Laporta hails best-ever Barca
29 May 2009 - 07:55:06
Jubilant president Joan Laporta has hailed the current Barcelona side as the best in the club's history.
Pep Guardiola's team completed an unprecedented treble of La Liga title, Copa del Rey and Champions League after being crowned kings of Europe with Wednesday's 2-0 victory over Manchester United in Rome.
Laporta claims their achievements this season have eclipsed even those of the successful side which former coach Johan Cruyff assembled in the early 1990s.
"Pep and the players have played the best season in the history of Barca and they have demonstrated that they are the best team in the history of Barca," hailed Laporta.
"We have to go back to the Dream Team of Johan and the way Johan transformed football."
Meanwhile, Laporta reserved special praise for Guardiola following the former club captain's amazing first season as coach.
He added: "Pep in one year has really created a genius team. It has roots (in Cruyff's philosophy), but at the same time he himself has created something."
"We thought he was the suitable person for the job and now with much pride and happiness we can say that we took the right decision.
"We have a coach who manages the team majestically, everyone together with a lot of talent and quality and I think it has a long way it can still go.
"It is the prize for perseverance, the prize for those who fought for our ideals."