Until the 94-95 season, Barça and other teams in the Spanish league played each game with numbers one to eleven. It was in the 95-96 season when fixed numbers were assigned, and each player wore the same number on their back throughout the course. Since then, twelve players have worn the number ‘2’, a number traditionally reserved for right-backs.
NEITHER KOUNDÉ NOR ERIC HAVE INHERITED CUBARSÍ’S NUMBER 2
In fact, only Pau Cubarsí and Martín Cáceres have worn this number in recent seasons without being right-backs. Both are central defenders, although Cáceres eventually adapted to a pure ‘2’, but in the few matches he played for Barça, he was part of the defense.
With Héctor Fort’s move on loan to Elche, Hansi Flick has two candidates for the position of right-back. Interestingly, both are adapted central defenders. Jules Koundé has already settled as a right-back, and Eric García has started the season with more prominence than expected in this position.
Curiously, both are wearing numbers with little glamour. The Frenchman has made number ’23’ his since joining from Sevilla, while Eric has been assigned ’24’. It is surprising that neither has asked to wear the ‘2’, a number associated with the position in which both compete to be starters.
NOT SO POSITIVE PRECEDENTS
In the last decade, Barça players who have worn the ‘2’ have not had much luck at the club. Portuguese player Joao Cancelo had an inconsistent spell with as many brilliant performances as disappointing matches. Previously, Héctor Bellerín returned to the club where he trained without being able to dignify a number meant for the starting right-back. His predecessor was Sergiño Dest, another promising player who went from strength to decline during his time at Barça.
Sergiño Dest arrived to fill the gap left by Nélson Semedo, who himself had never quite reached the high expectations that came with his signing. Semedo may not have been a star, but at least he delivered solid performances. That is more than can be said for Douglas Pereira, whose transfer remains one of the most puzzling in Barça’s modern history.
The Legacy of Offensive Full-Backs
Few can forget Dani Alves, the undisputed best right-back Barça has had this century. His attacking brilliance and relentless energy set a standard that has proven almost impossible to match. Martín Montoya inherited Alves’ iconic number 2 shirt between 2010 and 2013, but he could never come close to replicating the Brazilian’s influence.
Before that, Martín Cáceres wore the number 2 during the 2008-09 season. Interestingly, the year before (2007-08), nobody chose to take the shirt, making it the last time in 18 seasons that the number 2 was left unused in Barcelona’s squad.
Juliano Belletti was another memorable figure to wear the number. Barça fans will forever remember him as the hero of Paris in the 2006 Champions League final, when his goal sealed victory against Arsenal. Belletti stood out as an offensive right-back, inheriting the shirt from defenders who had played in a much more traditional, defensive style for more than a decade.
A Position With Deep Roots
In the 70s and 80s, players such as Gerardo Miranda, Pepitu Ramos, Tente Sánchez, Torito Zuviría, and Quimet Rifé all took turns wearing the number 2 shirt. Unlike the more adventurous full-backs of later years, they were trained in systems like the 3-4-3, where defensive responsibilities were strict and attacking freedom was rare.
The 1960s brought one of the greatest right-backs Barça ever had: Julio César Benítez. The Uruguayan was far more than a defender, with the technical quality of a midfielder or even a forward. Tragically, he remains the only Barcelona player to have died while still active at the club, passing away in mysterious circumstances on April 6, 1968. His legacy, however, is still remembered with deep respect.
Going further back, names like Zabalo, Seguer, and Ferran Olivella also stood out as reliable right-backs, giving the number 2 shirt a rich history long before modern football transformed the role.
A Cursed Number?
In recent years, the number 2 has been seen almost as a cursed shirt at Barcelona. Too many signings have failed to live up to expectations when wearing it. Yet, for much of Barça’s history, the players who carried this number brought pride to a position that is often undervalued.
Perhaps one day, the right-back role at Camp Nou will once again find a player who can restore the magic of Dani Alves, honor the memory of Benítez, and finally lift the so-called curse of Barça’s number 2.
*** Credit: Jaume Marcet from ‘Sport’
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