27. Barcelona: 2005/06
Before Lionel Messi made the Ballon d’Or his play thing, Ronaldinho brought the good times back to Barcelona. The Brazilian was the best player ever for the short window he was at his peak in the early to mid-2000s, with the 2005-06 campaign his signature moment.
Through a heady mix of power, pace, flair and improv, Ronaldinho inspired a functional Barca to a win over Arsenal in the final. This wasn’t the Barcelona of Messi and Andres Iniesta operating under the relentless guidance of Pep Guardiola.
Instead, Frank Rijkaard was at the helm. He crafted a combative midfield held together by Dutch bruiser Mark van Bommel and Brazilian enforcer Edmilson.
They gave Deco, the most influential player for Mourinho’s Porto winners, the platform to pull the strings. Meanwhile, center-backs Carles Puyol and Rafael Marquez left strikers battered and broken. It was left to Ronaldinho to win matches in the final third. He duly delivered by helping turn Eto’o into one of the most productive strikers on the continent.
Ronaldinho’s vision also made former Monaco winger Ludovic Giuly into a star. The two combined to beat AC Milan in the semi-final.
One brilliant Ronaldinho pass for Eto’o forced Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann into a tackle that saw him sent off in the final. The Gunners went ahead, but Henrik Larsson came off the bench to tee up Eto’o and Juliano Belletti to win it.
This team was significantly different when Guardiola arrived two years later. Yet the platform for Barca’s dominance of the next 10 years was set by this Ronaldinho-led group.