PSG-Barça: Messi, Ronaldihno, Ibrahimovic… The 11 players who have played for both clubs

As we meet again... PSG and FC Barcelona will face each other once again in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. The 14th and 15th matches between the two clubs on the European scene. So many memories, “good and less good” as Parisian captain Marquinhos puts it. Memories on the field and also for the many players who have played for both teams. And again, FC Barcelona would have liked to extend this list by stealing “Marqui”, Thiago Silva or even Marco Verratti in recent years… In the meantime, we have concocted the 11 of the players who have played for the two clubs. An offensive-oriented formation (3-4-3) which looks great.

Trained at PSG, Richard Dutruel had few opportunities to show himself with the capital club and emerge from the shadow of Bernard Lama. Hence his departure for Spain, where he won the title of best goalkeeper in La Liga with Vigo. “After playing two whole seasons with Caen (on loan), I no longer wanted to be content with playing understudies,” he told Ouest France in recent years about his departure from PSG. And added, on his arrival at Barça: “Consecration? Yes and no. I have always been ambitious and wanted to discover good, even very good clubs. Barcelona was the achievement of a goal, but not an outcome, just a new beginning. In the end, the step was a little high. Dutruel played 14 matches in goal for Paris and 22 for FC Barcelona. Note that the current third goalkeeper of PSG, Arnau Tenas, is a pure product of the Barça team.

Also read: Marquinhos on PSG-Barça: “There were good times… and not so good times”

Three-way defense for our 11 players who have played for PSG and Barça. We could have found Lucas Digne, Cristobal or even Juan Pablo Sorin there. Parisian supporters always have stars in their eyes when thinking back to the season of the third named on the banks of the Seine, the 2003-04 campaign. We favored Dani Alves, three-time winner of the C1 with Barça. A Blaugrana legend. Although, the Catalan club withdrew this status from him after his recent conviction for sexual assault. His two years in Paris were less brilliant. On the left, Maxwell, who made more of an impression at Paris Saint-Germain than with FC Barcelona. In the axis, few choices: Frédéric Dehu imposes himself. Failing after a season in Catalonia, the native of Villeparisis returned home in 2000, even taking the captain's armband. Four successful seasons on an individual level. His passage, however, leaves a bitter taste in the mouths of Parisian fans: Dehu left Paris for… Marseille in the summer of 2004. Betrayal.

Also read: Injuries, C1, controversies… Neymar's (real) record at PSG

Our environment is very offensive. It would have been more balanced with Dani Alves on the right and Digne, Sorin or Maxwell on the left. On the right piston, Ousmane Dembélé, who spent six seasons with Barça before becoming a “vital” element of PSG, according to Luis Enrique’s assessment. He took over from Neymar Jr at Camp Nou in 2017. Neymar discovered Europe with Barça before arriving in Paris in 2017 for a record amount of €222 million. A fiasco because of his attitude and his injuries. Paris managed to exfiltrate it to Saudi Arabia last summer. New era. He occupies the left side of our 11. On recovery, Thiago Motta, trained at Barça but PSG legend. He is supported by Mikel Arteta, also trained at Barça, for whom he has… never worn the first team jersey. The Arsenal coach made his professional debut with PSG, on loan. Rafinha was an option.

Also read: Al-Khelaïfi responds to Messi after his criticism of his years at PSG: “It’s not respectful”

In addition to Dembélé and Neymar, Ludovic Giuly could have appeared in the attack line of players who passed through PSG and FC Barcelona. He is nevertheless barred by the man who stole his place in the Catalan 11 at the time, Leo Messi. If he represents a failure from the point of view of PSG lovers, the Argentine genius is a living legend in Barcelona. Opposite scenario for Zlatan Ibrahimovic, failing at Barcelona. “I arrived like a king, I leave like a legend,” declared the Swede upon his departure from Paris, with the modesty that we know of him. At the same time, he was not wrong.

Ronaldinho is still in the hearts of fans of both clubs. And how ! It is unanimous. The Brazilian discovered Europe in Paris from 2001 to 2003, winning the World Cup in 2002 with the Seleçao, before reaching the stars under the Barcelona colors, from 2003 to 2008, notably winning the Ballon d'or ( 2005) and the Champions League (2006). “PSG and Paris are very important in my life. PSG was my first club in Europe. Paris, the first city I lived in outside of Brazil,” Ronnie told us, passing through France in 2022.