Barcelona’s stunning defeat to Russia’s Rubin Kazan in Champions League action yesterday had an immediate effect on the rankings of many of its leading players, with goalkeeper Víctor Valdés having to cede his leadership on the FTBL list to rival Iker Casillas of Real Madrid.

The first goal against the Catalans came as early as in the 2nd minute, as Valdés was clearly caught flat-footed by Aleksandr Ryazantsev’s long-range drive.

The Russians’ early success clearly weighed down on the Catalans throughout the game, and the defeat cost Valdés more than 10 rating points on the FTBL system. He is now in 2nd place in the world ranking with a tally of 11.44 points, while Casillas has moved to the top with 119.02 points.