Barcelona’s 'shouldn't have sold' XI
Throughout its illustrious history, Barcelona has let some of the world’s best players slip through their hands. Some players were deemed surplus to requirements while others left the club because of various issues.
Players like Samuel Eto’o, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Pepe Reina, Mark van Bommel, Gary Lineker, Romario, Ronaldinho, and Deco have left the club too early in their career but went on to achieve greatness elsewhere.
On that note, let’s take a look at the starting XI that Barcelona should not have sold.
Formation: 3-4-3
Goal Keeper - Andoni Zubizarreta
17 full seasons in La Liga, 833 competitive games, and 6 times La Liga winner, Andoni Zubizarreta was one of the best goalkeepers in the world during the 80’s and 90’s. Johan Cruyff sacrificed him after the 1994 UEFA Champions League defeat in the finals and was made the scapegoat. He was sold to Valencia during the summer of 1994.
Though he left the Catalan giants at the age of 32, he went on to make 184 appearances for Valencia at the highest level. Barcelona struggled to find a replacement for him and it turned out to be a big mistake from Johan Cruyff. He also made 126 appearances for Spain national team and represented them in 4 consecutive World Cups.
Honorable Mention: Pepe Reina