5 of Barcelona's strangest signings ever

#3: Dmytro Chygrynskiy

Barcelona's Ukrainian defender Dmytro Ch — Dmytro Chygrynskiy struggled to break into Barca's side

On the hunt for a new central defender in the summer of 2009, Barcelona decided to turn to Ukrainian international Dmytro Chygrynskiy, who had played against them in the group stages of the 2008/09 Champions League with Shakhtar Donetsk.

After then helping Shakhtar to a surprising UEFA Cup victory in the same season, Chygrynskiy moved to the Nou Camp and became their first ever Ukrainian player.

Unfortunately, despite being billed as a strong defender with good aerial skills, Chygrynskiy struggled to break into the first team – unsurprisingly given Barcelona’s defence consisted of the great Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique.

He made just 14 appearances for the Catalan club and despite reports suggesting that Pep Guardiola wanted to keep him, for reasons unknown, he was sold back to Shakhtar at the end of the season for a far lower fee than he was signed for, making Shakhtar a nice profit and leaving Barca with some egg on their faces.

About the author

Scott is a veteran MMA writer with over two decades of experience, including his ongoing tenure in Sportskeeda, which began seven years ago. He has written over 3000 pieces for the organization, while also covering football. Before joining Sportskeeda, Scott wrote articles for websites like The Oratory and Inside Pulse MMA.

Scott has a degree in history, which drives his research skills and helps him compile accurate information. His long stint in the field helps Scott provide a clear take on important topics, such as the criticism of promotions regarding fighter pay. While he feels fighters deserve a bigger revenue share, he doesn’t want MMA to suffer with purse-split issues.

Scott’s work has been previously reshared by the former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman. He uses credible sources, such as the UFC’s official website, during the writing process.

His dedication to MMA writing won him the Feature Writer of the Month award for Sportskeeda in November 2021.

Outside of work, Scott likes to go to the gym, walk his dog, and travel.

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Edited by Akhilesh Tirumala