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With the Camp Nou currently in disarray, it is easy to forget Barcelona's unparalleled dominance in the early 2010s. Famous for their iconic tiki-taka style, the Blaugrana were home to some of the greatest names in the history of the sport.
Players would flock to Catalonia to earn a chance to defend the Barcelona badge and subsequently reach the summit of football. However, things have taken a drastic turn in recent years, with the majority of established names not touching the current Barcelona project with a ten-foot pole.
Barcelona have witnessed the departures of several great players over the years
Possibly the greatest blow Barcelona have sustained in their current predicament was Lionel Messi's departure. Due to financial troubles and La Liga regulations, the Blaugrana were forced to let go of the greatest player in their history in an unceremonious fashion.
The Argentine followed in the footsteps of his former attacking partners Neymar and Luis Suarez, leaving his boyhood club after 21 years. Ivan Rakitic, Andres Iniesta, Pedro and Cesc Fabregas are other notable players to have left Barcelona in recent years.
While many of the aforementioned footballers were given little choice in their fate at Camp Nou, certain players have chosen to exit Barcelona of their own free will. Some have gone on to achieve greater success outside Catalonia, but there exists a group that still repents its decision to leave.
On that note, let's take a look at five players who regret their decision to leave Barcelona:
#5 Alexis Sanchez
The predecessor to Luis Suarez as the No.9 at Barcelona, Alexis Sanchez was a popular figure at Camp Nou. Sanchez's heroics were aptly documented by the Blaugrana's fans, who held him in high regard for his offensive contributions to the club.
However, he was never a regular starter with Barcelona during his three-year stay in Spain. As a result, the Catalan giants happily obliged when Arsenal came calling with a bumper offer of €42.5 million for Sanchez's services.
For a while, it seemed he had found his home, with the Chilean single-handedly leading the Gunners' attack for four seasons.
To further his ambition, Sanchez joined Manchester United in 2018 after much speculation. However, everything went downhill following his move to Old Trafford. Since that hapless transfer, the former Barcelona forward has only accumulated an embarrassing 17 goals. Touted to be the spearhead of Barcelona's frontline before his move to Arsenal, Sanchez is now a bench-warmer for Inter Milan at the age of 32.
#4 Claudio Bravo
Despite their shoddy business dealings of late, Barcelona completed an absolute coup in the summer of 2014. Apart from Ivan Rakitic, Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Luis Suarez, the Blaugrana also purchased veteran Claudio Bravo to fill the massive void left by Victor Valdes.
For the two seasons he was at Camp Nou, Bravo proved to be one of the most reliable members of Luis Enrique's squad. In 75 games with the Blaugrana, the Chilean shot-stopper managed to keep 43 clean sheets, only conceding 44 goals along the way.
Impressed by his reflexes and skills on the ball, Pep Guardiola chose Bravo to be the bedrock of his Manchester City project. However, the seasoned goalie seemed devoid of any confidence at the Etihad, consistently making several high-profile errors.
Bravo was quickly replaced by Ederson the following summer, spending the rest of his City career on the bench. Having won the treble in his debut season with Barcelona, Bravo now competes for the starting spot with Rui Silva at Real Betis.
Also read: 5 current Barcelona players who lack consistency
#3 Ilaix Moriba
The latest departure on the list, Ilaix Moriba already seems to be regretting his move away from Barcelona two months into life in Germany. Following a €16 million move to RB Leipzig in August, Moriba has managed just 49 minutes on the pitch, starting zero games.
The Spanish prodigy exploded onto the scene with Barcelona last season, announcing himself as the latest young talent at Camp Nou. He instantly earned his manager's faith, with Moriba's performances convincing Ronald Koeman to hand him 14 La Liga appearances in his debut campaign.
However, early success seemed to have gotten to the youngster's head as he soon demanded a significant hike in wages, according to various reports. Refusing to oblige, Joan Laporta facilitated his transfer to RB Leipzig, where Moriba is yet to show any impact.
The 18-year-old midfielder is apparently willing to pay out of his own pocket to cut short his German nightmare and return to Barcelona.
#2 Alexander Hleb
Alexander Hleb joined Barcelona from Arsenal in 2008 on the back of a brilliant season at the Emirates. In his three campaigns with the Gunners, the Belarusian attacker had successfully managed to earn the trust of the Arsenal faithful, earning him an upgrade to Barcelona.
Nevertheless, Pep Guardiola never seemed to show any trust in his new signing, with Hleb spending most of his time on the bench. Frustrated by the ordeal, he forced a transfer away from the club, securing three loan moves in the subsequent three years. Hleb recently expressed his regret at departing Barcelona, stating:
"Now I would do everything differently. I should have fought to the end for a place in the Barca lineup. Now I understand that it was my fault, because I provoked the conflict deliberately, by my own stupidity."
Hleb went on to play for obscure footballing clubs like KS Samara, Genclerbirligi and Isloch following his transfer from Barcelona. He finally called it quits in 2020.
#1 Rivaldo
Even before Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi, Camp Nou had a rich history with the fabled No.10 jersey. The legendary Rivaldo donned the shirt for Barcelona in the early 2000s. Rivaldo was a fan-favorite in Catalonia, with the Brazilian forward wooing audiences with his flair and clinical finishing.
His 130 goals in 235 appearances with Barcelona propelled the Catalan giants to four titles in five seasons. However, a spat with boss Louis Van Gaal soon resulted in Rivaldo experiencing a catastrophic downfall. Having forced a move to AC Milan in 2002, the prolific attacker was expected to take Serie A by storm.
Instead, he failed miserably to secure a spot in Carlo Ancelotti's starting lineup. The seemingly unbreakable partnership of Filippo Inzaghi and Andriy Shevchenko restricted Rivaldo to the bench.
Consequently, the 2002 World Cup winner could only muster eight goals at the San Siro. His disappointing showing in Italy won him the Bidone d’Oro, awarded to the worst Serie A player, in 2003. It was evident that Rivaldo had become a far cry from being Barcelona's talisman just a few years earlier.
Also read: 5 times Barcelona overpaid for a player
