The Brazil international provided some spectacular moments during his two years in England to become a fan-favourite at Eastlands
'The Barclays'. While the Premier League was technically sponsored by the aforementioned bank between 2001-16, the period which is so wistfully looked back upon by fans of a certain vintage is the first decade of the 2000s.
After its initial emergence in 1992, the English top-flight enjoyed a secondary boom in popularity following the turn of the millennium, as overseas television deals and a secondary influx of foreign stars gave the league a truly global appeal. It played host to a number of the games modern icons, too, with Cristiano Ronaldo, Thierry Henry and Didier Drogba among those who lit up the Premier League on a weekly basis.
When fans refer to 'The Barclays', though, it is not those household names they are referring to. Instead it is the players who were largely in the background when it came to being headline-grabbing, but were seen as key cogs in the Premier League machine by die-hard fans, while still able to produce moments of magic on occasion.
These players have come to be known as the 'Barclaysmen', but what made them so beloved, and what became of them once their Barclays life was over? Here at GOAL, we will endeavour to find out with our latest series, 'Ultimate Barclaysmen'.
Back in the 'Barclays' era, Manchester City were not the club they are today. Pre-Abu Dhabi takeover, City had recently worked their way back into the top-flight having fallen as low as the third tier during the 1990s. But having re-established themselves at the top table, in 2007 they sought out a Brazilian midfielder by the name of Elano who would go onto spark life back into a club that was struggling for a 21st Century identity…
Getty ImagesWhere he came from
While it is true to say that Elano was a pre-takeover signing, City had already developed some expensive tastes by the time he arrived. They had former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson at the helm, and he had been heartily backed by since-disgraced owner Thaksin Shinawatra.
A spending spree saw the likes of Vedran Corluka, Martin Petrov, Benjani Mwaruwari and infamous flop Rolando Bianchi come through the doors at the City of Manchester Stadium, which had yet to be renamed to the Etihad.
Elano signed in an £8 million deal from Shakhtar Donetsk and was undoubtedly a coup. He was a regular in the Brazil squad, having earned 15 caps, and had shone for his country against Argentina a year previous when scoring a brace in a 3-0 win, while he had also played an important role in the Selecao's Copa America triumph in the summer of 2007.
At Shakhtar, meanwhile, he had proven remarkably effective, contributing 37 goal involvements in 79 games, and so his price appeared to be something of a bargain.
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Those suspicions were confirmed as Elano took to Premier League football like a duck to water. Seldom do fans see players arriving from leagues such as Ukraine’s top-flight adapt with such ease, but the Brazilian was something of a one-off.
City won each of their first three Premier League games of the 2007-08 campaign, even beating Manchester United 1-0 thanks to a goal from Geovanni, and an assist from Elano.
Perhaps Elano’s most famous Barclays moment, however, proved to be his first Premier League goal in a 3-1 win over Newcastle in late September. Looking for some breathing space with a narrow advantage, City were awarded a free-kick 30 yards from goal. Elano stepped up, and instead of trying to curl it around a sturdy-looking wall, he aimed for the top corner on the goalkeeper’s side. Not only did he hit the target, the helpless Shay Given appeared to dive after the ball slammed into the back of the net, such was its power.
The midfielder followed that strike up with a brace against Middlesbrough the following week. His first was another dipping long-range drive that found the bottom corner, while his second was a delicate free-kick that was curled over the wall.
Elano also scored a brilliant goal against Boro at the end of the campaign, as he shimmied away from two defenders on the edge of the box and once again rifled the ball into the top corner. City were 7-0 down at the time, though, and lost the game 8-1 as Eriksson was relieved of his duties.
Amazingly, Elano was more than a silky No.10; in April 2008, he played at right-back in a 3-1 win over Portsmouth and earned a standing ovation for his performance in an unfamiliar role.
AFP'The player in our side with fantasy'
His ability to play at right-back and his willingness to do so led to fulsome praise from Eriksson, who claimed at the time that the “real Elano is back”. During a critique of his performances towards the end of the season, the Swede even appeared to stumble on the perfect way to describe the playmaker.
“Elano is the player in our side with fantasy, the player who can see things that others maybe cannot. He can score goals too.”
The problems began, though, when Robinho arrived the following summer, as City were taken over by Sheikh Mansour and a brand-new financial reality was ushered into Eastlands. The former Real Madrid star spoke highly of Elano – “a friend” with whom he would share dinners in Manchester – and even admitted that he begged City not to sell him.
"I am very sad to see Elano go because he was a team-mate and has been a friend for many years," Robinho said in the . "I understand the decision but I always believed that he would be part of this project. I never believed the rumours and I will miss our dinners and meetings. I wish and believe that Elano will be king at his new club.”
Getty Images SportMoving on
Having been a creative fulcrum in 2007-08, Elano managed just 21 league starts to the following campaign, and he didn't take his demotion down the pecking order lying down.
After City lost to Tottenham in November 2008, Elano, who was an unused substitute, questioned why manager Mark Hughes was consistently leaving him out without explaining his reasoning.
"In the last week I have been left out of two games," Elano said. "I don't know why, and I think that the Manchester City fans have a right to know. That's why I'm here publicly saying to the fans, and the people at the club who like me, that I'm very disappointed and sad. When I am playing I know what he (Hughes) wants, but when I come off there is nothing from him."
City, at the time, were one point above the relegation zone and Hughes responded by fining the player £50,000. The Welshman claimed that he was willing to work with Elano, but the midfielder would complete 90 minutes just five more times that season.
Eventually, in the summer of 2009, Elano was sold to Galatasaray for £8m, meaning City made their money back on a player who contributed 18 goals and 11 assists in 80 games across all competitions.