László Kubala. You didn't put players who was on the occasion of the hundredth anniversary of the club was voted for the best player of Barcelona.
Hristo Stoichkov [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LtJhJTB-04"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LtJhJTB-04[/ame]
It's a crime to miss Kubala who was the best Barca all time ... If Messi will continue like this rate for another 3,4 years he will become the ONE
Messis is the greatest player I'VE ever seen in a Barca shirt. That's as close as you can get to answering this question.
But that's the point. Since many fans have only been watching football for 10 or so years, their opinion on former players are quite bias.
Maradona is arguibly the best player of all time but he's time at Barcelona i don't think he merits a nominee for best Barca player ever.
How could it not be Messi? Barsa of the last few years is the best and most successful Barsa ever. Messi, winner of three consecutive Ballon d'Or awards, has been the best player of the best team on earth and a big reason why Barsa dominates La Liga and does so well at continental level. Who has been considered the best player in the world (not one of the best, but the very best) for so long while winning so much for the club? No one, thats who.
Also during his playing career, considering the situation of Barcelona and Spain at that time (and by that I do not only mean the Franco dictatorship but also very amateurish organization of Barcelona). He also advised them in 1978 to set up a youth academy.
Sure, sure. Thats why I said Messi has been the best player of the best and most successful Barsa ever. Not that Messi has made Barsa what it is on his own. I would imagine that all great teams in history (Santos of Pele, Madrid of Di Stefano, Milan of Sacchi, etc.) could have won games even when not counting with their top man. Could have probably won titles as well, though most likely (or certainly) not as much. Anyways, who else if not Messi? For what I hear, apparently only Kubala could challenge Messi. I just dont know much about him. Looking at his stats in wiki seems like he missed a lot of action in almost every season, did not help the team win nearly as many titles and never featured in the Ballon d'Or votings that started in 1956... Thats pretty much all I know.
Sometimes, being absent says more than being present. By the way, do also not underestimate what Cruyff did as player at Barcelona despite not winning many prizes with the team. But yes, Kukala is the greatest.
I dunno, maybe. In this case I dont see how, though. I pointed out Kubala as the only challenger (IMO) because he was voted their best ever back I dont remember when. Kinda puts him above Cruyff, I guess. Cruyff was a great footballer, no doubt. But the lack of titles does weigh against him in this particular issue we are discussing (the greatest ever player for Barsa).
Despite the lack of titles, he still ranked high in the first few Don Ballon awards. He didn't win the first edition (Neeskens won) because of troubles with coach Weisweiler, which devided the press (Cruyff won the favor of the public though). Also: Cruyff played his best season in 76/77 and the Spanish press blamed his team-mates for a lack of general creativity (the other creative players received a way lower rating). But I indeed think Kubala was the greatest because he had also to endure a unfavourable regime as well and If I'm right his team-mates weren't also of a very high level.
I don't think this is correct - Barcelona finished 1st, 1st and 5th the last three years before Kubala's arrival. He brought them back to the top then winning twice, before Di Stefano joined Real Madrid. It's a close race each year though - when Barca finished 5th they were only 4 points short of the 1st place. Sadly Kubala suffered some (?) serious illness and never returned to his form after some (?) season in the mid 50s. (not very detailed just what I remember ... damn wikipedia ... or should I say SOPA? )
Maybe my memory falters but I thought his tubercolosis began to hinder him in the last two seasons, including his final season where Barcelona reached the EC-final. But maybe those problems started earlier.
All this "alsos and as wells", you mean on top of this: Or on top of the other stuff that I mentioned? That is that it seems like he missed a lot of action in almost every season, did not help the team win too many titles and never featured in the Ballon d'Or votings that started in 1956. Relax, Puck. Im not trashing Cruyff or anything. All I said is that Kubala was chosen over him and that he did not win too many titles in Barcelona. Im aware of his Don Balon rankings as well as the Ballon d'Or votings. Obviously, he was individually outstanding. But still.
I don't know the reasons why he missed a lot of action, except for his illness, but if it are the same reasons why Cruijff and Neeskens sometimes missed some games, then you cannot blame him. The question is of course how reliable those Ballon d'Or votings are. For example: why is Di Stefano totally omitted in the 1958 voting? Regardless of this, it does speak for Kubala that no other Barcelona player appeared in the lists. Even in the year when they reached the final, in 1961, no Barcelona player appears in the list. In other words, he wasn't out-shined by a team-mate.