10 greatest players in La Liga history ranked - Do Messi and Ronaldo make the cut?

#8 Francisco Gento - Real Madrid

Francisco Gento

Franciso “Paco” Gento has the distinction of being the most decorated footballer in the history of Real Madrid, with 23 major trophies to his name, won during an 18-year-long spell with the Santiago Bernabeu outfit.

Much like Santillana, Gento also started his footballing career with Racing Santander before earning a move to Real Madrid at the age of 20. In the next 18 seasons, The Gale of the Cantabrian Sea, as he was known, rewrote Spanish history books like few have done since or before him.

The current honorary president of Real Madrid, Gento, won a record 6 European titles with the club having featured in a joint record right European Cup finals. And it does not end here, the 83-year-old won 12 La Liga titles during his time with Los Blancos – yet another record, which won’t be broken anytime soon.

The Spaniard made over 600 appearances for the Madrid giants, scoring 178 goals, playing as a wide forward on the left-hand side.

The winger was not only known for his lightning fast speed, with some claiming that he could complete 100metres in under 11 seconds, he was equally skillful and quick with the ball at his feet.

Considered by many to be one of the greatest Spanish players of all time, the Gale of the Cantabrian Sea, helped the Spanish national team win their first ever major international honour, when they won the 1964 European Championship.

Gento features on this list at 8th position with 467 points to his name.