5 players whose Barcelona careers suffered because of Lionel Messi

#5 David Villa

David Villa, arguably, Spain's greatest striker could never really get going in Spain's greatest club team. He spent quite some time out injured, and when he wasn't he would warm the bench, watching, as his team mates did what he loved best, plunder goals.

Villa encountered the same problems at Barca as his predecessors. Overshadowed by the skill of Messi, he was relegated to playing on the wing and later denied even that as Messi preferred more mobile players to play out wide. But unlike Eto'o and Ibrahimovic, Villa never complained; always praising his team mates for their success. His time at Barcelona saw his stock as one of the most lethal strikers in the world drop and he was left picking up the tatters of his reputation at Atletico Madrid, where he again proved his value by winning the title.

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