‘El Clasico’: Footballers who played for both Real Madrid and Barcelona

‘El Clasico’ is arguably one of the biggest football matches around the world, as two major football entities clash head to head for more than just three points. This century-long rivalry is a complex relationship filled with rich history, and their rivalry extends beyond football and often involves politics.

Two of the biggest cities in Spain face off for 90 minutes on the pitch for something bigger than football. The symbolism behind both teams carries significant importance, making the match a true spectacle.

Tensions usually run high, and it is not unusual to see both players and coaches bumping heads on the pitch. A testosterone-fueled environment where everyone is constantly on their toes. It can get ugly at times.

Both clubs are regarded as international football giants, and there is a lot of mutual respect between Real Madrid and Barcelona. Both clubs have never been relegated from la Liga (1st Spanish Division).

Real Madrid and Barcelona are international references in the world of football due to their ability to produce future talents and conquer European competitions.

During Francisco Franco's regime in Spain, many Barcelona fans faced harsh treatment from the Spanish capital, banning the club logo alongside their anthem. The Catalan language was banned in Barcelona, however, Camp Nou served as a safe space for Catalans to practice their culture while watching some quality football.

Upon Franco's death in 1975, F.C. Barcelona would reinstate its original anthem and logo.

Both clubs grew simultaneously and developed strong finances compared to the other teams in the Spanish league. Both clubs could afford pricy transfers and retain talents early, however, things would get ugly when a Barcelona player would be transferred to Madrid or vice-versa.

Arguably one of the most controversial transfers between Barcelona and Real Madrid was that of Luis Figo. The Portuguese player arrived in Barcelona in 1995 from Sporting Lisbon and remained there until 2000 when he switched to Real Madrid in a record-breaking transfer under Florentino Perez.

Figo would go on to play five seasons for ‘Los Blancos’ while scoring 58 goals and 76 assists. He was baptized as the first galactico, however, this did not sit well with Barcelona. Figo faced multiple issues when dressed in an all-white kit at Camp Nou.

Ronaldo Nazario, one of the greatest strikers in the history of the sport, joined Barcelona from PSV during the 96-97 season. After a couple of seasons at Inter Milan, Florentino Perez wasted no time and went on to sign him for the 02-03 season, where he stayed until the 2007 season. The Brazilian striker played 177 games while scoring 104 goals for Real Madrid.

The Sporting Gijon youth joined Real Madrid in the 91-92 season and remained a Real Madrid player for five seasons. During the 96-97 season, ‘Lucho’ decided to swap Madrid for Barcelona, where he stayed until the 03-04 season.

He won titles with both clubs, however, he chose Barcelona as his favorite. The Spaniard would later go on to coach the Barcelona squad in 2014.

One of Denmark's greatest players of all time arrived in Barcelona in 1989 to join Johan Cruyff’s ‘Dream Team’ and stayed at Barcelona until 1994.

Real Madrid later bought him from their eternal rivals and kept him in their ranks for two more years. Laudrop played 76 games with Real Madrid and 296 with Barcelona.

The former Sevilla and Real Madrid coach was also a player who bounced between both rivals. The Real Madrid goalkeeper had a good couple of seasons which would eventually see him dress in a Barcelona goalkeeper shirt in 1994.

The German player was in Barcelona from 1980-1988, later joining Real Madrid between 1988-1990 where he won a Champions League title with Real Madrid. Schuter played 300 games for Barcelona and scored 119 goals for them.

Schuster was one of the few players in history who has been able to wear the jerseys of Real Madrid, Atletico de Madrid, and Barcelona. He was in all the big three! This was a remarkable achievement that goes to show Bernd Schuster was a hot pick.

The Cameroonian striker signed for Real Madrid as a youth prodigy. After a brief spell with ‘Los Blancos’, the striker was transferred to Real Mallorca. After his exceptional development in Spain, Barcelona signed him in 2004, where he stayed until 2009, enjoying the best period of his career. A total of 237 games were played and 155 goals were scored for Barcelona.

Ricardo Zamora was the first big name to swap between the two giants. He swapped sunny Barcelona for the Spanish capital, where make history as Madrid starting goalkeeper. His spell at Real Madrid was cut short due to the Spanish Civil war, where all sports were suspended.

The Spaniard avoided execution and fled in exile to Nice, France, where he finished his career. To this day, the best keeper in La Liga is awarded the ‘Zamora’ title, in honor of the great Ricardo Zamora.