5 players who played for both Barcelona and Juventus

Juventus will be facing Barcelona for the first time in three years.
Juventus will be facing Barcelona for the first time in three years.

Juventus is all set to host Barcelona in one of the most keenly anticipated group matches in this Champions League season. It will be the first time in three years that both these European giants will be facing off against each other.

Apart from being a massive European tie, it will also be the first time Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo face each other since Ronaldo's move to Turin. This will also be the first time Miralem Pjanic and Arthur Melo will be facing their former sides.

With several plots involved in this fixture, here we take a look at five players who have played for both the European giants.


A look at 5 Players who were successful with both Juventus and Barcelona

#5 Dani Alves

Alves is one of the greatest defenders in the history of Barcelona
Alves is one of the greatest defenders in the history of Barcelona

There is no disputing the position that Dani Alves holds in Barcelona history. The Brazilian arrived in Barcelona in 2008 after an impressive six-season spell with Sevilla.

At Barcelona, Alves was part of one of the greatest teams in the history of football. Under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola, the Blaugrana won 14 trophies in just four seasons. Alves was an integral part of the side as Barcelona ruled domestic and international football.

Alves and Barcelona achieved their second treble after the appointment of Luis Enrique in 2014. Under Enrique, the full-back won nine trophies in three seasons as Barcelona once again dominated. Alves spent eight seasons in Barcelona, making 391 appearances and scoring 21 goals before leaving the club in 2016.

Dani Alves arrived at Juventus in 2016 on a free transfer from Barcelona. Unlike his long spell with Barcelona, the Brazilian spent just one season in Turin. The full-back had a decent start with Juventus before injury played spoilsport. Despite missing a couple of months, Alves still managed to make 33 appearances and score six goals in his only season.

The Brazilian added a Serie A and Coppa Italia trophy in his debut season and was part of the side that lost the Champions League final against Real Madrid. Alves left the club in 2017 on a free after terminating his contract.

#4 Gianluca Zambrotta

Zambrotta played for Juventus, Barcelona and AC Milan during his career.
Zambrotta played for Juventus, Barcelona and AC Milan during his career.

One of the greatest full-backs in the history of Italian football, Gianluca Zambrotta joined Juventus in 1999 after two impressive seasons with Bari. The Italian instantly adapted to his new surroundings and was a regular under Carlo Ancelotti.

Zambrotta was one of the first names on the teamsheet during his time with Juventus. The Italian played more than 41 matches in all seasons except one.

Zambrotta spent seven seasons with Juventus, and made close to 300 appearances. During this period, he won four major honours, including the UEFA Intertoto Cup and the Serie A. Zambrotta left the club in 2006, following Juventus' relegation from Serie A in 2005 owing to their involvement in the Calciopoli scandal.

Zambrotta rejected several offers before joining Barcelona in 2006, and adjusted quickly to his new surroundings. Although he only spent two seasons at Camp Nou, Zambrotta made 80 appearances and won the Spanish Super Cup in this period. He left the club in 2008 following the appointment of Pep Guardiola.


#3 Arturo Vidal

Vidal moved to Inter Milan at the start of this season
Vidal moved to Inter Milan at the start of this season

One of the recent players to play for both the European giants, Arturo Vidal arrived in Turin in 2010 after impressing during his spell with Bayer Leverkusen. The Chilean quickly became a regular under Antonio Conte as Juventus reclaimed their status as the best team in Italy.

The midfielder made 171 appearances and scored 48 goals for the Bianconeri in four seasons. Vidal left the club in 2014 with seven trophies, including four straight Serie A titles.

Vidal moved to Barcelona in 2018 after another impressive spell in the Bundesliga, this time with Bayern Munich. The Chilean provided the Blaugrana with a much-needed injection of physicality. Vidal won the La Liga in his debut season, the last of Barcelona's league titles.

The Chilean, though, would only spend one more season at Camp Nou. Vidal left the club before the start of this season as part of a major rebuilding process. During his two seasons at the club, he made 96 appearances and scored eleven goals.

#2 Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Ibrahimovic is one of the few players to play for Juventus, AC Milan, Inter Milan and Barcelona
Ibrahimovic is one of the few players to play for Juventus, AC Milan, Inter Milan and Barcelona

There are very few great players who have played in as many clubs as Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Swedish striker has played in Sweden, England, USA, Italy, Spain, France, and the Netherlands during his 21-year-long career.

Juventus was Ibrahimovic's first stop in Italy. The striker joined the club in 2004 after impressing in the Netherlands with Ajax. Ibrahimovic had an impressive debut season as he made the most of his first-team opportunities following an injury to David Trezeguet. But, the next season saw Ibrahimovic's role in the team changing following the return of the French striker.

Ibrahimovic left Juventus for Inter Milan in 2006 after the Bianconeri were stripped of their 2004-05, 2005-06 Serie A titles and relegated to Serie B. At Inter, Ibrahimovic made 92 appearances and scored 26 goals.

Three seasons later, Zlatan Ibrahimovic completed a big-money move to Barcelona. The striker had established himself as one of the best in the business during his three seasons with Inter Milan.

Ibrahimovic instantly hit the ground running. The striker formed a devastating partnership with Messi as Barcelona dominated the league. But, all was not rosy between Ibrahimovic and Pep Guardiola. Guardiola's preference to play Messi in the middle and Ibrahimovic in the wing was one of the reasons that made Ibrahimovic move out of the club.

Ibrahimovic left Barcelona just a season after joining them. He made 45 appearances and scored an impressive 21 goals, but his poor relationship with Guardiola ultimately led to his exit.

#1 Michael Laudrup

Laudrup was part of Johan Cryuff's dream team.
Laudrup was part of Johan Cryuff's dream team.

The Greatest Danish footballer of all time, Michael Laudrup joined Juventus in 1983. Laudrup, though, had to wait two years to make his Bianconeri debut. Serie A policy at the time allowed only two foreigners to play in a team, and Juventus wanted to keep Zbigniew Boniek and Michel Platini. This meant that Laudrup played his first two seasons in Serie A on loan at Lazio.

Laudrup finally made his Juventus debut in 1985 after Boniek moved to AS Roma. The attacker had an impressive debut season as Bianconeri won the Intercontinental Cup and the Serie A. It started falling downhill for the Dane after that. Injuries, loss in form, and the retirement of Michel Platini saw Laudrup struggling at Juventus.

The Dane finally left the club in 1989, after making 151 appearances, to join Johan Cryuff's Barcelona. At Barcelona, Laudrup was the creative threat of the Dream Team that dominated Spanish and European football. But Cryuff's decision to bench the Dane in the 1994 Champions League final led to Laudrup deciding to move out of Barcelona.

The Dane made 217 appearances across five seasons, winning nine trophies, including four straight La Liga's, European Cup, and the UEFA Super Cup.

Quick Links

Edited by Deepit Magee