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Barcelona are one of the most respected and successful teams in football history. They have won every major competition they have played in several times. In recent years, Barcelona have been dominant in La Liga. They have also won European competitions.
With players like Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, Ronaldinho, Carles Puyol, Sergio Busquets and Lionel Messi, Barcelona played a beautiful brand of football. The quick nature of the passing and movement of the players on and off the ball made them very attractive to watch.
Their play, given the monicker 'tiki-taka', was introduced by Pep Guardiola - one of the most successful players and managers in the club's history.
With the focus usually on midfielders or forwards involved in these quick passing combinations, players with other qualities were often overlooked. These players were world-class, but their roles were much less glamorous compared to their teammates.
On that note, here's a look at five of Barcelona's most underrated players in their recent history:
#5 Seydou Keita
Seydou Keita was born in Bamako, Mali, in 1980. He began his youth career at Marseille, and made his senior debut for the club in 1999. The Malinese played mainly as a defensive midfielder throughout his career. He is known for his considerably long spells with RC Lens and Barcelona.
Keita made 188 appearances for Barcelona, scoring 22 goals and providing 16 assists. He was a rock-solid presence in midfield, and had an incredible work rate. Seydou Keita was known for his late dashes into the penalty area to score goals. Pep Guardiola held the midfielder in high regard, as Keita was a top professional and never complained when he did not play. The Malinese always put the team's best interests first.
With Barcelona, Keita won three La Liga titles, two Copa del Rey cups, two FIFA Club World Cups and two UEFA Champions League titles. He was part of the historic Barcelona side that won six trophies in 2009.
Keita also made 102 appearances for Mali, scoring 25 goals. He ranks first in his nation's list of all-time top scorers as well as appearance makers. He retired from the sport in 2017.
#4 Pedro
Pedro was born in Tenerife, Spain, in 1987. He came through the youth ranks at Barcelona, and made his senior debut for the club in 2008. A versatile player, Pedro played on either wing and sometimes also as a centre-forward or second striker. He is known for his spells with Barcelona and Chelsea.
Pedro played 321 games for Barcelona, scoring 99 goals and providing 71 assists. He is a quick, versatile, agile and two-footed attacker known for his knack of scoring goals and creating chances. The Spaniard displayed an incredible defensive work rate to recover possession for his side. Pedro's runs in behind the opposition lines also made him a threat on the counter-attack.
With Barcelona, he won five La Liga titles, three Copa del Rey cups, two FIFA Club World Cups and three UEFA Champions League titles, among other honours.
Pedro has also made 65 appearances for Spain, scoring 17 and assisting 12 goals. He was part of the Spanish team that won the FIFA World Cup in 2010 and the UEFA European Championship in 2012.
The Spaniard currently plays for Lazio in Italy, and will hope to help them finish inside the top four places to ensure Champions League qualification.
#3 Victor Valdes
Barcelona legend Victor Valdes was born in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain, in 1982. He came through the youth ranks at the club before making his senior debut for them in 2001.
Valdes played 536 games for Barcelona, keeping an impressive 239 clean sheets and conceding just 441 goals. The Spaniard was regarded as a top-class goalkeeper.
He was known for his agility, composure and shot-stopping ability. Considering that Barcelona usually kept the ball in the opponent's half for most of the game, Valdes made crucial saves following large periods of inactivity.
During his time in Barcelona, Victor Valdes won several honours. That included six La Liga titles, two Copa del Rey cups, two FIFA Club World Cups and three UEFA Champions League titles, among others.
The former Barcelona 'keeper also played for Spain 20 times. He was part of the squads that won the FIFA World Cup in 2010 and the UEFA European Championship in 2012. Valdes retired from professional football in 2017.
#2 Javier Mascherano
Javier Mascherano was born in San Lorenzo, Argentina, in 1984. He came through the youth ranks at River Plate, and made his senior debut for them in 2003. West Ham United brought him to Europe in 2006, and he went on to play for Liverpool and Barcelona.
Mascherano made 334 appearances for Barcelona, incredibly scoring just one goal and providing eight assists. He was nicknamed 'El Jefecito' or 'The Little Chief' for his leadership skills and vocal instructions for teammates. The Argentine midfielder had a hard-tackling style, and played mostly as a defensive midfielder or centre-back.
During his time with Barcelona, Mascherano won five La Liga titles, five Copa del Rey cups and two UEFA Champions League titles, among others.
The Argentine also made 147 appearances for his country, scoring three goals and providing an assist. He is Argentina's most capped player after Lionel Messi (158). Mascherano retired from the game in November 2020.
#1 Samuel Eto'o
Samuel Eto'o was born in Douala, Cameroon, in 1981. He came through the youth ranks at Real Madrid, and played a few games for their 'C' team. However, they were relegated to Segunda Division B where non-EU players were not permitted. Eto'o subsequently had loan spells elsewhere, and eventually left the club. One of Barcelona's greatest ever strikers came so close to representing their arch-rivals.
Eto'o made 199 appearances for Barcelona, scoring 130 goals and providing 44 assists. The Cameroonian was a strong, pacey and energetic forward known for his prolific goalscoring ability. Despite his relatively short stature, Eto'o was as good in the air as he was with his feet. Most importantly, he was a team player who brought his teammates into the game.
With Barcelona, Eto'o won three La Liga titles, one Copa del Rey, two Supercopa de Espana cups and two UEFA Champions League titles.
Samuel Eto'o also represented Cameroon 118 times, scoring on 56 occasions. He is joint-second in his nation's all-time appearance list, and is their all-time top scorer.
Eto'o remains the only player to have won the continental treble with two different clubs. He did so with Barcelona in 2008-09 and with Inter Milan a year later. The Cameroonian retired from the game in 2019.
