Following the departure of club legend Xavi, Barcelona made the somewhat left-field appointment of Hansi Flick. But Culers were forced to temper their expectations upon his arrival.

The German had masterminded a historic treble with Bayern Munich in 2019–20 but performed disastrously with the Germany national team. Flick’s stock had fallen drastically since his Bavarian stint but Barcelona deemed it a gamble worth taking. They have been rewarded emphatically.

The 60-year-old made an immediate impact in Catalonia as Barcelona looked to rediscover themselves and it was swiftly evident that 2024–25 could be special. With trophies galore and La Blaugrana comfortably the most enjoyable team in world football to watch, such premonitions have come to pass.

An extraordinary debut season has restored Barcelona to the loftiest heights and etched Flick’s name into the history books, but how does his first campaign compare to the club’s two greatest managers: Pep Guardiola and Johan Cruyff?

It’s worth noting that Flick still has one match left to oversee this season as Barcelona visit Athletic Club in their final La Liga clash, but even a draw or defeat in Bilbao would see him better the win ratio of his legendary predecessors. He currently boasts a 72.9% win rate—dropping to 71.7% if La Blaugrana can’t win their last outing—which far exceeds what Guardiola and Cruyff were able to achieve.

Guardiola’s debut season in 2008–09 saw the Spaniard win 67.7% of his 62 matches, while Cruyff only managed victories in 63.6% of his 55 games at the helm in 1988–99. The latter does earn plaudits for taking a side that finished sixth in La Liga the previous season all the way to second, with Guardiola inheriting a team that finished third the previous term but was full of stars.

Despite winning more games than Guardiola and Cruyff, Flick has also tasted defeat more regularly. Barcelona have lost nine matches in 2024–25 and managed just seven draws in total. The German’s attacking outfit seldom accept a point.

Barcelona have been devastating under Flick. Their success has been possible due to an offensive-minded philosophy and several superstar forwards, with 171 goals in just 59 matches—an average of 2.9 per outing. Raphinha, Lamine Yamal and Robert Lewandowski have been the the difference-makers in the final third, scoring an astonishing 92 times collectively in all competitions. That’s over half the club’s goals.

Guardiola boasted the likes of Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry and Samuel Eto’o during his debut season and while the trio managed exactly a century between them, others in the team failed to support that tally. 158 strikes in 62 matches isn’t quite as impressive as Flick’s side, although it’s still an average of 2.5 per match.

Cruyff’s side were far less prolific. They scored just 118 times in 55 matches—still not a total to be sniffed at—with their success built on sturdy defensive foundations. They allowed less than a goal per game (46 in total) and were significantly more resilient than Flick’s team.

The current Barcelona crop have conceded 72 times this season and their defensive deficiencies proved costly in their Champions League semifinal exit. Their high line and difficulties defending crosses were exposed as they conceded seven across two matches with Inter.

Barcelona’s aforementioned European struggles robbed them of the opportunity to complete a remarkable quadruple, but trophies haven’t been in short supply for Flick in Catalonia. La Blaugrana have secured a domestic treble under his tutelage, winning Supercopa de España and Copa del Rey finals against Real Madrid. They also won La Liga relatively comfortable, beating Los Blancos to the crown.

Guardiola also won three trophies in his first campaign in the dugout and completed the first treble in Spanish football history. They won the league ahead of Madrid by nine points and were helped by winning 19 of their first 22 matches, while they also conquered Athletic Club in the Copa del Rey final. The Champions League final saw them tasked with defeating Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United and goals from Eto’o and Messi guided them to a straightforward victory.

For Cruyff, things were much tougher. Barcelona were beaten by Madrid opposition in the Supercopa de España and Copa del Rey, while also losing out on the league title to Los Blancos by just five points. However, there was still silverware as they beat Sampdoria in the final of the European Cup Winners’ Cup.

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