keep Sir Alex away from the top spot. When that "someone special" is the legendary Dutch master, Cryuff, it brooks little argument.

The arch-priest of tiki-taka, the shining example of Total Football and the man who built the cathedral that has become FC Barcelona, Cryuff was a true genius and great in every sense of the word.

Not many footballers make successful coaches. The number of truly great footballers who achieve similar greatness as coaches is even rarer (exceptions include Guardiola, Franz Beckenbauer, Zinedine Zidane, and a few others).

He had already begun implementing his unique philosophy at hometown club Ajax; the side he achieved greatness with as a player. His work with the academy and style of play was built upon by Van Gaal and produced the team which won the 1994 UEFA Champions League title.

Arriving back at the Nou Camp, this time as a manager in 1988, Cryuff met a Barca in disarray. The Hesperia Mutiny (a players' revolt against then president Josep Lluís Núñez) saw all the players except goalie Andoni Zubizaretta sacked or sold.

Cryuff rebuilt the team from scratch working assiduously to implement his style on the team from La Masia to the senior side. He promoted the likes of Guardiola from the youth setup and bought in players like Hristo Stoichkov, Romario, Ronald Koeman.

The results were stunning. Almost overnight, Barca transformed from being debt-ridden and trophy-less to a super club that once again competed favourably with eternal rivals, Real Madrid.

Cryuff delivered the club's first ever European Cup in 1992 and 10 other trophies including 4 La Liga title. His favoured passing, attacking style became an intrinsic part of the club's DNA and has become a yardstick by which all Barca managers are judged.