The documentary Take the Ball, Pass the Ball is playing on Netflix. It's based on Graham Hunter's book analyzing Barcelona's domination of club football during coach Pep Guardiola's reign from 2008 to 2012. It's a delight and shows the beauty of Barcelona's possession-by-passing system developed by Johan Cryuff and elevated by Guardiola.
The film is filled with references to legendary teams of past eras, including AC Milan under Arrigo Sacchi from 1987-1991. Both teams are on many people's short list of the best club team ever. So which one is better? It's unfair to compare clubs of different periods, but fun nonetheless. In terms of hardware, Barcelona is the clear winner. Under Guardiola, Barcelona won 3 La Liga and 2 European Cup titles, as well as 7 other minor titles, some of which were not around in the 1980s and 1990s. Under Sacchi, Milan won Serie A once and two European Cups and 4 other minor titles.
But as both Sacchi and Guardiola have said, greatness is more than just about statistics. With the passage of time, people focus not so much what you won, but how you played. And both teams undoubtedly changed the game for the better. So who would win if both teams played each other at their prime?
Hmm, both teams had an abundance of talent, in addition to two outstanding coaches. Milan had a 4-4-2 line-up, Barcelona 4-3-3. Milan's defense anchored around Baresi and Maldini, is stronger. Barcelona's midfield, with Xavi and Iniesta, is better. In attack, Gullit and Van Basten are a formidable partnership, but Messi is the best player of his generation (and one of the best ever). If anyone can break down Baresi, it'd be him. On balance, I think the edge goes to Barcelona. A more comprehensive analysis says Milan, but you can find ten others that would argue Barcelona. We'll never know and that's why it's so fun!
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