The champions of Spain and Greece meet in the UEFA Champions League this week, as Barcelona host Olympiacos at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium.
The sides have met just twice previously, with both of those matches taking place in the 2017-18 Champions League group stage. However the two do have plenty in common when it comes to past players, with some huge names have represented both clubs.
Five footballers who played for both Barcelona and Olympiacos
Giovanni
The mercurial Brazilian arrived in Europe from Santos in 1996, joining a Barcelona side with a proud history of celebrating his compatriots. He won back-to-back La Liga titles with the club and earned cult status for his penchant for scoring El Clasico winners against Real Madrid.
A well-documented fall-out with Louis van Gaal saw the midfielder depart for Olympiacos in 1999. Giovanni enjoyed the most successful period of his career in Greece, establishing himself as one of the club’s best ever players. He scored 97 goals in 201 games and claimed five league titles.
⏮️ Rivaldo 🤝 Giovanni 🔴⚪️#UECL || @olympiacosfc pic.twitter.com/B6aYuc0c39
— UEFA Conference League (@Conf_League) May 17, 2024
Rivaldo
At his peak with Barcelona, the finest footballer in the world. The brilliant Brazilian was named winner of the Ballon d’Or while with the Spanish side in 1999, having fired the Catalans to La Liga title success. That summer also saw Rivaldo top score at the Copa America, as Brazil claimed the continental crown.
He moved to Barcelona from Deportivo La Coruna and enjoyed a decorated five-year period, in which he scored 130 times in 235 games.
Rivaldo’s finest moment aarguably came on the final day of the 2000/01 season, when an incredible hat-trick sunk Valencia, sealing Barcelona’s Champions League qualification at their opponent’s expense.
#OTD…
🇧🇷🔥 Rivaldo netted a stunning hat-trick 🆚 Milan
2️⃣ of them were direct free kicks 😳 pic.twitter.com/CM88gBCOn5
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) October 18, 2023
After spells with AC Milan and Cruzeiro, he moved to Athens with Olympiacos. Three seasons delivered 43 goals in 95 games and three Super League titles, etching his name into the club’s history.
90s Hitmen: A left-footed force of nature, Rivaldo
Yaya Toure
Yaya Toure spent a single season at Olympiacos during a nomadic route to the top of the European game. The Ivorian took in short spells in Belgium, Ukraine, Greece and France before his big break arrived at Barcelona.
His three seasons at Barcelona brought huge success, including a La Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League treble in 2008/09. In total, Toure won seven trophies with the Catalans before leaving for Manchester City in 2010.
G⚽AL OF THE DAY
🔙 Just Yaya Touré making it look easy 🥱 pic.twitter.com/2XX6KW0UnI— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) January 21, 2023
Javier Saviola
El Conejo caught the attention of Europe’s top teams after winning Argentina’s Golden Boot while still only a teenager. Having been compared to Diego Maradona, Saviola signed for one of the Argentine icon’s former teams, Barcelona, in 2001.
Despite a strong start that saw Saviola break the 20-goal barrier in successive seasons, he failed to reach the initial heights expected across four seasons at the Camp Nou. He scored an impressive 70 goals in 168 games, but the club failed to win silverware during that period.
Saviola had stints at Monaco, Sevilla, Real Madrid, Benfica and Malaga before linking up with Olympiacos in 2013.
He scored 14 goals in 35 games, winning the Super League title, but left after just one season to join Hellas Verona.
Eric Abidal
Eric Abidal played a big role in a golden era for Barcelona, where he won four La Liga titles and two Champions League trophies across his six seasons in Spain.
A formidable and well-respected defender, health issues impacted his time with the club, with Abidal forced to undergo a liver transplant in 2012.
The former France international left Barcelona for Monaco in 2012 before concluding his career with a short spell at Olympiacos.
Read – Midfield Magicians: Yaya Toure – A marauding monster
See more – Iconic Performances: Rivaldo and the greatest hat-trick ever scored
