The 8 players to play for both Man Utd and Barcelona
Manchester United and Barcelona are two of the most powerful clubs in the world, and only eight players have ever had the honor of representing both.
They may not be what they once were, as their clash in the Europa League’s first knockout phase reveals, but that doesn’t change the reality that it (usually) takes something truly spectacular to represent both of the ancient giants.
The eight players who have already worn both shirts include both heroes and names that both teams would rather forget ever played for them.
1. Mark Hughes
Younger readers may only know Hughes from his spell as Manchester City manager. What a tragedy, because he was one of the best strikers of his generation in his prime.
He came through United’s youth system and impressed so highly that Terry Venebles’ Barcelona came calling in 1986 with an offer that both Hughes and the club couldn’t resist.
It didn’t work out for him, and the following year he was dragged off to Bayern Munich before returning to Manchester United, which was then coached by a promising young manager named Alex Ferguson.
‘Sparky’ became a club icon after that, and his status was cemented when he scored a brace in the 1991 Cup Winners Cup final against Barcelona.
Oh, and the second goal was fantastic.
2. Laurent Blanc
3. Henrik Larsson
4. Gerard Pique
5. Victor Valdes
6. Zlatan Ibrahimovic
7. Alexis Sanchez
