5 Footballers who have played for both Liverpool and Bayern Munich

Liverpool face Bayern Munich in a vital UEFA Champions League match tonight at the Anfield. Liverpool are the most successful English club in the history of the competition, while Bayern are the most dominant club in Germany.

Both the clubs have won the Champions League/European Cup five times. Moreover, Liverpool have won the English league 18 times, whereas Bayern have won the Bundesliga a record 28 times. They are definitely among the most successful clubs in the world and have had some legendary players playing for them.

However, there have not been too many players who have played for both Liverpool and Bayern Munich. Here's a selection of those who have.

#1 Xabi Alonso

Alonso was one of the best midfielders in the world in the late 2000s and early 2010s, and played top flight football for elite clubs of England, Spain and Germany. He was a defensive midfielder with a very good passing range and shooting abilities.

He was a superb tackler in midfield, and had a range of passing from the middle of the park, that few other midfielders could boast of.

He was signed by Liverpool in 2004 and evolved as a player under the tutelage of fellow Spaniard Rafael Benitez.

Alonso played for Liverpool from 2004 to 2009, and won the Champions League with them in the 2004-05 season. He scored 18 goals from 210 matches for Liverpool. However, he could not win the Premier League title with them. Still, he formed the core of a strong midfield for Liverpool along with the likes of Steven Gerrard and Javier Mascherano.

Alonso joined Bayern Munich from Real Madrid in 2014 and went on to play 3 seasons with them. He won the Bundesliga thrice with Bayern, and led their midfield with his experience. He played with the likes of Javi Martinez, Arturo Vidal and Thiago Alcantara in Bayern’s midfield. He also scored 9 goals from 117 matches for Bayern.

Alonso retired as a player in 2017. He has also played for Real Madrid and remains one of the few players to have played in the top leagues of England, Spain and Germany.

#2 Xherdan Shaqiri

Shaqiri is a Swiss midfielder, who plays for Liverpool at the moment. He rose to prominence while playing for Bayern in the early and mid-2010s. Shaqiri is known for his ball-skills, dribbling and passing. He also is quite capable of scoring goals and can also play as the right-winger.

Shaqiri was signed by Bayern in 2012 and spent 3 seasons with them. However, he struggled to make it to Bayern’s first team on a regular basis, and warmed the bench for a considerable period of time. He scored 17 goals from 81 matches for Bayern and also won 2 Bundesliga titles and 1 Champions League with them.

He was signed by Liverpool in 2018 and has made his mark in the Premier League since then. He has made a decent contribution in Liverpool’s ongoing campaign as the Reds are at the top of the Premier League table at the moment. Shaqiri’s brace against Manchester United has been one of the highlights of the season for Liverpool so far. He has scored 6 goals from 25 matches for Liverpool till date.

#3 Emre Can

Can is a German midfielder currently playing for Juventus in the Serie A. He can also play as the right-back and is quite strong physically. Can also has decent passing skills and remains very strong in the air too.

Can came through the youth ranks of Bayern Munich and joined the senior team in 2012. However, he struggled to make regular appearances for Bayern, and played in only 7 matches for them. However, he was part of the Bayern side that won the treble in the 2012-13 season.

Can joined Bayer Leverkusen in 2013 and subsequently was signed by Liverpool in 2014. He evolved as a player under the tutelage of fellow German Juergen Klopp. Can played in 167 matches for Liverpool and scored 14 goals. He also won a runners-up medal for Liverpool in the Champions League in 2017-18. He left for Juventus in the summer of 2018 on a free transfer, having honoured the initial four-year deal he signed at Anfield.

#4 Dietmar Hamann

Dietmar “Didi” Hamann was one of the best defensive midfielders in the world in the late 1990s and early 2000s. He was a good tackler and could pass the ball very well too. He also had good leadership skills on the pitch.

Hamann came through the youth ranks of Bayern Munich and joined the senior team in 1993. He played for Bayern Munich from 1993 to 1998 and won 2 Bundesliga titles with them. He was part of a very good Bayern side that also comprised the likes of Giovane Elber, Stefan Effenberg, Mehmet Scholl and Bixente Lizarazu. Hamann scored 10 goals in 143 matches for Bayern.

He was signed by Liverpool in 1999 and spent 7 seasons with the club. He went on to have a successful stint with the club. He won the UEFA Champions League in 2004-05 for the Reds, but could not win the Premier League title. He left the club in 2006, and scored 11 goals in 283 matches for them.

#5 Pepe Reina

Reina is a Spanish goalkeeper, who came through the youth ranks of FC Barcelona, and joined Liverpool in 2005. He took over from Jerzy Dudek as Liverpool’s first choice goalkeeper gradually, and played for the club for around a decade.

Reina is a very good shot-stopper and has a commanding presence inside the penalty box. He is not very tall for a goalkeeper but usually makes up for it with his athletic abilities and good anticipation. However, he could not win any major silverware with Liverpool. He played for the Reds in 395 matches, and remained one of the best goalkeepers in the world in the late 2000s and early 2010s.

He joined Bayern Munich from Liverpool in 2014 and played there for a season. He had to play second fiddle to Manuel Neuer for the majority of the season, and could appear in only 3 matches for Bayern. However, he won the Bundesliga title with them in that season.

Edited by Aaditya Narayan