Under coach Josep Guardiola, Spanish football club FC Barcelona won their third Champions League/European Cup final in May 2009, beating English club Manchester United 2-0 in Rome, to add to their victories in 1992 and 2006.
Barcelona also won a Spanish domestic double in 2008/09 – winning the La Liga Championship and the Copa del Rey. It was the first time a Spanish club had won all three competitions in the same season.
The undoubted star of the Barcelona team was the brilliant young Argentinian footballer Lionel Messi who scored 38 goals and played a crucial part in the club’s treble success. His playing style and ability have drawn comparisons to football legend Diego Maradona, who himself has said that Messi is his successor. In December, Messi was named FIFA World Player of the Year.
