Former Barcelona defender Lilian Thuram has claimed that the Catalan club's unique football philosophy is good for the game.
The Frenchman featured for the La Liga giants between 2006 and 2008 before retiring due to a heart condition, and the 40-year-old is still very fond of his former team.
"Barca have a philosophy of play and behaviour that is not common. I hope people take them as an example because the club is a good thing for world football," Thuram told Sport.
Barcelona sit seven points behind rivals Real Madrid in the Spanish top flight, yet Thuram believes Pep Guardiola's men are a better team than Real.
"The difference between Barcelona and Madrid is that (Barca) are a team that have stayed true to their playing philosophies. The Barca players play together for a long time, too, and this is the difference," he said.
Thuram enjoyed a successful playing career, representing Monaco, Parma, Juventus as well as Barcelona, while also making 142 appearances for the France national side, becoming the most-capped player in his country's history.