Heroes, for some. Villains, for others. In Spain, donning the Barcelona shirt and then moving to the Santiago Bernabeu can be taken as high treason.
Luis Figo is perhaps the best remembered case of this: the virtuoso midfielder left the Blaugrana after a lucrative offer from the Merengues. He became an undisputed starter under Vicente del Bosque and, when he returned to the Camp Nou during a Clasico, he was greeted with insults - in Portuguese, Spanish and Catalan - pamphlets and a pig's head thrown from the stands.
Figo is undoubtedly the most storied player to have defended the two colours with the biggest rivalry in La Liga. However, 31 players have played in El Clásico for both teams. Luis Enrique, the former Spain coach, experienced the opposite situation to Figo: he left Real Madrid without much fanfare and then became a Culé. For these reasons, when the RFEF chose him as coach of La Roja he generated tension in the most radical wing of Madridismo.
Michael Laudrup, on the other hand, caused Catalan fans' emotions to run high when, after winning a European Cup, three La Liga titles, a Spanish Super Cup and a European Super Cup, he opted to join Real Madrid. The Dane, loved by some, hated by others, became a 'shadow' legend at the Camp Nou: in Madrid he only won one league title and gradually lost prominence in the face of competition in his position.
While Laudrup confronted the Culés' hearts with his break-up, Samuel Eto'o gave the Merengues a dose of their own medicine. In Madrid, the Cameroonian did not score a goal. He made seven appearances in two seasons. He was underrated and, unsurprisingly, left the Bernabeu through the back door. He returned to Espanyol, where he didn't find his best level either. But in Mallorca, his third attempt in La Liga, he did find a space to show his virtues.
After four seasons, Eto'o signed for Barcelona. His figures at Camp Nou are enviable: 199 games, 130 goals and 41 assists. In Catalonia he won everything and, moreover, he got a well-deserved revenge when he visited the Bernabéu and scored against Iker Casillas in a Clasico.
Football is uncertain. Every time the Culés feel they have taken revenge on Madrid, the Chamartín side come up with a plan and show that the battle is not over. Ronaldo could be one of the most painful 'vendettas' for Barça: the Brazilian played one season in Barcelona. He scored 47 goals, made 9 assists. His figures were positive. However, the Barça board opted to sell him: Inter was his destiny. He was crowned World Cup champion in 2022 and, after shining in the competition, he signed for Real Madrid.
Nowadays, there is a player who defends a shirt when he came through the lower divisions of his rival: Marcos Alonso. In Real Madrid's youth ranks he did not get minutes and was eventually loaned to Bolton. He spent a season at Fiorentina, then he wore the shirt of Sunderland for a year. Fiorentina picked him up and, in Italy, he shone for three seasons; stood out for qualities such as striking from outside the box, passing accuracy and technique on the ball. He signed for Chelsea, won everything, and ended up signing for Barça last summer.
Alonso arrived at Camp Nou as an alternative. After less than six months in the squad, he became more than a complement and his versatility has allowed Xavi to fill in for the absences in defence.
