5 Great Players to Have Represented Both Barcelona and Atletico Madrid
Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are set to meet at Camp Nou in La Liga on Sunday in what will be a repeat of last season's title-deciding game at the same venue in the final week of the 2013-14 campaign.
In a thrilling affair that afternoon, Diego Simeone's side came back from 1-0 down to level the game and hang on for a draw that secured a historic league title for Los Colchoneros.
Among those celebrating with the visiting Atletico Madrid players that day was David Villa, the former Barcelona star who won league titles with the Blaugrana in 2010-11 and 2012-13.
Across the following slides, we look at five players who represented both clubs during their distinguished careers.
Bernd Schuster
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Representing Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid in the same career is a rare feat. And it's one Bernd Schuster achieved.
A gifted midfielder, the German moved to Spain to join Barcelona in 1980 and was the team's central figure for almost a decade.
In that time, Schuster helped the club collect eight major trophies, including the league crown in 1984-85 and three Copa del Reys.
In 1988, the midfielder made the controversial switch to Real Madrid, who were dominating the game in Spain at the time. In both his seasons with Real, Schuster claimed the league title.
He made the switch to Atletico in 1990, but he couldn't continue the success, as his team was consistently thwarted by Johan Cruyff's Barcelona.
Eusebio Sacristan
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Unlike others on this list, Eusebio Sacristan didn't spend equally long stints at both Atletico Madrid and Barcelona.
He played his only season with Los Colchoneros in 1987-88 before heading to Camp Nou for what would be a fruitful period for the Catalan club.
Johan Cruyff took the reins at Barcelona and established what became known as the Dream Team. Eusebio was a critical component of that team in midfield, helping the Blaugrana lift the European Cup for the first time in 1992 and four consecutive league titles between 1991 and 1994.
In total, Eusebio played 403 games for Barcelona, per the club's official website, and combined with his stints at Valladolid, Atletico and Celta Vigo, he made 543 appearances in La Liga.
Since retiring, the former midfielder has moved into management and returned to Barcelona to coach the B team.
Julio Salinas
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Like Eusebio, Julio Salinas joined Barcelona at the beginning of Johan Cruyff's storied spell in charge in Catalonia in 1988.
A tall striker with exemplary touch, he arrived at Camp Nou with a strong reputation after impressive stints at Athletic Bilbao and Atletico Madrid. In the Basque Country, he lifted the league title in consecutive years, in 1983 and 1984.
But it was in Barcelona where Salinas made his name, becoming a prolific scorer in Cruyff's Dream Team and helping the club to capture 10 trophies in six years, four of which were consecutive league crowns between 1991 and 1994.
In total, he scored 152 goals in La Liga, per Barcelona's official website, but he eventually found himself pushed out of the team by other attacking stars such as Hristo Stoichkov, Jose Mari Bakero, Txiki Begiristain and Michael Laudrup.
He went on to have spells at Deportivo La Coruna, Sporting Gijon, Yokohama Marinos and Alaves
Miguel Reina
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Miguel Reina (pictured being rounded by Bayern Munich's Uli Hoeness in the 1974 European Cup final) is the father of Pepe Reina, the Spain international and former Liverpool goalkeeper now plying his trade at Bayern Munich.
After beginning his career with Cordoba, Reina moved to Barcelona in 1966 and enjoyed a seven-year spell at the club. During the 1972-73 season, he went 824 minutes without conceding a goal—a record that stood until Victor Valdes' strong run in the Barcelona goal in 2011-12, according to the club's official website.
At the end of that season, Reina moved to the Spanish capital to join Atletico Madrid, who were then the defending champions. In his first season with Los Colchoneros, Reina reached the European Cup final against Bayern Munich, but he was on the losing side after the contest went to a replay that Atleti lost 4-0.
Before his career was over, Reina claimed the Copa del Rey in 1976 and the league title in 1977.
David Villa
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David Villa is somewhat unique on this list. Despite being regarded as one of the finest forwards of his generation, he is most renowned for his feats with Valencia and the Spain national team, even though he represented both Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.
Indeed, between 2005 and 2010, Villa was the star attraction at the Mestalla and also enjoyed stunning success with Spain at Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup.
In the summer of 2010, Villa moved to Camp Nou to join a Barcelona outfit that was already the dominant force in Europe.
After a strong first season, the player suffered a broken leg in late 2011 and was sidelined for eight months—a layoff that essentially ended his time as a prolific forward.
When he returned in 2012, Villa wasn't the same player he once was, and in 2013, he was sold to Atletico Madrid.
In his only season at the Vicente Calderon, he was part of the team that remarkably lifted the league title under Diego Simeone, who masterminded a stunning campaign to edge out Barcelona and Real Madrid.
