Although the team made an unsteady start during his first season, he eventually inspired them to a 17-match unbeaten run that lifted them to a second-place finish in the league, their best placing in four years.
The importance of that achievement was recognised when he was named World Player of the Year in 2004, an award that he retained 12 months later.
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After a slow start to his second campaign he was soon back to his best and, together with leading scorer Samuel Eto'o, he guided Barca to their first league title in six years.
The Brazilian then directed the team to a successful defence of their league title and their second-ever European Cup triumph with victory over Arsenal in Paris in May 2006.
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