Players to have played for both Barcelona and Bayern Munich

Two of the biggest clubs in Europe, there have been a number of distinguished players to have represented both Barcelona and Bayern Munich during their careers.

We take a look at the most notable names to have turned out for both the Catalan and Bavarian giants.

Robert Lewandowski

If one was to think of any player to have represented both Barcelona and Bayern Munich, Polish sensation Robert Lewandowski is likely to quickly come to mind.

Signing for Bayern Munich from rivals Borussia Dortmund on a free transfer in the summer of 2014, Lewandowski went on to enjoy eight decorated years in Bavaria - accruing eight successive Bundesliga titles.

In 2019/20, Lewandowski was Bayern's main man as the Bavarians won their sixth UEFA Champions League title following a 1-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the Lisbon final.

Hitting a total of 55 goals in all competitions for Bayern in this Treble-winning campaign overseen by Hansi Flick in 2019/20, Lewandowski is widely adjudged to have been robbed of the prestigious Ballon d'Or award after it was cancelled amidst the global pandemic.

Notching a sensational 344 goals in 375 games, Lewandowski departed Bayern in the summer of 2022 as the club's second all-time scorer behind the legendary Gerd Muller.

Seeking a fresh challenge at the age of 33, Lewandowski opted to join another of Europe's heavyweight clubs in the form of Barcelona.

Lewandowski has been able to defy his age in Catalonia, firing Barcelona to the La Liga title in 2022/23 and continuing to represent one of the most prolific goalscorers in Europe.

The focal point of a youthful Barcelona side featuring La Masia products such as Pedri, Gavi and Lamine Yamal, Lewandowski has kept himself in immaculate shape to maintain his goalscoring prowess both domestically and in Europe.

Thiago Alcantara

Another of the most memorable players to have showcased their talents for both Barcelona and Bayern Munich is the technically gifted Thiago Alcantara.

Rated as one of the best La Masia academy graduates of his generation, Thiago became blooded into the Barcelona first team at a time in which the Catalans were at the peak of their powers under Pep Guardiola.

Although proving a valuable squad player at Barcelona, and picking up a UEFA Champions League and four La Liga winners' medals, Thiago was unable to force his way past the phenomenal midfield triad of Sergio Busquets, Xavi and Andres Iniesta.

Electing to move on to pastures new, Thiago was able to instantly reunite with old boss Guardiola who was now manager of Bayern Munich.

With the Catalan tactical genius immediately rolling out a new possession-oriented, tiki-taka approach at Bayern, Spain international Thiago starred in the middle of the park for the Bavarians.

Thiago won the Bundesliga title in each of his seven seasons at the club, with a UEFA Champions League crown arriving along the way in 2020.

Mark van Bommel

Former Dutch international captain Mark van Bommel is another high-profile name to have played for both Barcelona and Bayern.

Catching the eye as part of an impressive PSV Eindhoven side which reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League in 2004/05, Van Bommel signed for Frank Rijkaard's Barcelona on a free transfer in the summer of 2005.

Although the Dutchman would only be at Barcelona for one season, it was a hugely successful one - winning the double of La Liga and the UEFA Champions League under the auspices of compatriot Rijkaard.

Fresh from UEFA Champions League glory, Van Bommel would make the switch to another European giant in the former of Bayern Munich the following summer.

A tough-tackling midfielder, Van Bommel proved an instant hit at Bayern Munich, and became the first non-German club captain in 2008 following the retirement of Oliver Kahn.

Across his five years as a Bayern player, Van Bommel won two Bundesliga titles and two DFB-Pokals, but the Dutchman narrowly missed out on the UEFA Champions League in Bavaria as Inter overcame the German giants in the 2010 final in Madrid.

Philippe Coutinho

It takes a significant amount of talent to be signed by both Barcelona and Bayern Munich, and Brazilian technician Philippe Coutinho had bundles of it.

Developing into one of the best players in the Premier League under Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, La Liga giants Barcelona splashed out a mammoth fee of around £142m to bring Coutinho to the Camp Nou in 2018.

However, perhaps burdened by the vast nature of his transfer fee, the attacking midfielder struggled to meet expectations at Barcelona.

Although he won two La Liga titles and one Copa del Rey trophy in his first two seasons, Coutinho became increasingly dispensable at Barcelona before being loaned to Bayern Munich ahead of the 2019/20 season.

The former Brazil international was to play a telling role in a record-breaking season for Bayern, with the Bavarians completing the Treble of the Bundesliga, UEFA Champions League and DFB-Pokal.

Bayern's quarter-final victory over Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League was particularly memorable, with Coutinho remarkably registering two goals and an assist against his parent club in an 8-2 drubbing at the Camp Nou.

Arturo Vidal

Enjoying a terrific career both at club level and for his country Chile, Arturo Vidal was amongst the best midfielders in Europe at his peak.

Winning four successive Scudettos during his time at Juventus, Vidal was snapped up by Pep Guardiola's Bayern Munich for £25.9m in 2015.

A tigerish, all-action midfielder, Vidal spent three seasons at Bayern - winning three Bundesliga titles and one DFB-Pokal to continue a seven-year streak as a national champion.

A switch to La Liga with Barcelona was next for Vidal ahead of the 2018/19 season, with his sensational winning streak going on as the Catalans were crowned La Liga winners under Ernesto Valverde.

After eight years as a league champion across three countries, Vidal's incredible run would end in the 2019/20 campaign as Zinedine Zidane's Real Madrid beat Barcelona to the La Liga title.

Other players

• Mark Hughes
• Patrik Andersson
• Pepe Reina
• Joao Cancelo

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