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Barcelona are known for the incredible talent they have regularly had at their disposal. La Masia, Barca’s famed youth academy, is one of the greatest venues for youngsters to develop into world-class footballers. Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, and the inimitable Lionel Messi are just some of their incredible graduates.
Barcelona are one of the most successful clubs in the world
Barca are the second-most decorated club in Spain after Real Madrid and have reached the heights of success across various competitions over the years. Apart from the academy graduates, Barca have also done smart business over the years and signed some phenomenal players.
However, not all of the players that have gone on to wear the famous Blaugrana have had memorable stints with Barca. Like every other top club across Europe, the Catalans have also had to endure their fair share of disappointments.
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Here are five players that played for Barcelona that you might have forgotten:
#5 Alekzander Hleb
After an impressive three seasons with Arsenal, Alekzander Hleb joined Barcelona at the start of the 2008-09 season. However, the Belarussian failed to live up to expectations at the Camp Nou. He also admitted in an interview a few years later that he made a mistake by moving to Spain.
Hleb made 36 appearances for Barca and managed just three assists during this spell. Although he was part of Barca’s famous treble winners of 2008-09, Hleb had little impact on the club’s successful journey. He was inconsistent under manager Pep Guardiola and spent most of the time as a reserve.
Barcelona sent the Belarussian on loan for spells with Stuttgart, Birmingham City, and VfL Wolfsburg. His career spiraled downwards and he eventually signed for Russian side KS Samara on a free transfer. The 40-year-old retired in 2020.
#4 Giovani Dos Santos
Another Barcelona academy graduate, Giovani Dos Santos, spent his early days at the club with Leo Messi. However, after being hailed as the “future” of Barcelona, he never found any consistency with the Blaugrana.
Dos Santos struggled to get into the first team and eventually made his debut in the 2007-08 season. The Mexican scored four goals in 38 appearances for Barca across various competitions, including the Champions League. He moved to the Premier League with Tottenham Hotspur at the start of the 2008-09 season.
The player, who was once compared to Leo Messi at Barca’s academy, saw his career crumbling in front of his own eyes. After a few more loan spells, Dos Santos played for Mallorca, Villarreal, and MLS outfit LA Galaxy where he put in considerably better performances. The 32-year-old is currently without a club.
#3 Pepe Reina
It is easy to forget that iconic Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina came through the ranks at La Masia. The son of Barcelona and Atletico Madrid goalie Miguel Reina, Pepe Reina made his La Liga debut in the 2000–01 season. He spent two seasons at Barca and made 49 appearances across all competitions.
The Spaniard was tipped to be the next big thing at the club before Victor Valdes took over. Reina left Barcelona after the 2001-02 season and joined Villarreal with whom he spent three years. He then went on to sign for Liverpool at the start of the 2005-06 season and excelled for the Reds.
Reina won the FA Cup, League Cup, and UEFA Supercup with Liverpool. His FA Cup performance against West Ham United was particularly unforgettable, as he saved three penalties to ensure Liverpool emerged as victors. The 39-year-old currently plays for Lazio and has made 17 appearances so far.
#2 Laurent Blanc
Laurent Blanc joined Barcelona on a free transfer in 1996 from Auxerre. Blanc was Bobby Robson’s first signing after he took over the reins from legendary Johan Cruyff.
The centre-back was a born leader and was particularly impressive with the French national team, winning the World Cup and the Euros. Blanc spent a year with Barca and made 38 appearances in total. He won the Spanish Cup and Spanish Super Cup during his time with the Blaugrana.
Blanc left Barca and joined Marseille in 1997. He then had short stints with Inter Milan and Manchester United and retired in 2003.
The Frenchman has since taken up management. He has coached the French national team, Ligue 1 sides Bordeaux and Paris Saint-Germain, as well as Qatari outfit Al Rayyan.
#1 Oriol Romeu
Oriol Romeu joined Barca’s La Masia from Espanyol’s youth team in 2004. The Spaniard was a reliable presence in Barcelona’s B team but found it hard to get into the senior squad. Romeu made his debut in the Spanish Super Cup against Sevilla in August 2008.
The 18-year-old was thrown into the fray as Barcelona's normal first-teamers were still unfit after the World Cup. Without the likes of Busquets, Xavi, and Iniesta, controlling the midfield was always going to be a tough ask. Barcelona lost the game 3-1 but Romeu's performances were quite impressive.
Romeu sadly made just one more appearance for the Blaugrana due to Javier Mascherano’s signing, who was used as a backup in midfield. The Spaniard then joined Chelsea at the start of the 2011-12 season and spent loan spells with Valencia and Stuttgart.
The 30-year-old joined Southampton in 2015 and has been with the Saints since.
