21.05.2010 11:24

Barça number 7’s

Vanessa Forns / Manel Tomàs

David Villa will wear the famous number 7 shirt at FC Barcelona after a season without anyone having it as he became the first new signing ahead of the 2010-11 campaign.

The last star to lay claim to the number was Icelandic international forward Eidur Gudjohnsen who arrived in 2006-07 and took it over from previous incumbent Henrik Larsson. Since Gudjohnsen’s departure last summer the number has not been used.

The original

Historically, the number 7 has been filled by highly technical and gifted players who all had an eye for goal. According to the records the first player in the position was Francesc Cruzate although 1899, although originally shirts did not have numbers on.

Upto 1995

It was not until the 1948-49 season that numbers came in with all the players numbered from 1 to 11 only and no squad numbers involved. Traditionally, the number 7 was associated with the right wing, but that all changed in 1995-96 when each player was able to choose his own number and keep it for the entire season whether he played or not.

Famous names

Before the squad number era there were a number of legendary stars to have worn the number 7 at Barça on a regular basis including Vicenç Piera (1920-1933), Martí Ventolrà (1933-1937), Estanislao Basora (1946-1958),Carles Rexach (1965-1981), 'Lobo' Carrasco (1978-1989), Alan Simonsen (1979-1982) and Andoni Goikoetxea (1990-1994).

Figo first

The first player to choose number seven on a permanent basis when squad numbers came in was Luis Figo, who kept it between 1995 and 2000. Alfonso took it up during the 2000-01 season and he was followed by Javier Saviola (2001-04) before Larsson (2004.-06) and then Gudjohnsen (2006-09).