5 - Pau Cubarsí

Yeah, his reputation as a defensive leader lasted about 6 months in the peak of Lucho days. After that, he was pedestrian in CL and in the frame of many cheaply conceded goals that led to CL shameful losses.

He was never a real leader. The leaders were Puyol and Masche. After both disappeared from our defense, and Umtiti joined in, it was tragicomical at times even though Pique was supposedly in his prime age still. You're not supposed to be bad at 29-32 years of age as a CB.

Masch was always the leader in that defence and was constantly sweeping up.

Masch was the better of the two at CB in that time by a fair bit and he was a short midfielder.

He wasn't a pedestrian CB under Pep, had his defensive influence as much as Carles Puyol.

But post-Pep, Pique was gone. The Bayern 0-7 aggregate loss in 2013 destroyed his whole aura for me. I think he also lost focus with side businesses. 2014/15 season was due to MSN and Rakitic stepping in for departuring Xavi. Glory has little to do with Pique being dominant CB or whatever that season or after.