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The Catalan giants always have a special place in the history of European football. Players like Lionel Messi, Johan Cruyff, László Kubala, Pep Guardiola, Xavi Hernandez, Ronaldinho, Carles Puyol, and many more have made the club a Special One. Also, they have dominated European football in the recent past and lifted a lot of Silverware.
It is always an interesting thing for a football fan to keep track of the players who have left their favorite club. Though many Barcelona legends retired at the Camp Nou, some players went on to play football in a relatively lesser-known league. Some of the former Barcelona players have played league football in Qatar, Japan, Turkey, China, Russia, and many other countries around the world.
Since a majority of football fans do not follow leagues outside of Europe, they sometimes tend to forget what their former players currently do. Some of the former Barcelona stars are still playing the game and here in this article, let’s take a look at the five former Barcelona stars you won’t believe are still playing.
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#5 David Villa
The former Valencia and Spain striker was one of the best in the world during his LaLiga days. David Villa has scored 108 goals in 166 La Liga appearances for Valencia and 33 goals in 77 appearances for Barcelona.
Villa was also an integral part of the Spain national team that has won the UEFA European Championships in 2008 and FIFA World Cup in 2010. Villa has won the Golden Boot at the 2008 UEFA Euro and Silver Shoe at the 2010 World Cup. Villa is the all-time leading goal scorer for Spain with 59 goals.
David Villa played at the Camp Nou for three seasons and has won La Liga, Copa del Rey, UEFA Champions League, and many other titles. He joined Atletico Madrid in 2013 and stayed there for just one season.
He joined Major League Soccer (MLS) with New York City in 2014 and in April 2018 became one of the very few players to score more than 400 career goals in the modern era. The 36-year-old is still going strong with 9 goals in 14 MLS appearances this year.
#4 Adriano Correia
Primarily a fullback, Adriano has played several positions in defence and midfield throughout his career. Adriano moved to the Catalan giants in 2010 after 214 competitive games for Sevilla. The 33-year-old played at the Camp Nou for six years and has represented the club in 189 games in all competitions.
He was a part of the side that has won four La Liga titles, two UEFA Champions League titles, and many more. Adriano has also played for Brazil on 17 occasions and led them to 2004 Copa America title. He was sold to Besiktas in 2016 and went on to win the Super Lig title in 2016/17. He is currently playing with the Turkish giants.
#3 Alexander Hleb
Alexander Hleb wasn’t one of those signings that Barcelona would be proud of. He was signed from Arsenal in 2008, but, Hleb has made only 19 LaLiga appearances for Barcelona in his four years with the club. He was sent on a series of loan spells as he failed to impress at the Camp Nou.
After a disappointing spell in Spain, he moved to Russia with FC Krylia Sovetov Samara. He then moved to Turkey with BATE Borisov. The former Arsenal star played for various clubs in Super Lig and then moved back to FC Krylia Sovetov Samara in 2017. The 37-year-old joined BATE Borisov once again in 2018. Hleb has also played 77 games for his national team, Belarus.
#2 Samuel Eto’o
The former Cameroonian international is one of the finest strikers to have played for the Catalan giants. The 37-year-old started his Barcelona career in 2004 and played 199 games in all competitions. He has scored 130 goals for Barcelona and led them to three La Liga titles, two UEFA Champions League titles, two Supercopa de España titles, and one Copa del Rey trophy.
He was sold to Inter Milan in 2009 after the treble success in 2008/09. Eto’o went on to win a treble with Inter in 2009/10 and then moved to Russia with Anzhi. He then played in the Premier League with Chelsea and Everton. After a tenure with Sampdoria, Antalyaspor, and Konyaspor, he signed for Qatar SC in August 2018.
#1 Xavi Hernandez
A product of Barcelona’s famous La Masia academy, Xavi is one of Barcelona’s legendary figures. Xavi has played 17 full seasons at the Camp Nou and represented Barcelona in 767 competitive games.
One of the greatest midfielders of the modern era, Xavi Hernandez was an integral part of the side that has won eight league titles, four UEFA Champions League titles, two FIFA Club World Cup titles, and many more.
He had a trophy-laden career at the Camp Nou and left the club when he was 35. Xavi joined a Qatari club, Al-Saad, in 2015. The 38-year-old is currently playing in Qatar. The legendary footballer has won two UEFA European Championships and a FIFA World Cup title with Spain.
