Pep Guardiola’s thrilling Barcelona side from 2008 to 2012 were arguably the greatest of the lot.

Three of football’s greatest ever talents, Messi, Xavi and Iniesta were once the faces of a Barcelona side that dominated football

Under Guardiola, Barca won three La Liga crowns at Barcelona
The Spaniard revolutionised the game with his philosophy that became known the world over as ‘Tiki-Taka’ in a brand of football that had never been seen before, steering the Catalans to three league titles and two Champions League crowns to etch their name as true greats of European football.

From Thierry Henry to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the Spaniard oversaw some incredible talents throughout his four-year tenure, but none more so than the trio of Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi.

They went on to become three of football’s greatest ever players and shared an almost telepathic relationship with one another that may not ever been seen again.

Guardiola and Zlatan did not get on at Barcelona
With a mesmerising ability to create space in tight areas, their understanding was almost extra-terrestrial, and even with the likes of Ronaldinho and Ronaldo in the club’s star-studded list of alumni, many will tell you they are the club’s three greatest players.

Unfortunately for Barcelona fans, all good things come to an end – and it has in it has in the most brutal way possible for the Camp Nou faithful in recent times.

Xavi is now retired and managing in Qatar, Iniesta is plying his trade with Vissel Kobe in Japan, whilst the next generation of Barcelona stars such as Neymar and Luis Suarez have also moved on to pastures new.

Messi’s departure for PSG last summer, though, is perhaps symbolic of the turmoil it has got itself into in recent times.

The trip had a telepathic understanding that hadn’t been witnessed in the beautiful game before
He left because the club is in debt of around £1.1bn, and things aren’t going much better on the pitch either as they sit seventh in LaLiga and have lost two from two games in the Champions League against Bayern Munich and Benfica.

Enter Ansu Fati, Pedri and Gavi.

The trio, whose combined ages only add up to 53, have been dubbed the saviour of the LaLiga giants.

Pedri recently signed a new deal and has a reported release clause of £1bn
A technically adept, creative passer and skilled dribbler who has drawn comparisons to Iniesta in style, Pedri has all the tools to become the next midfield great at Camp Nou.

The 5ft 9in youngster – still only 18 – went from an unknown to a world star within 10 months following his arrival from Las Palmas for £6.7million last year.

Astonishingly, he played an 74 games during his debut season, competing in both Euro 2020 and the Olympics for Spain.

Barcelona have, unsurprisingly, paid the price for the midfielder’s quite absurd amount of action, with the player ruled out of a few games with injury this season.

Fati is the most attacking of the three youngsters

Fati is the most attacking of the three youngsters
Fati, meanwhile, who was handed Messi’s iconic number 10 shirt this season, is the most attacking player of the trio,

The 18-year-old broke onto the scene in blistering fashion when he was 16 during the 2019/20 season, where he broke Messi’s long-standing record to become the youngest player to represent Barcelona in Champions League match.

A meniscus tear to his knee saw him kept out for a year last term which hindered his progression.

Nevertheless, he returned to action last weekend and scored as Barcelona defeated Valencia 3-1 and now looks set to be rewarded with a lucrative new deal.

The Blaugrana’s newest phenomenon, Gavi, is the latest immensely talented player who has sprung out of absolutely nowhere – and he too looks to be an absolute gem.

Gavi is the latest incredible talent to come out of absolutely nowhere
The 17-year-old joined Barcelona from the Real Betis academy five years ago and he was capped twice for Spain in the UEFA Nations League during the international break after emerging as a first team regular for Barca this season.

His understanding of the game at such a young age is frightening.

Just like Messi, Iniesta and Xavi, he always seems to know his next move before receiving the ball and looks to be three steps ahead of everyone else on the pitch, such is his ability on the ball.

Messi’s departure looked to spell the end of Barcelona as a European powerhouse for the foreseeable future, but the emergence of Fati, Pedri and Gavi has given the Camp Nou faithful hope that success is only round the corner once more.

SOURCE:https://talksport.com/football/965019/barcelona-fati-pedri-gavi-lionel-messi-xavi-iniesta/