The biggest rivalry in club football, referring of course to Barcelona and Real Madrid, has never fallen short of providing classic entertainment and high drama. But over the years, their duels have turned sour, forcing their fans to hate each other rather foster mutual respect.

In the never-ending business of football transfers, the players who have played for both these teams have borne the brunt of this rivalry. Here, we look at the top players who somehow managed to play for both of these eternal rivals in Spain.

Luis Enrique

The ex-Barcelona manager started his career with Sporting Gijon before moving to Real Madrid in 1991. During his five-year stint with Los Blancos, the Spaniard was deployed in the midfield and earned high praise for his stamina and speed. During the five seasons at Real, he netted 18 goals in 213 appearances for the club but a falling out with Real’s board led to a move to arch rivals Barcelona in 1996.

His career skyrocketed at the Camp Nou, as he matured as a player, and his play-making skills improved drastically. He ended up playing 300 matches for the Blaugrana and became a pivotal part of their team during the early 2000s. His three-year stint as Barcelona manager from 2014 to 2017 was phenomenal as he led Lionel Messi and company to a continental treble in 2015.         

Luis Figo

The Portuguese was a fan favourite at Barcelona since his arrival in 1995 at the Camp Nou, as he led the club to two La Liga titles in 1998 and 1999. But his record transfer fee of €62 million in 2000 to Real irked the Barcelona fans who were furious at his betrayal.

Even so, when Luis Figo returned to Camp Nou in an El Clasico fixture, the fans displayed their anger by cussing and throwing stuff at the midfielder. Nevertheless, Figo will always be known for his creative abilities to turn the game on its head.

Ronaldo Nazario

Although the Brazilian spent just one season at Barcelona from 1996 to 1997, the numbers he posted were beyond extraordinary. In his 49 total appearances that season, Ronaldo racked up 47 goals and became the youngest ever to claim the FIFA World Player of the Year at the young age of 20

Although he went to Inter Milan after his sole season at the Camp Nou, his impeccable display at the Word Cup in 2002 brought Real Madrid to his door and the Brazilian agreed to join Barca’s nemesis. Los Blancos benefitted from his red-hot form as he netted 104 goals in his 177 appearances at the Santiago Bernabeu.  He was probably the only player who was adored by both the rivals.

Samuel Eto’o

Samuel Eto’o’s career at Real Madrid might rarely make the show reel, for the Cameroon striker only made three appearances for the all whites, and usually spent a longer time on his loan spell with Mallorca.

The Catalans took notice of Samuel’s ascent at Mallorca and signed him up in 2004, whereafter he became a pivotal part of the Barca squad, especially during the 2008/09 season under Pep Guardiola. He possessed an insatiable knack of scoring goals and helped Barca achieve three La Liga titles during his tenure at Camp Nou.

Julen Lopetegui

The former Real Madrid coach also finds his name on the history books of both Barcelona and Real Madrid. Julen Lopetegui was one of the few who represented both Real and Barca but only for a little spell.

He was loaned to Las Palmas by the Los Blancos and spent three years at Logrones before moving to Camp Nou in 1994.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Christophe Simon

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