Editing FC Barcelona (section)

=== 2000–2008: Exit Núñez, enter Laporta ===
[[File:Ronaldinho 11feb2007.jpg|thumb|right|180px|[[Ronaldinho]]'s arrival in 2003 revitalized the club.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.fcbarcelona.com/football/first-team/news/2013-2014/when-barca-got-their-smile-back-documentary-about-ronaldinho |title='When Barça got their smile back' – documentary about Ronaldinho |publisher=FC Barcelona |date=9 September 2013 |access-date=20 September 2016 |archive-date=13 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161013231537/https://www.fcbarcelona.com/football/first-team/news/2013-2014/when-barca-got-their-smile-back-documentary-about-ronaldinho |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2004/feb/09/europeanfootball.sport |title=Ronaldinho brings smile to Barca's face |newspaper=The Guardian |location=London |date=9 February 2004 |access-date=20 September 2016 |archive-date=13 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161013225010/https://www.theguardian.com/football/2004/feb/09/europeanfootball.sport |url-status=live }}</ref>]]
The departures of Núñez and Van Gaal were hardly noticed by the fans when compared to that of Luís Figo, then club vice-captain. Figo had become a cult hero and was considered by Catalans to be one of their own. Barcelona fans, however, were distraught by Figo's decision to join arch-rivals Real Madrid, and, during subsequent visits to Camp Nou, Figo was given an extremely hostile reception. Upon his first return, a piglet's head and a full bottle of whiskey were thrown at him from the crowd.<ref>Ball, Phil. p. 19</ref> The next three years saw the club in decline, and managers came and went. Van Gaal was replaced by [[Lorenzo Serra Ferrer]] who, despite an extensive investment in players in the summer of 2000, presided over a mediocre league campaign and a first-round Champions League exit, and was dismissed late in the season. Long-serving Barcelona deputy coach Carles Rexach was appointed as his replacement, initially on a temporary basis, and managed to at least steer the club to the last Champions League spot on the final day of the season against Valencia via an exceptional performance from [[Rivaldo]], who completed arguably the [[Hat-trick#Association football|greatest hat-trick]] in history with an overhead bicycle kick winner in the final minute to secure qualification.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2008/jun/19/barcelona.brazil|title=On Second Thoughts: Rivaldo|work=The Guardian|date=19 June 2008|access-date=8 June 2014|quote=Best of all there was the greatest hat-trick of all time, against Valencia on June 17, 2001, a midsummer night's dream of a performance that deserves a book|archive-date=27 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190327145422/https://www.theguardian.com/football/2008/jun/19/barcelona.brazil|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Ranked! The 15 best hat-tricks of all-time: starring Bale, Berba, Bergkamp and more |url=https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/ranked-15-best-hat-tricks-all-time-starring-bale-berba-bergkamp-and-more?page=0%2C2 |access-date=14 October 2018 |work=FourFourTwo |quote=A predictable winner? Perhaps. But everything about Rivaldo’s hat-trick against Valencia on June 17, 2001 beggared belief |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181015003022/https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/ranked-15-best-hat-tricks-all-time-starring-bale-berba-bergkamp-and-more?page=0%2C2 |archive-date=15 October 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/news/2001/06/18/barcelona_rivaldo_ap/|title=Rivaldo hat-trick wins all the plaudits|magazine=Sports Illustrated|date=18 June 2001|access-date=8 June 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010626224249/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/news/2001/06/18/barcelona_rivaldo_ap/|archive-date=26 June 2001}}</ref>

Despite better form in La Liga and a good run to the semi-finals of the Champions League, Rexach was never viewed as a long-term solution and that summer Van Gaal returned to the club for a second spell as manager. What followed, despite another decent Champions League performance, was one of the worst La Liga campaigns in the club's history, with the team as low as 15th in February 2003. This led to Van Gaal's resignation and replacement for the rest of the campaign by [[Radomir Antić]], though a sixth-place finish was the best that he could manage. At the end of the season, Antić's short-term contract was not renewed, and club president [[Joan Gaspart]] resigned, his position having been made completely untenable by such a disastrous season on top of the club's overall decline in fortunes since he became president three years prior.<ref>Ball, Phil. pp. 109–110</ref>

After the disappointment of the Gaspart era, the combination of a new young president, Joan Laporta, and a young new manager, former [[Netherlands national football team|Dutch]] and [[A.C. Milan|AC Milan]] star [[Frank Rijkaard]], saw the club bounce back. On the field, an influx of international players, including [[Ronaldinho]], [[Deco]], [[Henrik Larsson]], [[Ludovic Giuly]], [[Samuel Eto'o]], [[Rafael Márquez]] and [[Edgar Davids]], combined with home grown Spanish players, such as [[Carles Puyol]], [[Andrés Iniesta]], [[Xavi (footballer, born 1980)|Xavi]] and [[Víctor Valdés]], led to the club's return to success. Barcelona won La Liga and the Supercopa de España in [[2004–05 FC Barcelona season|2004–05]], and Ronaldinho and Eto'o were voted first and third, respectively, in the [[FIFA World Player of the Year]] awards.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/4486166.stm |title=Ronaldinho wins world award again |work=BBC Sport |date=19 December 2005 |access-date=11 August 2010 |archive-date=5 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130905163441/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/4486166.stm |url-status=live }}</ref>

In the [[2005–06 FC Barcelona season|2005–06 season]], Barcelona repeated their league and Supercopa successes. The pinnacle of the league season arrived at the Santiago Bernabéu in a 3–0 win over Real Madrid. It was Rijkaard's second victory at the Bernabéu, making him the first Barcelona manager to win there twice. Ronaldinho's performance was so impressive that after his second goal, which was Barcelona's third, some Real Madrid fans gave him a standing ovation.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/real-madrid-0-barcelona-3-bernabeu-forced-to-pay-homage-as-ronaldinho-soars-above-the-galacticos-516202.html |title=Real Madrid 0 Barcelona 3: Bernabeu forced to pay homage as Ronaldinho soars above the galacticos |work=The Independent |date=21 November 2005 |access-date=11 August 2010 |location=London |first=Patrick |last=McCurdy |archive-date=9 January 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180109235502/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/real-madrid-0-barcelona-3-bernabeu-forced-to-pay-homage-as-ronaldinho-soars-above-the-galacticos-516202.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In the Champions League, Barcelona beat English club [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]] in the [[2006 UEFA Champions League final|final]]. Trailing 1–0 to a ten-man Arsenal and with less than 15 minutes remaining, they came back to win 2–1, with substitute Henrik Larsson, in his final appearance for the club, setting up goals for Samuel Eto'o and fellow substitute [[Juliano Belletti]], for the club's first European Cup victory in 14 years.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/4773353.stm |title=Barcelona 2–1 Arsenal |work=BBC Sport |date=17 May 2006 |access-date=11 August 2010 |archive-date=2 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170902101230/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/4773353.stm |url-status=live }}</ref>

Despite being the favourites and starting strongly, Barcelona finished the [[2006–07 FC Barcelona season|2006–07 season]] without trophies. A pre-season US tour was later blamed for a string of injuries to key players, including leading scorer Eto'o and rising star [[Lionel Messi]]. There was open feuding as Eto'o publicly criticised coach Rijkaard and Ronaldinho.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/6353861.stm |title=Barcelona will not punish Eto'o |work=BBC Sport |date=14 February 2007 |access-date=11 August 2010 |archive-date=21 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120421040045/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/africa/6353861.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> Ronaldinho also admitted that a lack of fitness affected his form.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://int.soccerway.com/news/2007/August/03/barcelona-defends-asian-tour/ |title=Barcelona defends Asian tour |website=[[The Sydney Morning Herald|Sydney Morning Herald]] |date=3 August 2007 |access-date=11 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230916134821/https://www.smh.com.au/world/barcelona-defends-asian-tour-20070803-r8a.html |archive-date=16 September 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref> In La Liga, Barcelona were in first place for much of the season, but inconsistency in the New Year saw Real Madrid overtake them to become champions. Barcelona advanced to the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey, winning the first leg against [[Getafe CF|Getafe]] 5–2, with a goal from Messi bringing comparison to Diego Maradona's [[Argentina v England (1986 FIFA World Cup)#The Goal of the Century|goal of the century]], but then lost the second leg 4–0. They took part in the [[2006 FIFA Club World Cup]], but were beaten by a late goal in the final against Brazilian side [[Sport Club Internacional|Internacional]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=107/edition=248388/news/newsid=108718.html#internacional+make+japan |title=Internacional make it big in Japan |publisher=FIFA |date=17 December 2006 |access-date=11 August 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110512070249/http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament%3D107/edition%3D248388/news/newsid%3D108718.html |archive-date=12 May 2011 }}</ref> In the [[2006–07 UEFA Champions League|Champions League]], Barcelona were knocked out of the competition in the last 16 by eventual runners-up [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]] on [[away goals]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/15117/10518501/liverpool-v-barcelona-six-past-meetings-between-the-two-sides |title=Liverpool v Barcelona: Six past meetings between the two sides |last=Wright |first=Nick |publisher=Sky Sports |date=6 August 2016 |access-date=16 December 2018 |archive-date=17 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181217071126/https://www.skysports.com/football/news/15117/10518501/liverpool-v-barcelona-six-past-meetings-between-the-two-sides |url-status=live }}</ref>

Barcelona finished the [[2007–08 FC Barcelona season|2007–08 season]] third in La Liga and reached the semi-finals of the [[2007–08 UEFA Champions League|UEFA Champions League]] and [[Copa del Rey 2007–08|Copa del Rey]], both times losing to the eventual champions, [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]] and [[Valencia CF|Valencia]], respectively. The day after a 4–1 defeat to Real Madrid, Joan Laporta announced that [[FC Barcelona Atlètic|Barcelona B]] coach Pep Guardiola would take over Frank Rijkaard's duties on 30 June 2008.<ref name="FC Barcelona">{{cite web|url=http://www.fcbarcelona.com/web/english/noticies/destacades/n080508104104.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121204141033/http://www.fcbarcelona.com/web/english/noticies/destacades/n080508104104.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=4 December 2012|title=Rijkaard until 30 June; Guardiola to take over|date=8 May 2008|access-date=8 May 2009|publisher=FC Barcelona}}</ref>