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Five Football Legends Who Played For FC Barcelona and Inter Milan
Claudio Villa / Contributor/ Getty Images

FC Barcelona vs Inter Milan will be one of the two semifinals of the Champions League this season. The two clubs are European giants and are the only ones out of the four remaining teams to have won the Champions League.

The two have faced off on multiple occasions and have delivered classics. What is interesting is that legends of the game have represented both clubs in the past. Here are five players who played for both Barcelona and Inter in the past.

Samuel Eto'o

The Cameroon striker is regarded as one of the best strikers of the century, as he ironically made a significant impact for both Barca and Inter. He played a total of 199 games for FC Barcelona and played 102 games for Inter Milan. 

He scored 130 goals for Barca, while at Inter he scored 53 goals. Eto'o may be the most influential player to play for both clubs as he won a treble for both teams back to back. Eto'o won the treble with Barcelona in the 2008/2009 season under Pep Guardiola.

In the summer of 2009, he joined Inter Milan and then won the treble with the Italians in the 2009/2010 season under Jose Mourinho. Both fan bases are very appreciative of the striker, who is a legend for both clubs. 

Ronaldo Nazario

Regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, Ronaldo Nazario has played for many European giants throughout his career, including Barcelona and Inter. He made 49 appearances for the Catalan side, but for Inter, he made 99 appearances. Ronaldo scored 47 goals for Barcelona, and for Inter, he scored 59 goals.

The Brazilian made a bigger impact for Inter as he helped the team win the UEFA Cup in the 97/98 season, a year after winning the Ballon d'Or. At Barcelona, Ronaldo was already seen as the next 'great of football' as he performed amazingly at the age of 20.

Coincidentally, he played for the fierce rivals of both teams. After playing at Barcelona, he moved straight to Inter. After his time at Inter, he joined Real Madrid. After Los Blancos, Ronaldo decided to join AC Milan in 2007.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Arguably the most confident man in football history, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, is known to have played for multiple clubs throughout his career. The Swedish striker played a total of 117 games for Inter, the third highest amount of games played for any club in his career. He featured in 46 games for FC Barcelona.

He scored 66 goals for Inter Milan and scored 22 goals for Barcelona. Ibrahimovic won three league titles for Inter and one league title with Barca. His time in Spain did not last long, but in Italy, he not only played for Inter but for their rivals, AC Milan.

Luis Figo

Another football legend who played for both of these clubs is Luis Figo. The Portuguese attacker was a Ballon d'Or winner in 2000, a year which, to many, saw one of the most controversial transfers in football history. 

Figo joined FC Barcelona in 1995 and played a total of 249 matches for them. He scored 45 goals and provided 90 assists. He then joined Real Madrid after his time at Barca, but after being a 'Galactico', he joined Inter Milan. He played 140 matches for the Italians, where he scored 11 goals and provided 34 assists. 

Arturo Vidal

The Chilean midfielder was a crucial player for big clubs in Europe, and while his time at Barcelona and Inter was short, he made his presence known. Arturo Vidal played 96 games for FC Barcelona, scoring 11 goals and providing 11 assists.

Vidal played 71 matches for Inter, where he scored four times and provided six assists. The midfielder won La Liga for Barca in the 2018/2019 season. He won the Scudetto with Inter two seasons later, in the 2020/2021 season. 

Player Barcelona Years Inter Milan Years Notes

Samuel Eto'o

2004–2009

2009–2011

Won back-to-back trebles with Barcelona and Inter

Ronaldo Nazário

1996–1997

1997–2002

Starred for both; won Ballon d'Or before joining Inter; key in Inter's UEFA Cup win

Zlatan Ibrahimović

2009–2010

2006–2009

Won titles with both; longer and more successful spell at Inter

Luis Figo

1995–2000

2005–2009

Ballon d'Or winner; controversial Barcelona to Real Madrid move before joining Inter

Arturo Vidal

2018–2020

2020–2022

Won La Liga with Barcelona and Serie A with Inter

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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