Under manager Frank Rijkaard, Barcelona had a transitional yet promising season. The squad featured Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto’o, Lionel Messi, and emerging talents like Thiago Alcântara and Andrés Iniesta, blending experience with youth. Barça finished 3rd in La Liga, behind Real Madrid and Villarreal, struggling with inconsistency despite moments of brilliance. In the Copa del Rey, they were eliminated in the quarter-finals, while in the Champions League, they reached the semi-finals but lost to Manchester United 1–0 on aggregate. The season was a bridge between Ronaldinho’s peak years and Messi’s rise to dominance, setting the stage for future success under Rijkaard.
