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#3 Pep Guardiola
A legendary manager, a classy midfielder, and an iconic captain - Pep Guardiola ticked all the boxes during his 17-season spell at Barcelona. Guardiola also came up through the La Masia system and prioritized finesse over form. It was not only about winning for him, he also needed to win the “right way".
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Guardiola was first made captain in 1997 under Louis van Gaal. He imposed his authority rather effortlessly and knew how to pick up his teammates after a disappointing result.
During his four-season spell as captain, Barcelona won two La Ligas and a Copa del Rey. Guardiola was undoubtedly more successful as a player than as captain, but his on-field leadership inspired generations of La Masia graduates.
#2 Johan Cruyff
Johan Cruyff did not exactly have the longest of spells as Barcelona captain, but the impact he made was nothing short of remarkable. Cruyff joined Barcelona from Ajax in 1973 and got to work right away.
He was Barcelona’s knight in shining armor, leading the charge against their bitterest rivals Real Madrid. The three-time Ballon d’Or winner led Barcelona to La Liga in his debut season itself, cementing his name in history.
The next season, he was blessed with the responsibility of donning the captain’s armband. Cryuff added a twist to the story as well, becoming the first captain to wear a red-and-yellow armband instead of white, representing Catalonia’s identity.
#1 Carles Puyol
Barcelona centre-back Carles Puyol is widely hailed as one of the most iconic personalities in the history of Spanish football. Fortunately for Barcelona, the steamroller of a defender chose to defend their crest with all his might.
Puyol is the best captain Barcelona have ever had and by a country mile.
Puyol joined Barcelona’s La Masia academy in 1995. Puyol played as a defensive midfielder at the time, and it took him four more years to find his calling, to play as a central-defender.
After the retirement of Luis Enrique in 2004, Puyol was given the captain’s armband. He picked up the mantle with great honor and served diligently for the next ten seasons.
Puyol was aggressive yet composed. He was a wrecking ball at times but also clinical when the situation needed him to be. Puyol served the club for 15 years, 10 of them with the armband on. He won 21 trophies in those 15 seasons, going down in history as one of the club’s greatest ever players.
