The First Time Lionel Messi Played In The 'False Nine' Role Changed Football Forever

Barcelona, 2009:

• Champions League
• UEFA Super Cup
• Club World Cup
• Copa del Rey
• Supercopa
• LaLiga

The greatest team of all-time, a thread... pic.twitter.com/hfIiYZMGbB
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Barcelona President Joan Laporta announced in May 2008 that Pep Guardiola would be appointed manager of the senior Barcelona squad to replace Frank Rijkaard at the end of the 2007-08 season, a campaign that produced no silverware. pic.twitter.com/0Fuqbv8PPb
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Upon being appointed, Guardiola said that Ronaldinho, Deco, Eto'o and others were not part of his plans. By the time of the announcement, he had already offloaded Zambrotta, dos Santos & Edmílson. Deco & Ronaldinho also departed whilst Thuram retired - Eto'o stayed, however. pic.twitter.com/qXBp7rPBkR
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Guardiola recruited well, signing the likes of Dani Alves, Gerard Pique & Seydou Keita. Barcelona stuck with 4-3-3 throughout the season, Alves' pace proving indispensable - a key member of the press as well as providing width on the right, allowing Messi to regularly cut inside. pic.twitter.com/VYurirtHCI
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When Abidal and Alves pushed forward, it was Yaya Touré or Sergio Busquets who dropped into defence as a third centre-back, the latter seemingly preferred to Yaya. Xavi played as a metronome and Andrés Iniesta played the furthest forward in the midfield trio. pic.twitter.com/skCy0JYrAy
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Barça lost their first LaLiga game of the season, but then went undefeated in their following 20 fixtures. Their greatest win that season was humiliating Real Madrid 6-2 at the Bernabéu - this was Lionel Messi's introduction as the 'false 9'... a masterstroke from Guardiola. pic.twitter.com/FDwqxEwYRh
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"That was the game that he played Messi as the false 9. He knew Madrid's CBs wouldn't come out to press Messi when he dropped off that meant Messi, me & Iniesta always had 2v3 in midfield. He kept saying 'that's where the game is, that's where the game is' and we won."

- Xavi pic.twitter.com/FrmXAFyd6H
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Speaking of Barça's attack, the trio of Lionel Messi, Samuel Eto'o and Thierry Henry went onto prove clinical and netted a staggering 100 goals between them across the season. Arguably the most dynamic and potent front-three of all-time. pic.twitter.com/oyLGRNVwV8
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Barça maintained their spot atop La Liga's table, securing their first league title since 2006, on 16 May 2009, when Real Madrid suffered defeat - and they did so by playing football admired globally. Days earlier, they clinched the Copa del Rey, beating Athletic Bilbao 4-1. pic.twitter.com/E7lcXAEg5f
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Stamford Bridge, May 6, 2009 - one of the most controversial Champions League semi-finals to date. Barça looked to be heading out following Michael Essien's strike, but a last-minute equaliser from Andrés Iniesta sent the Spaniards through to the final. pic.twitter.com/TCyVifsele
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Stadio Olimpico, May 27, 2009 - the Champions League final. A final which Barça dominated. Goals from Samuel Eto'o and Lionel Messi earned Barcelona an historic treble of La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League, a feat never before achieved by a Spanish club. pic.twitter.com/Q6FNJF5UWe
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To think, the previous season, they finished 18 points off Real Madrid, and entered the Champions League via the third qualifying round after finishing 3rd in LaLiga. Other notable victories in 2009 included a 6-1 win over Atletico and 4-0 wins over Valencia and Sevilla. pic.twitter.com/qWoXf24YMX
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In the summer of 2009, Barcelona swapped Samuel Eto'o and €46m in exchange for Zlatan Ibrahimović of Inter Milan, while a host of other players were shipped out. Zlatan would go onto finish 7th in the Ballon d'Or award ceremony that year... pic.twitter.com/XjfdAj0NGc
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Barcelona started the 09/10 season by defeating Athletic Bilbao in the Supercopa de España and then Shakhtar Donetsk in the UEFA Super Cup. Pedro netted the winner in each, meaning he'd scored in all 5 competitions he'd featured in so far that calendar year... pic.twitter.com/tHkJU87p0j
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19 December 2009 - a last-minute equaliser from Pedro saw the game vs. Estudiantes go to extra-time. Lionel Messi grabbed the winner, which meant Pep and his Barça side ended the year with six trophies, becoming the first manager in history to do so. An astonishing achievement. pic.twitter.com/UIGEOlYoyU
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On personal levels, 5 of the top 7 2009 Ballon d'Or finalists had played for Barcelona that year.

Lionel Messi won the award (his first) by a then record margin, 240 points ahead of 2008 winner Cristiano Ronaldo. pic.twitter.com/BAin1te3fR
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Other awards for Lionel Messi in 2009 included:

FIFA World Player of the Year
UEFA Club Footballer of the Year
UEFA Club Forward of the Year
La Liga Best Player
Onze d'Or
FIFA FIFPro World XI
UEFA Team of the Year
FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball pic.twitter.com/5Z6I8pEmAX
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Barcelona's 'tiki-taka' brand of passing and high pressing had reporters, fans and opponents gawping in awe most weeks. Although Pep didn't invent 'tiki-taka', he certainly perfected it.

Possession ploy football saw them dominate games in ways which may never be seen again. pic.twitter.com/H1QjHwHmS9
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