5 players who regret leaving Barcelona

#3 Ilaix Moriba

Ilaix Moriba connected brilliantly with Lionel Messi while at Barcelona.

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.

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#2 Alexander Hleb

Alexander Hleb during his time at Barcelona.

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.

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#1 Rivaldo

Rivaldo's career fell off the track after moving away from Barcelona.

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.

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