CARLES REXACH


Born in Barcelona in 1947, Charly (also known as the Pedralbes´ boy) is an institution in Can Barša where he has spent practically all of his sports life.

Son of the Barcelona breeding ground he played right wing with an exquisite technique, and stood out for his great dribbling, his excellent game vision, his masterly penalty throws and his free kicks.

rexach_movHowever, he has on occasions been criticised by his fans for his apparently excessive sang froid. With 656 hard fought matches and 197 goals behind him, he is the second Barcelona player in this section and although he was not a centre forward, he is the eighth greatest goal scorer in the history of the blue and clarets.

Retired in 1981, he has had a compact stage of training; team tecnniques, Firstly in the football base and then as second to Luis Aragonés (1987-8 and Johan Cruyff (1988-96. the glorious years of the ‘Dream Team’) and finally as the first trainer in the 2001-02 season, which was a difficult era for FC Barcelona

THE NUMBERS
- Seasons in the club: 1965 – 81
- Played matches: 656
- Goals scored: 197
- Trophies:
1 League (1973/74)
1 Recopa (1978/79)
1 Feria Cup (1965/66)
The Feria Final 1971
4 Spanish Cups (1967/68, 70/71, 77/78, and 80/81)

DIEGO ARMANDO MARADONA


Considered the best player in the world in the 1980s, and one of the greatest of all time, Maradona was born in 1960 in Lanús, Argentina.

From a very early age, he was an obvious talent, with his golden left foot, his changes of pace, his speed and his dribbling skills.

maradona_mov´Pelusa´, as he was known, arrived at FC Barcelona in 1982 from Boca Juniors. Unfortunately, Catalonia never got to see the best of the player, first due to hepatitis and then due to a serious injury. These circumstances meant that although the player went on to achieve so many great things in his life, the Camp Nou only got a few passing glimpses of his true potential. But there were some moments to cherish, such as his chipped goal against Red Star in the 82/83 Cup Winners Cup or the one he scored at the Santiago Bernabéu in the League Cup the same season, which even had some of the Madrid fans applauding.

His relationship with the Board deteriorated to the point of no return, and after Barša lost the Copa de Rey final to Athletic Bilbao in 1983/84, he moved on to Napoli in Italy.


THE NUMBERS
- Seasons at the club: 1982-84
- Games played: 73
- Goals scored: 45
- Titles:
1 Copa del Rey (1982/83)
1 League Cup (1982/83)
1 Spanish Super Cup (1983)

RONALD KOEMAN


´Tintin´ Koeman will always get a mention in FC Barcelona history for scoring the goal that handed Barša victory in the 1992 European Cup at Wembley.

The Dutch defender (Zaandam, 1963) was one of the central figures in the Dream Team, being a masterful player just in front of the defence and being the provider of amazing pinpoint passes that generated so many dangerous opportunities.

koeman_movHe will also always be remembered for being one of the most reliable penalty takers the sport has ever known, for his free-kick abilities, and for the record breaking power he could put behind the ball. He scored 102 goals in his six years at Barša, an incredible tally for a defensive player. Off the pitch, he was popular for his pleasant, down to earth nature, and he became one of the undisputed club idols of the era. He was part of the club’s coaching staff from July 1998 to December 1999.

THE NUMBERS
- Seasons at the club: 1989-95
- Games played: 345
- Goals scored: 102
- Trophies:
1 European Cup (1991/92)
1 European Super Cup (1992)
4 Leagues (1990/91, 91/92, 92/93, 93/94)
1 Copa del Rey (1989/90)
2 Spanish Super Cups (1991 and 1992)
2 Copa Catalunya (1990/91 and 92/93)

HRISTO STOICHKOV


Hristo Stoichkov was born in Plovdiv (Bulgaria) in 1966. He left CSKA Sofia to join Barša in 1990 and stayed until 1998, although for one season, 1995-96, he was at Parma in Italy.

stoichkov_movHristo was one of the stars of the Dream Team and one of the fans’ most popular players of the 1990s, both for his football and his extraordinary fighting spirit. He was versatile, and could play either on the left or in the middle, making him a highly efficient forward player, with great speed and a goalscoring instinct. He was considered one of the best players in the world for his time, and is the only Barša player to have won the European Cup (1992), the Golden Boot (1990) and the Balon d’Or (1995)

He was a charismatic person both on and off the pitch, and sincerely felt the Barcelona colours, which he was always ready to bravely and intensely defend.

THE NUMBERS
-Season with the club: 1990-95 and 1996-98
-Games played: 336
-Goals scored: 162
-Titles:
1 European Cup (1991/92)
1 Cup Winners Cup (1996/97)
2 European Super Cups (1992 and 1997)
5 Leagues (1990/91, 91/92, 92/93, 93/94 and 97/9
2 Copa del Rey (1996/97 and 97/9
4 Spanish Super Cups (1991, 1992, 1994 and 1996)
2 Copa Catalunya (1990/91 and 92/93)

ROMÁRIO DE SOUZA


Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1966, Romario came to FC Barcelona from PSV Eindhoven in 1993.

The Brazilian striker immediately justified his transfer in the 1993-94 season, when he produced a spectacular 30 goals in the 33 league games he appeared in.

romario_movHis qualities were nothing short of magical, and manager Jorge Valdano was once moved to describe him as “a cartoon player”. He could dribble, he was fast, and he could change his pace, lose his marker and shoot on goal in superlative fashion. He was the final piece of the ‘Dream Team’ jigsaw, a high-scoring striker. In the summer of 1994, after winning the league with Barša, Romario also had a wonderful FIFA World Cup in the USA, winning the title with Brazil and being named Player of the Tournament.

Unfortunately, there was a controversial side to the player too. He regularly took more days holiday than he was allowed and that led to his premature departure from the club in 1995, whereupon he signed for Flamengo.

THE NUMBERS
- Seasons at the club: 1993-95
- Games played: 82
- Goals scored: 53
- Trophies:
1 League (1993/94)

LUIS ENRIQUE MARTÍNEZ


The popular ‘Lucho´ (Gijón, 1970) came to FC Barcelona in the summer of 1996 as a free agent after having played at Real Madrid for five seasons.

Despite his Madrid past, he adapted quickly to his new club, and soon became one of the most charismatic players ever to represent FC Barcelona.

lenrique_movHe was a born leader, and highly committed, for which reason Luis Enrique was one of the team captains. His finest quality was his versatility, the characteristic that best describes his way of playing, although there were so many more. He normally played as a linkman with the out and out striker, although he would also play in wider positions, or even as centre forward.

He was a skilled and tireless worker, and a great goalscorer too, especially when coming from behind, where he was never was one to throw in the towel, even in the most difficult of situations. He would constantly encourage his colleagues, and was an important squad member both on and off the pitch. The character and flair of this Asturian set an example for the fans to admire. He stayed at Barša until he finally hung up his boots in 2004.

From June 2008, Luis Enrique is the first team manager.

THE NUMBERS
- Seasons at the club: 1996-2004
- Games played: 354
- Goals scored: 123
- Trophies:
1 Cup Winners Cup (1996/97)
1 European Super Cup (1997)
2 Leagues (1997/98 and 98/99)
2 Copa del Rey (1996/97 and 97/9
1 Spanish Super Cup (1996)
2 Copa Catalunya (1999/00, 2003/04)

RONALDO LUIZ NAZARIO


Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1976, Ronaldo joined Barša in 1996 from PSV Eindhoven, as an outstandingly promising young striker.

He was only at the club for one season, but certainly proved his worth, scoring 48 goals in 51 games, the kind of stats you rarely see in the modern game.

ronaldo_movThe ‘Phenomenon’ was an uncommonly burly player, with sublime skills, a powerful sprint and a fantastic finish. In the 1996-97 season, under Bobby Robson he helped Barša to a Cup Winners Cup, the Copa del Rey and the Spanish Super Cup, and the goals he scored in Compostela and at the Camp Nou against Valencia were nothing short of sheer brilliance.

At only 20 years of age, he looked destined for big things at Barša, but an unfortunate series of episodes involving the Board of Directors and his own agents led to hiim leaving for Inter Milan.

THE NUMBERS
- Seasons at the club: 1996-97
- Games played: 51
- Goals scored: 48
- Titles:
1 Cup Winners Cup (1996/97)
1 Copa del Rey (1996/97)
1 Spanish Super Cup (1996/97)

VITOR BORBA FERREIRA ´RIVALDO´


Rivaldo (Recife, Brazil, 1972) was signed from Deportivo la Coruña at the start of the 1997-98 season as a direct replacement for his compatriot Ronaldo, who had left for Inter Milan after an exceptional year in Catalonia.

rivaldo_movAnd Rivaldo was able to fill the role. A tall, sturdy player, he had the kind of abilities that had rarely been seen before, with tricky dribbling skills, a powerful shot and an amazing talent for converting free kicks and penalties, all off his left foot.

He was not an out and out striker, but more of a left winger or attacking midfielder, but still managed to rack up an incredible tally of goals in his time at Barša: 136 in 253 games. He was a serious and discrete footballer, who preferred to do his talking on the pitch and was rewarded in style for his achievements with the Balon d’Or in 1999.


THE NUMBERS
- Seasons at the club: 1997-2002
- Games played: 253
- Goals scored: 136
- Trophies:
1 European Super Cup (1997)
2 Leagues (1997/98 and 98/99)
1 Copa del Rey (1997/9
1 Copa Catalunya (1999/00)

[Edited by primus inter pares on 26-03-2009 at 09:22 GMT]

RONALDO DE ASSÍS, ´RONALDINHO´


The Brazilian striker was born at Porto Alegre (Brazil) in 1980. In his five seasons at the club he became one its greatest ever footballers and made a decisive contribution to winning two League titles and the Champions League.

Ronaldinho came to Barcelona in the summer of 2003 to head the new club project which began with Frank Rijkaard as manager. The man who was to wear the number 10 shirt for Barša for five seasons immediately thrilled fans with his imaginative play which led to moves that very few footballers could aspire to.

fcb-r.societat.jpgDuring his time at Barša he scored 94 goals in competitive matches even though he also stood out as a passer of the ball. With him leading the team on the pitch, Barša experienced some of the best times in its history, winning two back-to-back League titles and above all the Champions League in an unforgettable final on 17 May 2006 in Paris. Also memorable was the standing ovation he received at Santiago Bernabéu after scoring two magnificent goals in the 3-0 win against Real Madrid on 19 November 2005.

While at Barša he also won top international awards such as the FIFA World Player (2004 and 2005) and the Golden Bal(2005).

The Numbers
Seasons at the club: 2003-2008
Games: 250
Goals: 110
Titles:
2 Leagues (2004/05, 2005/06)
1 Champions League (2005/06)
2 Spanish Super Cups (2005/06, 2006/07)
3 Catalonia Cups (2003/04, 2004/05, 2006/07)

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