The Quintessential LaLiga 'Streets Won't Forget' XI

The long wait for club football's return had us thinking about some old names...

Goalkeeper: José Pinto

While simultaneously operating as a hip-hop music producer and record label founder, Pinto was locking down LaLiga strike forces for fun in the early 2000s. The Andalusian shot-stopper only conceded 29 goals in the 37 games he played for Celta Vigo in the 2005/06 season, which equates to an incredible goals-per-game ratio of just 0.78. These Zamora Trophy-winning efforts earned him a move to Guardiola’s famous Barcelona, where he spent six years before retiring, mainly being used as Víctor Valdés’ backup.

Defender: Sergio Ballesteros

Sergio Ballesteros was an ultimate Spanish top-flight journeyman, but his best days came in the colours of Levante. While already known as a tidy, reliable defender, Ballesteros attracted media attention in 2011 when, as a 36-year-old, the Spaniard raced after Cristiano Ronaldo in the 90th minute of a game. Defending a slender 1-0 lead against Los Blancos, the Spaniard outpaced CR7 and swept up magnificently, which is the reason why he makes this list. Check the clip out here:

Defender (not really): Marcos Senna

The number of midfielders that can make this list has forced Senna into a makeshift back-three, but the Brazilian-turned-Spaniard’s sound defensive abilities would cause no issues for this fantasy team. Often hailed as the true unsung hero of Spain’s EURO 2008 triumph, Marcos Senna acted as the engine of La Roja and also a certain Yellow Submarine, where he spent over a decade as a player and is now part of the club’s directors.

Defender: Carlos Marchena

Carlos Marchena spent most of his career at Mestalla, winning five major club trophies (including two LaLiga titles), but the Andalusian also succeded on the international stage, winning the World Cup AND the European Championship with his country. He was known for his combative and aggressive playstyle, mastery of the dark arts, and his staggering total of 13 career red cards in the Spanish premier division. The streets won’t forget this world-class defender, but neither will the attackers he came up against.

Midfielder: Gabi

He wasn’t a midfielder that you would see on the scoresheet often, but his importance to the teams he played for was paramount. Not only could Gabi eloquently sweep up, but he was renowned for his dictatorship over the play ahead of him, which he boasted regularly during his 429 LaLiga appearances. Despite never getting to represent La Roja at senior level, Gabi was able to win domestic and continental silverware with Atleti.

Midfielder: Rubén Baraja

Now the manager of Valencia, Baraja was once marshalling the middle of the park at Mestalla in the club’s most famous team. Prior to his famous decade-long stint on Spain’s east coast, Baraja broke through at Real Valladolid before transferring to Atlético Madrid. Baraja was a true todoterreno, a jack of all trades, one that could put in a firm challenge, arrive into the box late to find a goal and also pick a pass from deep.

Midfielder: Pablo Aimar

You can’t have one without the other; Baraja and the iconic Aimar together composed one of the best LaLiga midfields we have ever seen. Also currently building a managerial career, the Argentine was an eye-catching number ten who loved to utilise his small frame to slalom through defenders and orchestrate offensive moves. A young Lionel Messi stated in 2002 that Aimar was one of his biggest influences as a player.

Left-Midfielder: Guti

Guti was originally a striker, but his technical expertise and versatility allowed him to develop himself into a successful playmaker who could play anywhere across the midfield. Madrileño born-and-bred, Guti grafted through Real Madrid’s cantera and worked his way into the first team, where he shone in a team full of galácticos. Despite his trophy cabinet being inundated with silverware, Guti’s playing career was littered with injuries and off-the-field trouble, with the latter eventually creeping into his coaching career.

Right-Midfielder: Ludovic Giuly

The Frenchman’s stint in Catalunya was somewhat short but the impact he had on his team was massive and nowadays underappreciated. He was Barcelona’s second-top scorer in the 2004/05 season with eleven goals, helping the Blaugrana end a six-year wait for the LaLiga title. While Samuel Eto’o and Ronaldinho were the headline-grabbers of the Rijkaard era, Giuly played a huge part in catalysing Barça’s renaissance.

Striker: Raúl Tamudo

Having captained Espanyol for over a decade, Raúl Tamudo is an icon at the Catalan club. After working through the youth ranks, Tamudo played 340 games for Los Pericos, winning two Copa del Rey titles and becoming the club’s all-time top goal scorer with 140 goals. He is also the scorer of one of the most famous goals in Spanish football history, the Tamudazo, which was scored against Espanyol’s arch-rivals Barcelona on the last day of the 2006/07 season, giving the title to Real Madrid.

Striker: Dani Güiza

Dani Güiza has a similar story to that of Jamie Vardy, as the forward finally bloomed at the ripe age of 27 when he was crowned LaLiga top goalscorer with Mallorca, subsequently earning himself a spot on Luis Aragonés’ European Championship-winning La Roja. Güiza netted 27 goals in 37 games in the 2007/08 season without scoring a single penalty, propelling Mallorca to seventh in the LaLiga standings that season.

Yes, we know, you’re probably screaming names at your device right now… we’re sorry. There are infinite amounts of players that fit into this category as there have been so many entertaining LaLiga cult heroes over the years. Only eleven have made it to this list, but there’s nothing stopping us from doing another list in the future!

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