Leaving Barcelona to join Real Madrid is a bold move, and the reverse mirrors that courage. Facing social scorn for such a betrayal requires real nerve, a test of character that some players pass with flying colours and others stumble under the weight of expectation.
There have been many who crossed between the two clubs, for reasons sport and money alike. Each transfer told its own story. Yet only eleven players make the definitive lineup of the ideal team forged from both camps.
Some earned the undying contempt of their original supporters, with Luis Figo standing out as the most famous case. The Portuguese winger became the symbol of a high-profile betrayal. Below is a list of the 11 classic traitors. Which ones still linger in your bad memories?
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He anticipated the consequences of moving from Espanyol to Barcelona in 1919. After returning from a tour with the national team, a salary dispute with Barcelona led to a demand that was rejected. Espanyol tried to re-sign him, but a law barred a player from switching clubs without the consent of the origin club. In 1930, Real Madrid paid 100,000 pesetas to acquire him. He earned the nickname the divine for his prowess.
DEFENSES
BERND SCHUSTER
Eight years at Barcelona and a pattern of transfers that felt like treason. He began as a libero in his early days and joined Barcelona from Cologne in 1980. His time there included a rapid rise followed by a swift departure at age 23 after a hiccup with a canceled appearance due to a family event. Tensions with the press and coaching staff, combined with internal clashes, pushed him toward Real Madrid in 1988, where he joined the famed Quinta del Buitre. A later switch to Atlético de Madrid in 1990 widened the rift with Barça. At Barcelona he collected a European Cup Winners’ Cup, two League Cups, a Spanish Super Cup, three Copa del Rey titles and a League crown. At Madrid, two trophies, plus a Copa del Rey and a Spanish Super Cup.
ALBERT CELADES
In the absence of many emblematic defenders in this vein, Celades’ name appears due to his cross‑club moves. Emerging from Barcelona’s youth system, he played in the first team from 1995 to 1999, with a chance debut against Real Madrid. A stint at Celta followed, but in 2000 the betrayal materialized as he joined Real Madrid. He won two trophies with Barça and two with Madrid, including a Copa del Rey, a Spanish Super Cup and a European Cup. In Madrid he also claimed the European Cup and the Intercontinental Cup, while Barcelona added a Cup Winners’ Cup alongside those honours.
LUIS ENRIQUE
Not a conventional defender, yet there was a spell in Madrid where he operated as a left back. With abundant midfield talent around him, he remains a central piece in this narrative. In 1991 he moved from Sporting to Real Madrid, contributing quietly over nearly five years in the Spanish capital. In 1996 he returned to Barcelona, where he became a symbol and captain until 2004. With Madrid he won one League, one Copa del Rey and one Spanish Super Cup. With Barcelona he claimed two leagues, two Copa del Rey titles, one Spanish Super Cup, one Cup Winners’ Cup and the European Super Cup. Later, he would coach Barcelona to three titles in the 2014/15 season and is noted for his current role as a coach at PSG.
MIDFIELDERS
JOSEPH SAMITIER
A Blaugrana legend, nicknamed the Magician and the Lobster Man for his deft touch and craft. He was a cornerstone of the flourishing Barça era in the 1920s, a period of triumph across Spain and Catalonia. He racked up five Spanish championships, twelve Catalan titles, and helped inaugurate Spain’s first league campaign in 1928-29, tallying 326 goals. He stood second in Barça’s all-time scoring list and led the club in Copa del Rey goals with 63. In 1933 he moved to Real Madrid amid financial pressures, where he won a league and a cup in two seasons.
MICHAEL LAUDRUP
Signed by Barcelona in 1989 to fulfil Johan Cruyff’s vision, Laudrup flourished in the Dream Team of the early 1990s, one of three foreign stars alongside Koeman and Stoichkov. Yet his future took him to Real Madrid between 1994 and 1996. The White Club valued him for the glory he helped achieve at Camp Nou, including the 1992 European Cup and a string of successive trophies. His departure came as Cruyff shifted policy away from foreigners with Romario’s arrival, reducing his role. He left for Japan in 1996 after a brief stint elsewhere.
LUIS MILLA
Promoted from Barça’s youth ranks in 1988, Milla became a fixture in the first team before crossing to Real Madrid in 1990. He stayed there until 1997, earning two trophies and two Spanish Super Cups plus a Copa del Rey. He also claimed honours with Barça across Europe, including a European Cup II and the Copa del Rey.
LUIS FIGO
Capital letters betray the drama here. Figo arrived at Barcelona in 1995 as a marquee signing and captured the affection of fans with his talent. He collected two trophies, two Copa del Rey titles, a Spanish Super Cup, and European honours. Yet Florentino Pérez honored his 2000 pledge and Figo moved to Real Madrid, sparking intense animosity from Barça supporters. He endured insults and objects thrown at him during Camp Nou visits. In Madrid he added two trophies, a Spanish Super Cup, the Champions League, the European Super Cup and the Intercontinental Cup.
FORWARD
RONALDO
Barcelona secured a striking talent from PSV who soon lived up to the hype. As a Barça forward he won a Spanish Super Cup, a Copa del Rey and a European Cup Winners’ Cup, earning the Pichichi with 47 goals in 49 games and lifting the Ballon d’Or in 1997 before moving to Inter. He later joined Real Madrid, adding league titles, a Spanish Super Cup, an Intercontinental Cup and a European Super Cup to his collection. His goal avalanche continued, though questions about his fitness lingered. He later joined AC Milan as part of a broader career arc.
JAVIER SAVIOLA
A prolific Barcelona goalscorer who eventually moved to Madrid. He netted 73 times in 172 games for Barcelona before stints at Monaco and Sevilla. In 2007 he joined Real Madrid, then briefly returned to Barcelona for a few minutes. While not always a starter under certain coaches, he still left a mark with a handful of titles at both clubs and a Spanish Super Cup tally shared across sides.
SAMUEL ETO’O
Even as a youngster in Real Madrid’s youth system, he faced limited playing time. A loan spell at Mallorca saw him emerge as a key goal threat, and a move to Barcelona followed. From 2004 he became a defining figure for Barça, winning multiple honours under Pep Guardiola. His early time at Madrid and the subsequent move to Barça created a lasting clash in the fanbase. Eto’o helped Barça collect several honours, including two Champions Leagues, two Spanish Super Cups and a Copa del Rey. A brief, controversial return to Madrid later did little to quiet the chorus of reaction from supporters.
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ENTER
COACH
JOSE MOURINHO
The Portuguese coach remains a vivid figure in football memories, famous for his fiery sideline presence and his stint guiding Barcelona under Louis van Gaal, even managing the reserve team during his Barcelona years.
Other ‘traitors’
Daniel García Lara, Alfonso Pérez, Gheorghe Hagi, Miguel Soler, Julen Lopetegui, Fernando Muñoz García, Robert Prosinecki, Lorenzo Amador, Lucien Muller, Fernand Goyvaerts, Jesús Pereda, Evaristo Macedo, Justo Tejada, Hilario Juan Marrero Pérez, Alfonso Navarro, R Rozitsky, Arsenio Comamala, Alfonso Albeniz, José Quirante, Charles Wallace and Luciano Lizarraga.
Note: this compilation reflects well-known club-crossing narratives in football history, as cited at the time by Goal.