Barcelona: 10 Meanest Defenders in Barca History

David Ramos/Getty Images

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of FC Barcelona?

Surely, it's their plethora of midfield maestros.

Next on the list would have to be the wise wingers, followed by the fantastic forwards.

Finally, at the very bottom of the list are the dominant defenders.

Most people take defenders for granted. The precise reason for this article is to give the top defenders in Barcelona history some recognition for their achievements on the pitch.

So without further ado, here are the 10 "meanest" defenders in FC Barcelona history.

Carles Puyol

Jasper Juinen/Getty Images

Center-back Carles Puyol has spent his entire career with FC Barcelona.

He has been a pivotal part of the Catalan's defense since 1999, bullying the opposition for a remarkable span of 520 games.

Eric Abidal

David Ramos/Getty Images

French international Eric Abidal joined Barcelona from Lyon in 2007.

Since his arrival at the Camp Nou, Abidal has spent time at center-back and left-back. No matter where he plays, Abidal always shuts down that area of the pitch with his physical play and imposing figure.

Gerard Pique

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Pique, formerly of Manchester United, has established himself as one of the top defenders in Europe since leaving Old Trafford for the Camp Nou.

He may not be the most aggressive defender, but he always seems to get the job done and some.

 

Rafael Marquez

Denis Doyle/Getty Images

While at Barcelona, Marquez was widely recognized as one of the best defenders in Europe.

He played as both a defensive midfielder and a center-back, commanding the pitch with work rate and crunching challenges.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst

Denis Doyle/Getty Images

Giovanni van Bronkhorst, who is now retired, was one of the world's best left-backs when he played for the Catalan club.

Van Bronkhorst shut down the entire left side of the pitch for Barcelona from 2003-07 by utilizing his tremendous pace and mean tackling ability.

Albert Ferrer

Ferrer is yet another product of Barcelona's historic youth system.

The full-back made his first team debut in 1990. Between 1990-98, Ferrer established himself as one of the best right-backs in La Liga.

Aside from being one of the integral parts of the Dream Team, Ferrer was known for his blistering pace and tough tackling.

Sigfrid Gracia

Gracia played left-back for FC Barcelona from 1952-1966.

He was a model for consistency and can be best described as a gritty blue-collar performer.

Miguel Ángel Nadal

Miguel Angel Nadal made 208 league appearances for Barcelona between 1991-99.

Standing tall at 6'2", Nadal—like Migueliwas renown for his physical presence on the pitch.

As a result of his physical prowess, Nadal was nicknamed The Beast.

Migueli

Miguel Bernardo Bianquetti, commonly known as "Migueli", is arguably the best defender in FC Barcelona history.

He played for the Catalan's from 1973-88, tallying 27 goals in 548 games in all competitions.

Migueli was nicknamed Tarzan for the vast physical strength he displayed on the field.

Joan Segarra

Segarra played for Barcelona from 1949-1964 and frequently bossed the game in central defense for the Catalan conquerors.

He is widely renown for being the captain of "Barça of the Five Trophies."