Fans of Henrik Larsson's return: "A great player"

"Few players in FC Barcelona's history has won the hearts of devotees in as little as Henrik Larsson" .

This is how Mundo Deportivo begins an article in Saturday's newspaper about the Swede's return to the club.

But when we enter a café with Barcelona shirts on the walls and tell that we are doing a report about Henrik Larsson, we are met with wondering eyes.

- Who then?

Henrik Larsson, he played here before. Attacker.

- He means Laaarsson, exclaims a colleague.

Yes, they remember him. He was good, they say.

We talk to passers-by outside the home arena Camp Nou. The season is over but a museum dedicated to the club and a three storey high souvenir shop still attracts visitors.

Most describe Henrik Larsson in much the same way. "A great player". And everyone answers about the same question about what they remember from Larsson's previous stay at the club: the Champions League final against Arsenal in 2006. Two goal-scoring passes. This is how you place yourself in the collective memory.

- I think he can bring hope, says 25-year-old Mar Mongrell from Zaragoza.

Like many other supporters, she is disappointed with the past year's performance. Just over a week ago, Barcelona were thrown out of the Champions League after an 8-2 loss to Bayern Munich. A hard blow to the self-image.

Maybe the former Barcelona players Ronald Koeman and Henrik Larsson can take back the winning mentality, many reason.

- He did not play very much but when he played he was brilliant, says 71-year-old Carlos Garcia who has followed Barcelona all his life.

But it is not Larsson's feeling for goals he remembers best.

- He chewed tobacco, you know.

Maybe it was snus, I ask, it is popular in Sweden .

But the answer does not work. Carlos laughs on.

- And he got one of the other players to test as well, but I'm not going to say who!

He opens a daily newspaper that contains the headline "King of kings" - Henrik Larsson's nickname in Celtic.

- I think it's a bit exaggerated. The king of kings here was Messi. But not anymore, he says.

Everyone agrees. Henrik Larsson's return coincides with a tough time for the club. The big question everyone is asking now is whether they will be able to get up again.

Mar Mongrell summarizes his thoughts:

- Larsson may be able to bring with him the will to fight and win titles. Because it's obvious it's not here right now.