Luis Enrique, Eto’o, Laudrup: 11 gamers who’ve performed for each Barcelona and Actual Madrid

Each golf equipment resumed their fabled rivalry final evening within the Copa del Rey. Listed below are 11 footballers who’ve crossed the divide to star for each Los Blancos and Los Blaugranas.

There are few better, extra storied rivalries in world soccer than that shared by Barcelona and Actual Madrid.

Each golf equipment clashed within the Copa del Rey semi-finals at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on Thursday, with Barcelona gaining a slender benefit forward of the second leg. It was, however, a fractious match with little high quality however loads of depth.

Regardless of their bitter, usually incendiary rivalry, numerous gamers have represented each golf equipment in historical past. Listed below are 11 of essentially the most well-known situations of gamers strolling the forbidden path.

Luis Enrique

Luis Enrique started his skilled profession at Sporting Gijon earlier than becoming a member of Actual Madrid in 1991. He then moved to Barcelona in 1996 on a free switch, citing a scarcity of appreciation and good reminiscences throughout his time within the capital. At Camp Nou, he spent eight seasons, successful a number of main titles together with two La Liga titles, one Copa del Rey, and a UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup. 

Over the course of his profession at each golf equipment, Enrique scored over 80 occasions in a mixed 350-odd appearances. Lucho was identified for his versatility, enjoying in quite a lot of positions, together with midfielder, winger, and striker. He was praised for his technical means, imaginative and prescient, and management on the sector.

Luis Figo

The Portuguese winger is probably essentially the most notorious participant to have crossed the divide between Barca and Actual. After 5 profitable seasons with the Catalan giants, with whom he received two league titles and the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup in 1997, he shocked the footballing world by transferring to their fierce rivals in 2000, for a then-world file switch price of €60m.

For all that the switch was acrimonious and controversial, Figo would go on to realize even better success with Los Merengues, successful the 2001 Ballon D’Or, in addition to two league titles and the Champions League in 2002.

Ronaldo Nazario

One of many best strikers of all time, Ronaldo performed for each Barcelona and Actual Madrid at reverse factors in his profession. At 19, he joined Barcelona from PSV Eindhoven, the place he had scored 58 objectives in 54 matches, in 1996 for a world file switch price. With the Blaugrana, he received the 1997 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, scoring the winner within the last towards Paris Saint-Germain. 

After a profitable three-year stick with Italian giants Inter, he then joined Actual in 2002 for a price of €45m following a profitable World Cup marketing campaign with Brazil in Korea/Japan. As was the case all through his profession, his time at Actual Madrid was punctuated by accidents, however he nonetheless went on to win two league titles at Santiago Bernabeu.

Bernd Schuster

The German midfielder spent eight years with Barcelona within the early to mid Nineteen Eighties, serving to them win one La Liga title after becoming a member of from Bundesliga membership Koln. He then moved to Actual Madrid in 1988, the place he performed for 3 seasons and received one other three league titles as a part of the fabled ‘Quinta de Buitre’.

A highly-skilled and artistic midfielder, Schuster was tough to handle, and had numerous fallings out with the administration constructions each at membership degree and with the Germany nationwide staff. Nevertheless, he stays a properly regarded determine of the historical past of each Actual Madrid and Barcelona.

Michael Laudrup

The Danish playmaker is extensively considered one of many best gamers of his era, and performed for each Barca and Actual within the Nineteen Nineties. After 4 seasons in Serie A with Juventus, he joined Barcelona and received 4 league titles, in addition to the European Cup in 1992. In whole, he revamped 150 appearances for the Blaugrana, blossoming below the steering of the legendary Johan Cruyff and as a part of the well-known ‘Dream Group’ with the likes of Romaria and Hristo Stoichkov.. 

Laudrup then moved to their rivals in 1994, the place he performed for 2 seasons and received one other league title.

Samuel Eto’o

The Cameroonian striker received two Champions League titles and three league titles with Barcelona, cementing his standing as a legend at Camp Nou. Nevertheless, it was truly as a member of the Actual Madrid squad that he first made a reputation for himself, albeit whereas out on mortgage at Actual Mallorca. In whole, he made solely a handful of appearances in white earlier than signing for Barca in 2004.

He spent 5 years in Catalonia, and scored over 100 objectives in slightly below 150 appearances. He additionally holds the file for the membership’s quickest ever hat-trick, scored in 2008 towards Almeria.

Gheorghe Hagi

The Romanian attacking midfielder spent two seasons with Actual Madrid within the early Nineteen Nineties, earlier than transferring to Barca in 1994. He additionally spent two seasons at Camp Nou, however struggled for taking part in time below Cruyff and in the end left the membership for Galatasaray, the place he loved the best successes of his profession.

Hagi was an attention-grabbing case, as his stints at every Clasico membership curiously coincided with success for the opposite. As such, he isn’t significantly fondly remembered at both Camp Nou or Santiago Bernabeu regardless of being one of many best gamers of his era – he was nominated for the Ballon D’Or on six completely different events.

Javier Saviola

The Argentine ahead performed for each Barca and Actual Madrid within the 2000s. One in a protracted line of gamers anointed the ‘new Maradona’, he joined Barca as a teen for a £15 million price and though he scored 44 objectives in his first three seasons at Camp Nou, he was frozen out afterward by supervisor Frank Rijkaard, who favoured Samuel Eto’o to guide the road.

Saviola remained on Barca’s books for six seasons nonetheless (the final two of which have been spent out on mortgage), earlier than transferring to Actual Madrid in 2007. He performed for the Spanish giants for 2 seasons and received a league title.

Alfonso Pérez

The Spanish striker performed for each Barca and Actual. A product of the youth system, he began his profession at Actual Madrid, the place he spent 4 seasons and received a league title in his last marketing campaign with Los Blancos 

After a profitable five-year keep at Actual Betis, with whom he attained icon standing and completed second-highest scorer in LaLiga in 1995/97 behind Ronaldo, he joined Barca in 2000. He performed for the Catalan giants for simply two seasons.

Robert Prosinečki

The Croatian midfielder performed for each Barca and Actual within the early Nineteen Nineties. He joined Actual Madrid in 1991 and received a league title however, amid issues over his way of life, struggled with accidents and was unable to fulfil the excessive expectations that got here along with his sizable switch price. 

After impressing throughout a mortgage marketing campaign with Actual Oviedo, Prosinecki moved to Barcelona in 1995 on a free switch, rejecting a proposal from Atletico Madrid. He performed for the Catalan giants for 2 seasons and received a European Cup Winners’ Cup, however once more struggled with accidents and was promptly offloaded to Sevilla. despite this, he cites Johan Cruyff, who benched him at Camp Nou, because the favorite membership supervisor of his profession.

Ricardo Zamora

The Spanish goalkeeper is among the most legendary figures within the historical past of Spanish soccer, with the goalkeeper of the season award famously named after him. He performed for each Barcelona and Actual Madrid.

Zamora began his skilled soccer profession in 1916 with Espanyol, however performed for Barcelona from 1919 to 1922, serving to them win two Copa del Rey titles in 1920. In 1930, after a second spell at Espanyol, Zamora moved to Actual Madrid, the place he performed till 1936. 

Throughout his time at Actual Madrid, he helped the membership win its first two La Liga titles. He’s fondly remembered for his heroic efficiency within the 1936 Copa del Rey last towards former membership Barcelona, the place he made an impressive late cease to assist 10-man Actual Madrid win the trophy.