The best players at Barcelona over the past decade: Kluivert, Puyol, Eto’o, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, Xavi & Messi
Patrick Kluivert was a part of the Barcelona squad from 1998 to 2004. Most Barca fans would know that, that means he was a part of one of the worst few years in Barcelona’s history. He only managed to win one trophy in the six years that he played at the club. However, no one can blame just Kluivert for Barcelona’s form (or lack thereof). He was an outstanding player. He formed one of the most lethal partnerships with Rivaldo and managed to score a total of 120 goals in the two hundred and fifty five matches that he played for the team. Those statistics clearly prove that he was still performing at his level best, even when the rest of the squad around him was falling apart.
Carles Puyol is one of the best defenders in the world at the current moment. He started playing for Barcelona way back in 1995 (in his youth career). He has managed to climb up the ranks at the club from being the young ambitious defender at the club to the mature player who just so happens to wear the captain’s arm band (he took over from Luis Enrique in 2004). He has become a legend at the club; most fans hope that he never quits playing for the club. He has become the identity of the club, and with the way things are going, he has no plans of retiring in the near future.
Samuel Eto’o joined Barcelona with a mission to prove to the world just what he was worth. He managed to score a whopping 130 goals in the two hundred appearances he made with the club. He even scored in both the 2006 and 2009 Champions League final matches that Barcelona won. He managed to come through every time it was required, especially in the big matches. When the decision was made to let the player go, most Barcelona fans were in tears. The following season, with his replacement failing to perform at the same level as Eto’o, the fans’ doubts were confirmed and they knew that Eto’o could and would never be replaced at the club.
For six years Rivaldo was the name that every Barcelona fan had on his lips. He bowled over the crowd with his bag of tricks and ability to score goals out of nothing. He managed a total of 130 goals in the two hundred and thirty five games that he played and won two La Liga titles with the team. The only reason that he isn’t higher up on the list is because of the fact that he never won the Champions League with Barcelona. That was not entirely his fault, but for a player like Rivaldo, it must be a great disappointment to have never lifted the European cup.
Another Brazilian who amazed the Camp Nou was Ronaldinho. He brought with him a completely different never-before-seen style of football; most fans just referred to it as magic. He even managed a standing ovation at the Bernabeu. That occurrence directly resulted in him becoming a Barcelona legend. His stay, however, ended in a disappointment due to the fact that he lost his fitness and was eventually sold to AC Milan (in 2008).
Xavi Hernandez has been at the club for what seems like forever now. He joined the team as a youth player way back in 1991, and since then, has managed to become the heart and soul of the team. He creates goals for his teammates out of nothing. He has the ability to thread a needle with his passing. Barcelona have never had a player like Xavi, and quite likely never will. He doesn’t hunt for glory but rather lets his teammates hog the spotlight. It is this attitude and ability that has seen him become a fan favourite at the club.
The pride and joy of Barcelona right now is hands down Lionel Messi. He is a player that has talent and skill oozing out of the tips of his hair. He is currently only twenty three years old but has already scored over a hundred goals for Barcelona. He has also managed four La Liga titles, two Champions League titles and he doesn’t seem to want to stop any time soon. He can produce scoring opportunities from anywhere on the pitch, and it this ability that has earned him the title of being the best player to play in a Barcelona jersey over the past decade.
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