5 foreign players who deserved to retire at Barcelona

All the legendary Barcelona squads of the past have had one thing in common: a talented, homegrown bunch of players at their core. The crux in question has majorly consisted of Spanish players over the years, with the likes of Xavi and Andres Iniesta dominating proceedings. Nevertheless, certain foreign players have also managed to steal the limelight due to their sublime performances with Barcelona.

Barcelona and their rich history with foreign players

Aside from the usual suspects, there have been several non-Spanish footballers who have assisted in shaping the legacy of modern-day Barcelona. Brazilian legends Romario, Rivaldo and Neymar are some of the few names who have given their absolute best for the betterment of the Catalan giants.

From Cameroonian striker Samuel Eto'o to Bulgarian legend Hristo Stoichkov, Barcelona have had the knack for harboring the best talent, even from the most unlikeliest of places. In current times, the likes of Frenkie de Jong, Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Memphis Depay form a strong foreign core of a battered Barcelona, gunning for a revival.

With so many legendary non-Spanish players on their all-time roster, the Blaugrana have always had some of the most exciting foreign talent in La Liga. Despite their pedigree, several superstars tend to exit Barcelona after the completion of a highly-successful tenure.

Be it the club's decision to offload him, or the player's personal decision to take his business elsewhere, the Catalan giants have witnessed a lot of unnecessary departures. On that note, let's take a look at five foreign players, who should've retired at Barcelona:

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#5 Ronald Koeman

Koeman was appointed Barcelona manager in 2020

Ronald Koeman became a largely unpopular figure at Camp Nou during his managerial stint, which finally came to an end on Wednesday. While Koeman may not be the world's most adept tactician, he was an absolute world-beater during his playing days as a defender.

Having spent all of his playing career in the Netherlands, the sweeping centre-back finally made a switch in 1989, joining Barcelona for a fee of €5.67 million. 29 at the time of the transfer, Koeman proved to be an inspired piece of business by the Barcelona board.

Koeman automatically became a starter at Camp Nou, cementing his place in Johan Cruyff's 'Dream Team'. Known for his no-nonsense defending and goalscoring abilities, the Dutchman made 262 appearances for the Blaugrana, netting 86 goals in the process. Instrumental to Barcelona's first-ever Champions League triumph, Koeman left the club after six seasons, only to retire two years later in 1997.

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#4 Luis Suarez

Barcelona v Liverpool - UEFA Champions League Semi Final: First Leg

The third-highest goal-getter in the club's history, Luis Suarez achieved everything there is to win in club football in his six-year spell with Barcelona. Bought from Liverpool for a hefty price of €81.72 million in 2014, Suarez proved to be an instant hit at Camp Nou.

Along with Lionel Messi and Neymar, the Uruguayan striker forged a lethal trio, dismantling opposition defenses for fun. His 48 goal involvements in his debut campaign were pivotal in Barcelona's run to the second continental treble in their history. In the subsequent five seasons, Suarez would go on to notch an insane number of strikes, taking his goal tally to 195.

Despite his invaluable contributions to the club, he was deemed surplus to requirements by Josep Bartomeu's board in 2020. Citing his growing age as the reason behind his ousting, Barcelona sold Suarez to arch-rivals Atletico Madrid for a nominal fee of €7 million. The seasoned veteran has since racked up 28 goals for his new side, making a mockery of Barcelona's decision to sell him.

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#3 Laszlo Kubala

Kubala entering the pitch (Photo courtesy: FC Barcelona)

A refugee of the World War in 1949, Laszlo Kubala had a troubled past before joining Barcelona in 1950. The Budapest-born forward became one of the hottest properties in European football as soon as his talent was recognized. Real Madrid came really close to landing his signature before Barcelona swooped in at the last minute to sway him away.

Kubala would go on to spend 11 years with the Blaugrana, making 208 appearances along the way. His brilliance was so popular in the football fraternity that fans used to flock to Les Corta in huge numbers just to watch the Hungarian play. To accommodate the large audience, Barcelona were forced to upgrade their stadium, birthing the modern-day Camp Nou as a result.

Kubala briefly retired as a player in 1961 to pursue a career in management. However, the enigmatic forward returned to the pitch soon after. In honor of the legendary Hungarian, Barcelona installed a statue outside Camp Nou in 2009, solidifying his legacy forever.

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#2 Johan Cruyff

Cruyff at the Laureus World Sports Awards

The man who completely revolutionized football with his unconventional ideas, Johan Cruyff will always be remembered for introducing the concept of 'Total Football'. Without his ideology, the world would've never witnessed the rise of geniuses like Pep Guardiola, whose tactics are heavily inspired by Cruyff's methods.

The Dutchman joined Barcelona in 1973 for a then world record fee of €1 million. His addition immediately transformed the Blaugrana into an adequate superclub, inspiring them to their first La Liga title in 14 years. Cruyff spent a total of five seasons with Barcelona, winning two Ballon d'Ors in that duration.

He left the club in 1978, following it up with brief spells with US-based Diplomats, Ajax and Feyenoord. The revolutionary Dutchman retired in 1984, making fans wonder if he could've done so at Barcelona. Cruyff would return to the club in 1988 as a manager, embarking on a legendary stint in the Blaugrana dugout.

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#1 Lionel Messi

Messi had to leave his childhood club forcibly

The man, the legend, the myth. Lionel Messi is undoubtedly the best player to have ever donned a Barcelona jersey. A product of the fabled La Masia, the generational talent was a Barcelona player through and through before his unfortunate departure earlier this year.

Messi had confirmed on numerous occasions that it was his childhood dream to finish his career at Barcelona. Having spent 16 years with the senior squad, La Pulga finally broke his silence on the reckless mismanagement of the club last year, publicizing his desire to leave.

Despite being forced to stay at Barcelona, Messi gave it his everything, single-handedly keeping the club competitive and winning them the Copa del Rey. As fate would have it, the legendary Argentine was unceremoniously ousted from the club due to Barcelona's dwindling finances this summer.

Following a tearful farewell, Lionel Messi departed his boyhood club, a place that he should've retired at, just to keep the romantic aspect of the game alive.

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