Barcelona's most memorable cult heroes in the Champions League
In this article we shine a spotlight on two of the most notable Champions League cult heroes across the European history of Barcelona. Whether it be important goals or standout moments, we highlight those players responsible for some of the biggest moments across Barca's time in the Champions League.
Ivan Rakitić
Croatian Ivan Rakitić spent six seasons at Barcelona, but his accomplishments in the first of those six campaigns is what earned him cult hero status at one of the biggest clubs in the world. Rakitić was part of a squad who completed a treble in the 2014-15 season with his biggest contribution coming on the biggest stage, the Champions League final.
Luis Enrique's Barcelona faced off against Juventus in Berlin and it was Rakitić who struck a decisive early blow. In just the fourth minute, his left footed shot from inside the box nestled into the back of the net, setting the tone for an eventual triumph by three goals to one, sealing Barcelona their fifth Champions League title.
Rakitić was always capable of popping up with key goals for Barca, always the mark of a cult hero and those Champions League exploits will never be forgotten.
Samuel Eto'o
You could argue that Samuel Eto'o, one of the greatest African footballers of all time perhaps doesn't get the acclaim that he deserves for his exploits at Barcelona, mainly because he played in a side that included the likes of Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi. But the all-time leading scorer for Cameroon was an incredible player at Barcelona, a natural goalscorer who found the net 31 times for the La Liga side in the Champions League.
One of those goals came at the most important time possible from a Barca standpoint. Trailing by a goal to nil against ten-man Arsenal in the 2005-06 Champions League final, Having drawn the first half foul that had seen Gunners goalkeeper Jens Lehmann sent off, Eto'o popped up with a crucial equaliser in the 76th minute, with Frank Rijkaard's side going on to score a winning goal four minutes later through Juliano Belletti.
Many Barca fans would find the label 'cult hero' as slightly disrespectful to Eto'o, seeing him as far more than that. Indeed, some would prefer that tag to go to Henrik Larsson, the Swedish striker and former Celtic legend who assisted Belletti's winning goal after coming off the bench.
But the title shouldn't be deemed disrespectful. Eto'o should be seen not only as a cult hero, but also an excellent forward for Barcelona, who goals helped them conquer Europe through the Champions League.
