Picking Dream Team Lineups for Barcelona vs. Manchester United Legends Game
Some games just seem to scream history, genius and plenty clashes of titans, and that's what fans will be expecting when Barcelona host Manchester United in June at Camp Nou, per the Spanish club's website.
This, however, is no pre-season friendly: Instead, it's a legends fixture, with ex-players from both clubs taking part and proceeds from the game going toward Barca's charity, the Barcelona Foundation, with a return match at Old Trafford scheduled for September.
Ex-players are rife at both clubs, and even legends have been made in plentiful supply. But who would make the most interesting spectacle to watch right now? Still with ability, mobility and that in-built will to win? Which legends would make up the ultimate dream team this year?
We've picked an XI for both sides, comprised of ex-players who are no longer with a professional club—so no Xavi, Cristiano Ronaldo et al—but still in good physical shape to take to the field as closely as possible as they used to—so no Diego Maradona or Ronaldo Lima.
GK: Francesc Arnau
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Legendary goalkeepers in the post-Andoni Zubizarreta era weren't in plentiful supply at Barcelona, but taking into account who would still do a good job, Francesc Arnau is our pick.
After finally making his way into the team before leaving for Malaga, Arnau only retired a few years ago and has since remained at the Andalucian club in a coaching and directorial capacity. An underrated stopper in his time, he's beaten off competition from the likes of Ruud Hesp and Vitor Baia thanks to being younger and remaining involved in the game.
RB: Albert Ferrer
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Albert Ferrer was a tremendous right-back, playing over 200 games for Barca and being a regular for Spain throughout the '90s.
Since retiring, he has been a manager at the likes of Cordoba and Mallorca, with minimal success so far, but he was always an energetic player up and down the flanks, and at 46, with plenty of time on the training pitch in his managerial roles, he'll still have enough in the tank.
CB: Carles Puyol
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No question that Carles Puyol could still do a shift in defence; at 38, he's one of the youngest players involved in our legends selections, and he only retired three seasons ago.
Puyol's energetic approach was as famous as his curly hair and aggressive aerial approach for a relatively small defender; we're confident Barca's back line would be in good hands with him on the team once again.
CB: Abelardo Fernandez
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Alongside Puyol is Abelardo, until recently the manager of Sporting Gijon.
His physique on the sidelines in La Liga hasn't been all that different to his stature during his playing days: stout but strong, short but aggressive. His powerful defensive displays and ability in the air—despite being under 6' tall—made him a standout for almost a decade at Barca.
LB: Eric Abidal
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Another recent retiree, Eric Abidal quit the game in 2014 and is still only 37.
A powerful figure for Barcelona at left-back, he dominated that side of the team until a liver tumour curtailed his involvement—though he fought back to recover fitness and play on for Barca, Monaco and Olympiakos.
Between Puyol and Abidal, there's another "youth" in the defence to hold firm against the finest attacks.
DM: Pep Guardiola
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Even at age 46, there are still plenty who look at Pep Guardiola standing on the sidelines and believe he'd slot straight into any midfield, with the mobility and assured touch he always displayed for Barcelona.
Well over a decade in the first team at Barca had already made him a hero before his managerial exploits with the club; there's no question he fits legendary status, and he'd captain our Barcelona XI.
CM: Deco
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If Guardiola provides some defensive resilience and grit in the middle, Deco matches the skipper for a first touch and an ability to caress passes the width and length of the pitch.
Perhaps slightly deeper in our team than he usually featured for Barca, but the former Portugal international was a great source of goals for his team, and we're looking for more ball-playing than ball-winning from our late-30s players!
CM: Rivaldo
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At 44 years of age, Rivaldo is one of the elder statesmen...yet he only retired from professional football in 2015 after a meandering end to his career.
Thanks to that longevity, there's no question he'd still bring energy to the middle of the park as well as his outrageous skill set, and we're expecting a few efforts from long range, too.
WF: Luis Figo
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Playing as a "winger" might be a little beyond some of our legends, at least in the manner they used to be seen in, but Luis Figo at 44 could still do a passable job in getting past defenders, we're willing to bet.
He might have ended up moving to Real Madrid—and had a pig's head thrown his way for his troubles—but Figo remains one of the best wide forwards to have graced La Liga and has a rightful place in this team.
WF: Ronaldinho
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Ronaldinho hasn't officially retired, but he has been without a club since 2015, taking part only in friendlies and charity games since then.
That match fitness will come in handy, then...and so will his still-exciting approach to the game, his individualism and his incredible skills. At 36, it's a fair bet he'd still be one of the top performers in our fixture.
CF: Thierry Henry
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Thierry Henry only hung up his boots in 2014, and the 39-year-old still looks as though he could tuck the ball away on a regular basis. We're making use of whatever pace and movement is left by using him centrally, rather than on the left as he usually played for Barca.
Up until his retirement, Henry still netted regularly for New York Red Bulls, and his professional approach to the game was in evidence until his final fixture.
We're banking on him for goals, and he's likely to find them.
GK: Fabien Barthez
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Over to United, then, and the man tasked with stopping Ronaldinho, Henry and Co. is Fabien Barthez.
The French goalkeeper is 45, slightly younger than alternative option Edwin van der Sar, but we're also selecting him for probable concentration and athleticism reasons: After retiring from football, Barthez took up motor racing and will compete in this year's Le Mans 24-hour race.
RB: Gary Neville
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Fans of either English or Spanish football will know what Gary Neville has been up to since retiring: The pundit-turned-manager-reverted-to-broadcaster is always busy, but above all else, he has been a regular on the training pitch, coaching England and managing Valencia.
He's a cert for our team, for ability as well as for a familiar look about the back line.
CB: Rio Ferdinand
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Thirty-eight-year-old Rio Ferdinand is another who has swapped his playing days for broadcasting work, but only two years on from retirement, it's a fair bet he's still in good shape.
Ferdinand has the athleticism to cope with Henry and the ability to pass out from defence—and we've given him a partner he'll be used to playing with, too.
CB: Nemanja Vidic
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Nemanja Vidic takes the second centre-back slot ahead of Jaap Stam, as he's both younger and more likely to resume a top-drawer partnership with Ferdinand.
Vidic left Inter Milan only one year ago, retiring at age 34, and we don't doubt for a second that he'd be more than capable of resuming at the same level, bringing his aerial dominance and aggression to United's team.
LB: Gabriel Heinze
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Talking of aggression, our left-back option won't lack for it either: Gabriel Heinze not only spent time with United but also with Real Madrid, the biggest rivals of Barcelona.
Heinze played a more reserved variation of full-back than we usually see from the more offensive full-backs at United, but up against Ronaldinho or Figo, perhaps that's not the worst idea. He'll keep them quiet with a tackle or two.
RM: David Beckham
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While Barca's team is in a 4-3-3, we line United up in a 4-4-2 with a very familiar-looking midfield, starting with David Beckham.
It's hard to find a more in-shape ex-player, judging by his regular photoshoots, and despite Beckham being 41, we're confident he can still deliver a killer ball from wide; after all, his game was never reliant on pace.
CM: Paul Scholes
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United might have to chase the ball around somewhat in the centre if Guardiola, Deco and Rivaldo all start to show their technique, but Paul Scholes never hid from that work.
The odd late tackle, a few defence-splitting passes of his own and maybe a late run into the box, and Scholes will be thinking he can still run the midfield at 42. He had two spells at United as a player, after retiring initially; perhaps a big performance here can convince manager Jose Mourinho he can still play a role. Or maybe not.
CM: Roy Keane
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Roy Keane is 45, so it's not the youngest of midfield partnerships for United, but Keane still looks every inch as though he'd willingly take possession back 20 times a match, by fair means or foul.
The bearded skipper of our United team, Keane might not fancy chasing the triangles of passing he'd be up against, but he certainly wouldn't leave much room for Deco to spray passes through in dangerous areas.
LM: Ryan Giggs
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Ryan Giggs is the United equivalent of Rivaldo: Now aged 43, but he is only three years past his retirement date.
It's a fair bet Giggs would still operate to the same level he did in his latter days on the team—not really a flying winger any more but a clever mover off the ball, a willing runner and a player to ensure his team kept possession. Maybe even the odd slaloming dribble, still.
CF: Ruud van Nistelrooy
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He's 40 years old and still probably one of the best finishers on the planet.
Ruud van Nistelrooy can be sure of getting plenty of service from those behind him, and he rarely needed more than two touches to get a shot away inside the box; he's not up against the tallest defenders in Puyol and Abelardo and a big strength of the Dutch striker's was his aerial prowess.
United's route to goal?
CF: Dimitar Berbatov
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He might not work hard enough to fill in as a fifth midfielder, but Dimitar Berbatov takes the second-striker role for his ability to drift between the lines, suddenly take a player out of the game with a clever movement and his dual skill set of creating and scoring goals.
Berbatov has been without a club since the end of last season, when he left PAOK, and the 36-year-old is one of the many players on the pitch who could conjure a moment of magic to win the game.
So, which set of legends are you backing?
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