Exclusive: Javier Saviola names his biggest 'unsung hero' at Barcelona who often went 'unnoticed' next to Lionel Messi

Former Barcelona and Real Madrid forward Javier Saviola played with the likes of Lionel Messi and Ronaldinho but claims one ex-Barca star, who was pivotal to the club’s success, went unnoticed.

Saviola, 43, had the honour of playing for Spain’s biggest clubs and was even included in Pele’s FIFA 100 – a list featuring the Brazilian’s greatest living footballers – back in March 2004.

The now-retired forward featured alongside several of his South American counterparts, including 1978 World Cup winner Mario Kempes, legendary Brazilian forward Ronaldo Nazario (R9) and arguably the greatest of them all, Diego Maradona.

At the time, the Buenos Aires-born forward was playing for Barcelona and returned impressive stats of 19 goals and seven assists in 46 appearances for the Blaugrana in the 2003/04 campaign.

Little did he know that a diminutive Argentine called Messi would make his Barca debut in October of that year and change football forever.

Saviola played alongside Messi, 37, on 11 occasions for the La Liga outfit and the Argentina national team.

Barcelona's 'unsung hero'

Aside from Messi, the 2004 Olympic gold medallist boasts an impressive list of former teammates, including Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Ronaldinho, but named another former Barcelona midfielder as the biggest ‘unsung hero’ he shared a pitch with.

“For me, it’s Sergio Busquets,” Saviola exclusively told SPORTbible on behalf of casino.org.

Saviola never played with Busquets, 36, but did face him on two occasions when he was at Malaga during the 2012/13 campaign.

“He’s an outstanding, spectacular player with intelligence far beyond the norm,” Saviola added.

“When you watch his matches—whether at Barça or now at Inter—you realise how naturally he plays, making difficult things look simple.

“Many times, he goes unnoticed because he has such a low profile, but his impact on the game is massive.

“Sometimes, he plays extraordinary matches, but when you’re in a team with players like Xavi, Iniesta, or Messi, they are the ones who get the attention because they’re the ones scoring goals.

“People do appreciate how incredible he is, but I don’t think he always gets the recognition he truly deserves.”

Xavi and Javier Saviola were Barcelona teammates (Credit:Getty)

Move from Barcelona to Real Madrid

Arguably the most controversial period during Saviola’s career came in 2007 when he took the little-trodden path from Barca to Madrid.

Other examples of those who crossed the divide are Michael Laudrup, Gheorghe Haji and most famously Luis Figo in 2000.

Figo, 52, arrived at the Camp Nou on October 11, 2000, as a Real Madrid player and was subjected to verbal abuse by sections of the Barcelona supporters who threw objects at him throughout the game.

Before the fixture, he had told Spanish outlet MARCA that he felt like he was being “treated like a murderer”.

So, having played 208 matches for Barca, why did Saviola sign for Madrid?

“When my contract with Barça ended, the opportunity to sign for Real Madrid arose—another giant at a global level,” Saviola explained.

“I didn’t think too much about it because I wanted my career to keep progressing, to continue at top clubs, which is what every footballer strives for.

“The best thing that can happen when you come to Europe is to maintain continuity. When Madrid showed an interest, I couldn’t turn down the chance to be part of their history. So, we quickly started the transfer negotiations.

“Being a Real Madrid player opens doors all over the world. That year, we had the opportunity to win LaLiga and make history. From the moment you arrive at the club and play your first match, you can feel and live a unique sense of history.”

The Argentine made 31 appearances for Los Blancos before leaving in 2009. Stints at Malaga, Olympiacos, Verona and River Plate followed before becoming assistant coach at Andorran Premier League side Ordino in 2016. He has since worked as Barca's Under-19 coach during the 2022/23 campaign.

Javier Saviola in action for Real Madrid (Credit:Getty)