"We won the UCL because we were so superior" - Ivan Rakitic hails 2014-15 Barcelona as the 'best team in history'

Barcelona legend Ivan Rakitic has hailed the treble-winning 2014-15 Barcelona side as the greatest team in the history of the sport. The Croatian midfielder joined La Blaugrana from Sevilla FC in 2014 for a reported €18 million.

In six seasons in Catalonia, he won the UEFA Champions League, four LaLiga titles, the FIFA Club World Cup, the UEFA Supercup, four Copas del Rey, and two Supercopas de Espana.

Ivan Rakitic was part of the Barcelona team that won the iconic treble (i.e., the LaLiga, the UEFA Champions League, and the Copa del Rey) in the 2014-15 season. It was the same season in which the iconic trifecta of Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr., and Luis Suarez dominated European football.

Reminiscing the treble-winning season in a recent interview with MARCA (h/t Barca Universal), Ivan Rakitic said:

“At every stage, there are important teams and I think we won the Champions League because we were so superior, then I think we lacked someone to ‘press us’ to get more."

The Croatian also waxed lyrical about Xavi Hernandez's leadership, hailing it as one of the important factors for the team's unparalleled success that season.

"I think, in that sense, it was important that Xavi stayed that year but he left and maybe that strong leadership character was missing in the dressing room. These details are important, because, in my opinion, that was the best team in history," he opined.

However, Barcelona have struggled to repeat the heroics of the 2014-15 season ever since. This has especially been true after Lionel Messi left the side as a free agent and joined Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2021.

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Barcelona legend Ivan Rakitic weighs in on the Lionel Messi vs. Lamine Yamal comparisons

FC Barcelona v Stade Brestois 29 - UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD5 - Source: Getty

During his interview with MARCA, Ivan Rakitic spoke candidly about comparing current La Masia prodigies with Lionel Messi. The diminutive Argentinean is widely considered one of the greatest players to have ever played the game.

Lionel Messi played 778 games across competitions for Barcelona, scoring 672 goals and creating 303 more. These staggering numbers make him the highest goalscorer and assist provider in the club's history, scoring more goals than the next three players combined.

Lamine Yamal, on the other hand, has been earmarked as the next big thing in football. At just 17, he has played 74 games for Barcelona's senior side, racking up 15 goals and 21 assists. The La Masia graduate is known for his immaculate ball control and a penchant for scoring crucial goals in crunch situations.

When asked about Lamine Yamal's comparison with a teenage Lionel Messi, Ivan Rakitic started by mentioning Ansu Fati— another La Masia prodigy who was once compared with the Argentine legend before his career became riddled with injuries.

“Firstly, I am a big fan of Ansu Fati and I am very sorry that he has had so many injuries. I remember when he trained with us for the first time when he was 16 and I told him: ‘This boy should always come’. When I was at Sevilla and he went to Brighton we tried to sign him. I hope he recovers,” he began.

Coming to Yamal, he said:

“To your question, I did not know Lamine directly, but he represents pleasure, not only for those of us who are from Barça, but for all who love football."

“Barça have had a world star for many years. It is crazy. It is good to hear these things from people who see him every day, how he behaves, how he trains,” concluded the Croatian.

At present, Ivan Rakitic plays for the Croatian outfit Hajduk Split after leaving Saudi Pro League side Al-Shadab in 2024.