The unavoidable happened on the penultimate day of the summer transfer window in 2010 when Mascherano signed a four-year deal with Barcelona. He played in 27 of the 38 league fixtures as Barca retained their domestic title with 96 points and also played in eleven Champions League matches including the Wembley final at the end of May when the Catalans blew Manchester United away with a wonderful display of slick, confident football. His joy was unconfined though as he finally exorcised the demons of his previous final appearance in this competition, for Liverpool in Athens in 2007. Mascherano told the watching world "To win the Champions League for any footballer is the top title" to which he poignantly added "I know that Liverpool supporters after my exit were a little bit sad with me so this is for them as well." Now being accustomed to playing centre-half rather than a holding midfielder Mascherano made 52 first-team appearances for Barcelona in 2011/12. The Catalans surrendered the League title to Real Madrid after holding it for three seasons. But there was consolation for Mascherano in the form of the Copa del Rey, won 3-0 by Barcelona against Athletic Bilbao. Mascherano was part of Barca's historic start to the 2012/13 season, though he found himself spending a few games on the bench. Ulimately, though, he still played in twenty-five La Liga matches and that was easily enough to give him another winners' medal. He also appeared eight times in the Champions League and six times in the Copa del Rey.
Mascherano played in 28 of Barcelona's 38 La Liga matches in 2013/14 as the Catalans finished runners-up to Atletico Madrid. He also appeared in 7 of Barca's 9 Copa del Rey matches including the final which Real Madrid won 2-1 at Valencia's Mestalla Stadium in the middle of April. Mascherano continued to play as a central defender for his club but was still used occasionally as a defensive midfielder by his country. Early in June 2014 he signed a four-year extension to his club contract which tied him to Barcelona until 2018 unless another club was prepared to pay the around eighty million pounds that was included in a buyout clause to the new contract. He marked the following season with another Champions League medal, playing the whole 90 minutes of the final against Juventus in Berlin and after playing 32 times in 2015-16 as Barca won the league his contract was extended until 2019. After almost seven years at the Nou Camp, Mascherano finally got on the scoresheet, from the penalty spot, in April 2017. He left for Chinese side Heibei Fortune in January 2018 and was included in Argentina's squad for that summer's World Cup. During the 2018 Chinese Super League season he made 26 appearances and remained there for 2019. In January 2020 he returned to Argentina, joining Estudiantes. The Covid 19 pandemic limited him to just eleven appearances and he announced his retirement from playing the end of that year. In November 2021 he was appointed coach of the Argentina Under 20 side.
Liverpool paid £1.6 million to get him on loan in January 2007 with a view to a permanent transfer in 2008 when Liverpool paid the £17 million required to complete his move.
Season | League | FA | LC | Europe | Other | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Totals | 94 | 5 | 2 | 38 | 0 | 139 |
2006-2007 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 11 |
2007-2008 | 25 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 41 |
2008-2009 | 27 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 38 |
2009-2010 | 34 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 48 |
2010-2011 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Apps | Minutes | Opponent |
---|---|---|
10 | 930 | Chelsea |
8 | 678 | Arsenal |
7 | 597 | Manchester City |
6 | 540 | Tottenham |
6 | 491 | Manchester United |
5 | 450 | Aston Villa |
5 | 445 | Wigan Athletic |
5 | 443 | Blackburn Rovers |
5 | 400 | Everton |
5 | 397 | Fulham |
4 | 367 | Atletico Madrid |
4 | 360 | Middlesbrough |
4 | 344 | Bolton Wanderers |
4 | 315 | Portsmouth |
4 | 288 | West Ham United |
4 | 287 | Sunderland |
4 | 279 | Hull City |
3 | 270 | Stoke City |
3 | 270 | Marseille |
3 | 270 | Reading |
2 | 180 | PSV Eindhoven |
2 | 180 | Toulouse |
2 | 180 | Porto |
2 | 180 | Lyon |
2 | 180 | Lille |
2 | 180 | Unirea Urziceni |
2 | 180 | Benfica |
2 | 180 | Real Madrid |
2 | 180 | Birmingham City |
2 | 178 | Newcastle United |
2 | 174 | Inter Milan |
2 | 166 | Besiktas |
2 | 141 | WBA |
2 | 93 | Debrecen VSC |
1 | 90 | Burnley |
1 | 90 | Wolves |
1 | 90 | Sheffield United |
1 | 90 | Charlton Athletic |
1 | 90 | Leeds United |
1 | 87 | Havant |
1 | 86 | Fiorentina |
1 | 82 | Preston North End |
1 | 78 | AC Milan |
1 | 77 | Derby |
1 | 17 | Luton Town |
1 | 3 | Cardiff City |
Total | Started/substitutions |
---|---|
132 | Started |
18 | On the bench |
7 | Substitute |
29 | Substituted |
Total | Venue |
---|---|
70 | Away |
68 | Home |
1 | Neutral |
Total | Competition |
---|---|
94 | Premier League |
30 | Champions League |
8 | Europa League |
5 | FA Cup |
2 | League Cup |
Total | W | D | L | Win % | Manager |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
138 | 76 | 36 | 26 | 55.1% | Rafa Benítez |
1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0% | Roy Hodgson |
Liverpool paid £1.6 million to get him on loan in January 2007 with a view to a permanent transfer in 2008 when Liverpool paid the £17 million required to complete his move.
Season | League | FA | LC | Europe | Other | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Totals | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
2006-2007 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2007-2008 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
2008-2009 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2009-2010 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
2010-2011 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | Opponent |
---|---|
1 | Unirea Urziceni |
1 | Reading |
Total | Started/substitutions |
---|---|
2 | Started |
0 | Substitute |
Total | Competition |
---|---|
1 | Premier League |
1 | Europa League |
Total | Goal minute period |
---|---|
2 | 16-30 minutes |
Total | Goal origin |
---|---|
2 | Open play |
Season | League | FA | LC | Europe | Other | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Totals | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 7 |
2006-2007 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2007-2008 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
2008-2009 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
2009-2010 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
2010-2011 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Total | Opponent |
---|---|
1 | Derby County |
1 | Leeds United |
1 | Chelsea |
1 | Arsenal |
1 | Benfica |
1 | Real Madrid |
1 | Wigan Athletic |
Total | Competition |
---|---|
3 | Premier League |
2 | Champions League |
1 | League Cup |
1 | Europa League |
Total | For player |
---|---|
2 | David N'Gog |
2 | Fernando Torres |
1 | Yossi Benayoun |
1 | Andrea Dossena |
1 | Dirk Kuyt |
# | Date | Against | Stadium | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 24.02.2007 | Sheffield United | Anfield | League |
50 | 30.04.2008 | Chelsea | Stamford Bridge | Europe |
100 | 17.10.2009 | Sunderland | Stadium of Light | League |
# | Minute | Date | Against | Stadium | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 19 | 15.03.2008 | Reading | Anfield | League |
Declan Sloan has put together a complete record of every South American player to wear the famous Red Jersey, from Mauricio Pellegrino in 2005 to newly recruited Roberto Firmino.
Liverpool Echo press report on Liverpool - Blackpool on 02.10.2010.
The Guardian on 17 March 2009.
An article from Daily Mail on El Jefe.
A comment on Javier Mascherano in The Guardian in April 2007
Article by Lee Clayton in the Daily Mail on 1st of February.
The Observer match report on Liverpool - Sheffield United on 24.02.2007.
An article from The Times on 31st of January 2007.
"[Laughs] No, but I know the words – the one about Momo Sissoko, Xabi Alonso, Gerrard and Mascherano. I can hear them sing it and it makes me feel good. Like you said, I've been here just six months, so to have the fans sing my name already is just great. The Liverpool fans are fantastic – I have never seen anything like them at Anfield. No other fans sing like them, it's incredible."
The fans sing that we've got the best midfield in the world. Can you sing it? Liverpoolfc.tv interview with Javier Mascherano.
There can be no more damning indictment of the problems earlier this season at West Ham than the current form of Javier Mascherano. Unappreciated, sidelined and ultimately unwanted in a team fighting for survival, the Argentinian has suddenly become pivotal at a club who are currently the bookmakers' favourites to become champions of Europe. After ending up in West Ham's reserves, Mascherano is also quietly re-establishing his reputation as one of the world's best young midfielders. "In the last games he has played really well - passing and moving the ball, keeping the ball in position and also tactically," said Liverpool's manager, Rafael Benítez. "He is 22 years old but he has 22 caps for Argentina - that's not easy."
A comment on Javier Mascherano in The Guardian in April 2007
The situation with Barcelona really affected me. It was a shame it didn’t happen as it was the city I wanted to live in. There were many discussions and problems during that month and a half. They were difficult times for me. One day I was off to Barcelona, the next I wasn’t. And Liverpool said I was non-transferable. Psychologically, it affected me as I couldn’t think in Liverpool and I was focused on other stuff and not on my work, my training and playing. Also we were having problems with Argentina as our qualification to the World Cup was in danger. There was a lot of complicated stuff at that time. I don’t do much stuff in my free time, that’s the truth. I could go to London with my wife to do some shopping but I have already been to London 1,000 times and if I want to go to another city I would have to take a plane.
What kills me about living in Liverpool is that there are only two Argentinians here with me, Emiliano Insua and Maxi Rodriguez. Insua and I live in a private neighbourhood. He lives in one tower and I live in the other. There are 15 metres between us and we used to look at each other through the window. Sometimes Zabaleta comes from Manchester but there is no way Carlos Tevez comes here. If I want to see him, I have to go to his place and knock on his door. He doesn’t like to leave his home. So during the winter, during those four or five months, I have to stay at home all day with my family. I have no problem living in Liverpool, but I think my wife and daughters deserve to enjoy every day to the full and live their lives – but they have to be at home all day. My wife doesn’t speak a word of English, so she depends 100% on me. I live here with them. That’s my world, that’s my life.
Mascherano complains in May 2010 about playing for Liverpool and living in the city
"I am awake at 4am designing a team. The selection? It's Javier Mascherano and 10 more."
When Diego Maradona was national coach of Argentina he counted on his captain, who he had appointed in that role a year earlier, as he revealed to Argentine TV.
Club | Season | Club rank | League apps | League goals | Total apps | Total goals |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
River Plate | 2003-2004 | Argentina 1 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
River Plate | 2004-2005 | Argentina 1 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
River Plate | 2005-2006 | Argentina 1 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Corinthians | 2005-2006 | Brazil 1 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Corinthians | 2006-2007 | Brazil 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
West Ham United | 2006-2007 | England Premier League | 5 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
Barcelona | 2010-2011 | Spain 1 | 27 | 0 | 45 | 0 |
Barcelona | 2011-2012 | Spain 1 | 31 | 0 | 52 | 0 |
Barcelona | 2012-2013 | Spain 1 | 25 | 0 | 41 | 0 |
Barcelona | 2013-2014 | Spain 1 | 28 | 0 | 46 | 0 |
Barcelona | 2014-2015 | Spain 1 | 28 | 0 | 47 | 0 |
Barcelona | 2015-2016 | Spain 1 | 32 | 0 | 51 | 0 |
Barcelona | 2016-2017 | Spain 1 | 25 | 1 | 40 | 1 |
Barcelona | 2017-2018 | Spain 1 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
Hebei China Fortune | 2017-2018 | China 1 | 26 | 0 | 27 | 1 |
Hebei China Fortune | 2018-2019 | China 1 | 27 | 0 | 27 | 0 |
Estudiantes | 2019-2020 | Argentina 1 | 7 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
Total | 270 | 1 | 408 | 2 |