4. Barcelona (2006)
Everyone is well aware of the current Barcelona team; ranked as one of the best club sides of all-time. It seems such a shame that the work of Frank Rijkaard Pep Guardiolas predecessor - has been forgotten because of the achievements of that team three years later. Guardiola may get the credit for adopting the tiki-taka style but it was Rijkaard who introduced the possession based concept. You may think that because it was only three years between their 06 Champions League win and their 09 success it the two squads are the same. They were very, very different. The major difference is the exclusion of an Argentinian maestro. Messi was just a hot-prospect in 06 but by the time of the final against Manchester United three years later he was a club favourite. In fact, only three of the players who started for Barcelona in 06 started in 09. Xavi and Iniesta were bench-warmers as Edmilson and Deco were preferred. Messi wasnt included in the team at all because back then the 2005 Ballon Dor winner was dominating European football. In 2006 Ronaldinho was king. The Brazilian was at his peak as he carved through teams and dribbled at lightning pace. He made Cristiano Ronaldo look club-footed with skill so smooth he excited every fan. Even today I prefer him over Messi and Ronaldo, not because he was better than them, but because he was more joyful to watch. He was a samba-dancer inside a footballers body. At the Stade de France a Barcelona team that boasted the likes of Deco, Samuel Etoo and Ludovic Guily went up against Arsenal. Some felt that it was the Gunners time to finally win a Champions League and with players like Thierry Henry, Robert Pires, Cesc Fabregas and Gilberto Silva few would have bet against them. Sol Campbell headed Arsenal in front but with goals from Etoo and Juliano Belletti both set up by former Celtic striker Henrik Larsson the Catalans earned their second Champions League victory.