Is this Barca team the greatest in club football history ??

[Celtics_35]

I think so, in terms of talent and achievements and the relative youth of their best players, especially Lionel Messi, I think that the current Barcelona squad (IE the one that won the sextuple a couple of years ago to day's side) has to be the greatest club side in world club football history.

Put it this way, they have equalled a 50 year old La Liga record by winning 15 league games in a row, should easily win the champions league again (no other european club now seems close to the level Barca is at) and the scary thing is, I think they will get even better in future.

[MonkeyBallZJr]

They are definitely up there for sure, though in comparing any teams across different time periods it's always quite difficult, since there are numerous factors to consider. In terms of talent and achievement I would put them just behind the 1988-90 AC Milan team. That team was amazing all around both defensively and offensively. It had the likes of Baresi, Costacurta, Maldini, Ancelotti, Donadoni and the Dutch trio in attack, Gullit, Van Basten, Rijkaard. I don't think the Barcelona defence is anywhere near as good as this Milan one, the fact that they are so possession-dominant means they don't need to be. The AC Milan team was also able to to win and successfully defend their European Cup in 89 and 90, albeit in a format that made it easier to do so. Until this Barcelona side can sucessfully win multiple CL titles, that will always be their achilles heel when determining if they are the GOAT.

[IronChef]

I think so, in terms of talent and achievements and the relative youth of their best players, especially Lionel Messi, I think that the current Barcelona squad (IE the one that won the sextuple a couple of years ago to day's side) has to be the greatest club side in world club football history.

Put it this way, they have equalled a 50 year old La Liga record by winning 15 league games in a row, should easily win the champions league again (no other european club now seems close to the level Barca is at) and the scary thing is, I think they will get even better in future.

They are up there, but you can't say really say definitively because they're too hard to compare. Can't say I agree with your comment that they'll easily win the Champions League either, that's just silly.

[Foye]

No team wins the Champions League easily. It's always luck involved. Do you remember how much luck Barca needed in 2009 to win the Champions League? They would've been eliminiated if it wasn't for that stupid ref.

[5DOM]

They are up there, but I don't think much of all these La Liga records. Real Madrid was not even close to being a top 5 team in the world last season, and they almost won the league with an incredible W-D-L ratio. And we'll see if they get better after Xavi and Puyol retire.

[Foye]

They are up there, but I don't think much of all these La Liga records. Real Madrid was not even close to being a top 5 team in the world last season, and they almost won the league with an incredible W-D-L ratio. And we'll see if they get better after Xavi and Puyol retire.

Yeah, you pretty much can count the serviceable teams other than Barca and Real on one hand.

[EdMar_Davis]

The Spanish league means nothing at all, there is no competition.

There's

Barca


Real

then nothing else that matters, it's a joke really. and no I wouldn't consider them the greatest ever.

[Lionel Messi]

Villareal, Sevilla, Valencia. Atletico Madrid...

[Foye]

Villareal, Sevilla, Valencia. Atletico Madrid...

Solid teams but none of them is able to be a real contributor in the Championsleague anymore. And afterwards the level of competition sinks rapidly in the PD.

[Boognish]

I don't really know too much about the history of club football, but it seems that Barca should win more trophies before they are crowned the hands-down best team evar. They had an insane season two years ago, but I think they need to win CL at least once more.

Also, I think a lot of the Barca hype gets conflated with Spain's recent success in international competition

[Slava]

Definitely one of the best but not the greatest ever. The old Real teams, Liverpool and Milan of 80s, United of 99 are on equal footing.

[Lionel Messi]

I don't understand why the fact that La Liga is weak really make a difference when it comes to Barca. They are destroying Real Madrid, who has more talent on paper than any other team in the world and have been very strong in the CL the past 2 years.

They're the best team in the world right now.

[5DOM]

They are destroying Real, but Real's been destroying La Liga themselves (16-3-2 this season and 31-3-4 last season). And I'm not sure if Real has more talent on paper than any other team in the world, at least not with that back four. Not sure how Real's been very strong in the CL either. If you meant Barca, they couldn't really do anything against Inter last season. Completely outplayed in the first match and barely won against Inter team that played with 10 men for majority of the game. And of course I'm still bitter about how 08-09 CL semi-finals went. Barca's a great team, and most likely the best team in the world right now, but I expect better if we are talking about THE greatest of all time.

[and1GS]

After seeing Real dismantle Villareal there is no way anybody can tell me La Liga isn't just two teams trying to one up each other while a bunch of youth clubs play kickball until it's time to get slapped by the big boys.

La Liga's a joke but Barca's the best team in the world right now until the top English clubs get their **** together.

[Lionel Messi]

They are destroying Real, but Real's been destroying La Liga themselves (16-3-2 this season and 31-3-4 last season). And I'm not sure if Real has more talent on paper than any other team in the world, at least not with that back four. Not sure how Real's been very strong in the CL either. If you meant Barca, they couldn't really do anything against Inter last season. Completely outplayed in the first match and barely won against Inter team that played with 10 men for majority of the game. And of course I'm still bitter about how 08-09 CL semi-finals went. Barca's a great team, and most likely the best team in the world right now, but I expect better if we are talking about THE greatest of all time.

Yes I meant Barca and yes Barca have been strong in CL the past 2 seasons.

[EdMar_Davis]

Definitely one of the best but not the greatest ever. The old Real teams, Liverpool and Milan of 80s, United of 99 are on equal footing.

n

In 99 Bayern destroyed Man U, that was probably the luckiest game of all time in Man U's favor. Didn't see the match live, but seeing the highlights now, just kills me.

[El Turco]

no offense but 99 United was not in the same class with other three.

[Slava]

Definitely one of the best but not the greatest ever. The old Real teams, Liverpool and Milan of 80s, United of 99 are on equal footing.

n

In 99 Bayern destroyed Man U, that was probably the luckiest game of all time in Man U's favor. Didn't see the match live, but seeing the highlights now, just kills me.

We played the final without Paul Scholes and Roy Keane, our first choice central midfield. Any win would have been lucky in the European final.

[Boognish]

The United Treble team needed like four Hail Marys to get where they did. Resilient, but not particularly dominant

Had crazy comebacks/last second winners with...
-FA cup vs Liverpool, they won after trailing in the 85th
-The Giggs goal vs Arsenal
-both legs against Juve
-and the CL final

They squeaked by a number of times

[Slava]

By that logic the current Barca team didn't deserve to beat Chelsea at all in 2009.