Ivan Rakitic is the unsung hero of arguably football’s greatest ever team.
Barcelona’s 2014/15 treble winners defined an era. World-beaters in each and every position. Memory instinctively jumps to the damage done by one of the most feared forward lines in history, as for this was the year Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar Jr (subsequently titled MSN) first graced the game in trio form. But it was in midfield where the strings were pulled, with Rakitic – a new signing that year – outshining the legendary trifecta of Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets and Xavi. He was more than up there with the best around the globe in his position.
