Ten great players who have struggled during their time with Barcelona…
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Former Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas put in a Man of the Match Performance on his Premier League debut with Chelsea on Monday evening, proving that he’s still the world class player English supporters will remember from the Spaniard’s time with Arsenal.
Over the years, many big name, big reputation players have struggled to adapt to life with the Catalan giants. In more recent times, that has been partly down to the dominance of Lionel Messi as the club’s standout player, with other stars not given as bigger platform to shine.
Here are ten exceptional talents that did not quite live up to expectations at the Camp Nou:
10) Neymar
It is probably a little early to call Neymar a Barcelona flop, but the Catalan giants will certainly have been underwhelmed with the Brazilian’s first season at the club. The 22-year-old scored just nine league goals, despite being ranked as the sixth best player in the world by the Guardian in December 2013.
9) Alex Song
The former Arsenal midfielder looks certain to leave the club this summer after two disappointing years in Spain. A solid performer for the Gunners over the years, but a little out of his depth when called upon by the La Liga giants.
8) Eidur Gudjohnsen
A reliable goalscorer for Chelsea during the early part of the 21st century, but probably a player with his best years behind him when he was picked up by Barcelona. The Icelander managed just 10 goals in three years as his career slowly declined.
7) Alexis Sanchez
The latest addition to Arsenal’s star-studded squad had a difficult spell at Barcelona, where he was often played wide of Lionel Messi. Scored a more than respectable 39 times in La Liga during three years with the club, but never quite discovered the form he has shown for Chile.
6) Emmanuel Petit
The World Cup winning Frenchman enjoyed a hugely successful spell with Arsenal in the late 1990’s, but had a less than inspiring one year spell with Barcelona, making 23 La Liga appearances and scoring just once before being sold on to Chelsea.
5) Marc Overmars
Yet another former Arsenal star who failed to live up too his billing at the Camp Nou. Was a decent player for Barcelona, making 97 La Liga appearances in four years before sadly retiring due to injury, but never really justified his £25m price tag.
4) Juan Roman Riquelme
The skillful Argentine midfielder who was once the heartbeat of his international side. Spent two of his three years with Barcelona on loan at Villareal before eventually making the move permanent.
3) Cesc Fabregas
Another star player whose talents were, arguably, wasted by Barcelona. The midfielder made 96 La Liga appearances and scored 28 goals, but was often played out of position due to the ever-presence of Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez.
2) Zlatan Ibrahimovic
The giant Swedish striker has been a huge success with almost every club he’s played for. But he just did not fit in at Barcelona, with a complete miss-match in style’s causing him to be loaned out to AC Milan a year after arriving.
1) Diego Maradona
Hardly a bad player for Barcelona, with 38 goals in 58 appearances. But, one of the greatest stars to ever play the game, struggled to adapt to life in Spain, arguing constantly with club officials while struggling with injuries. Only when he left the club for Napoli in 1984 did he truly reach his potential with a European club.
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