Editing Javier Saviola (section)

===Barcelona===
In 2001, aged 19, Saviola moved abroad to play for [[FC Barcelona|Barcelona]] in a [[Pound sterling|£]]15 million transfer.<ref name=CDS/> He obtained [[Spanish nationality law|Spanish citizenship]] shortly after, thereby not being restricted by the Spanish league maximum on the number of non-[[European Union]] citizens allowed in each team; under coach [[Carles Rexach]], he scored 17 goals in [[2001–02 La Liga|his first season]], finishing joint-fourth top scorer in [[La Liga]].<ref name=BARCELONA>{{cite news|url=https://elpais.com/diario/2006/09/26/deportes/1159221604_850215.html|title=Saviola, de solución a problema|trans-title=Saviola, from solution to problem|newspaper=[[El País]]|first=Luis|last=Martín|language=es|date=26 September 2006|access-date=29 August 2018}}</ref>

[[File:Javier Saviola 15abr2007.jpg|thumb|left|Saviola with [[FC Barcelona|Barcelona]] in 2007]]
Saviola's [[2002–03 La Liga|second year]] at the [[Camp Nou]] did not start well, as he only scored two goals in the first half of the season. [[Radomir Antić]] became the new coach after [[Louis van Gaal]] was fired, and he went on to net eleven goals in the latter half of the campaign; [[Frank Rijkaard]] was subsequently appointed as new manager for [[2003–04 La Liga|2003–04]], and the player scored 14 times in the league alone, but was deemed surplus at the club as was longtime attacking partner [[Patrick Kluivert]].<ref name=BARCELONA/>

Saviola was sent [[Loan (association football)|on loan]] in the summer of 2004, moving to [[AS Monaco FC|Monaco]] in [[Ligue 1]]. As he did not fit into Rijkaard's plans, he was again loaned out the following year, this time to [[Sevilla FC|Sevilla]] who were seeking to replace [[Real Madrid C.F.|Real Madrid]]-bound [[Júlio Baptista]]; with the [[Andalusia]]ns he won his first title in Europe, [[2005–06 UEFA Cup|conquering]] the [[UEFA Europa League|UEFA Cup]] — he also scored nine times in the league, good enough [[2005–06 La Liga|for fifth]].

Saviola returned to Barcelona for [[2006–07 La Liga|2006–07]],<ref>[http://www.elmundo.es/elmundodeporte/2006/08/31/futbol/1157027406.html Saviola seguirá en el Barça aunque Rijkaard no cuenta con él (Saviola to continue in Barça even though Rijkaard does not want him)]; [[El Mundo (Spain)|El Mundo]], 31 August 2006 (in Spanish)</ref> playing in 18 league games, six as a starter, and netting five goals. He benefited greatly from injuries to teammates, most notably to [[Samuel Eto'o]], and added five in as many matches in [[2006–07 Copa del Rey|that season]]'s [[Copa del Rey]], notably a [[hat-trick]] against [[Deportivo Alavés|Alavés]] (3–2 win at home, 5–2 aggregate).<ref>[http://archivo.marca.com/edicion/marca/futbol/copa_del_rey/previaxcronica/es/desarrollo/707505.html El Barcelona golea sin problemas al Badalona y Saviola se aprovecha (Barcelona have no problems routing Badalona and Saviola seizes chance)]; [[Marca (newspaper)|Marca]], 8 November 2006 (in Spanish)</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121025103119/http://www.uefa.com/memberassociations/news/newsid=497539.html Sublime Saviola sinks Alavés]; UEFA, 17 January 2007</ref>