UCL Final: Have Barcelona Reached Perfection?

IN 2009, world football thought we had seen perfection. Pep Guardiola arrived at Barcelona and guided the club to six trophies in the calendar year: La Liga, Copa del Rey, the UEFA Champions League, Supercopa de Espana, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.

But with Luis Enrique gunning for the treble this weekend in his maiden season, he’s finally brought Barcelona out from Guardiola’s illustrious shadow.
By doing so, has he managed to improve perfection?
That’s not to denigrate the fabled team Guardiola built. Rather, it’s testament to the way Enrique, who played for the club from 1996 to 2004, has re-invented the side under the gaze of an expectant football world.
Gone is the tiki-taka that also saw Spain dominate two European Championship finals and a World Cup. Despite having their lowest possession rate (60.95 per cent) in the Champions League since data started getting collected in 2003-2004, suddenly the Catalan club has a few extra strings to its bow.
It is not sacrilegious to see them play the ball forward quickly now or look over the top. They concede less goals (they’ve kept 23 clean sheets) than the 2009 vintage, are better at set pieces and have a higher winning percentage. They even score more often.
The tweaks reflect the personality of the managers: Guardiola the conductor and genius, much like Xavi or Andreas Iniesta, while Enrique was the ruthless one in attack.
But the return to Barcelona brilliance hasn’t been a smooth ride.
Xavi reportedly brokered peace between star and coach, and according to Spanish newspaper Diario Sport, the players rallied, with these WhatsApp group messages on January 6 reportedly galvanising the group.
“If we continue like this, we will not win anything this year,” read the first message from a senior player.
“We cannot go another season without anything,” said another.
But the biggest difference has come on the field.
For so many years Spain and Barcelona, with Xavi, Iniesta and Sergio Busquets would pass teams into oblivious, suffocating them with a pass masterclass, while carving openings via intricate passing and the x-factor provided by Messi.
But Enrique was presented with a unique challenge: Xavi and Iniesta were aging and the game was becoming quicker, particularly on the biggest stage.