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Real Madrid has the best strategies, the best players with the best skills but the game is tougher as any player who gets to play week in and week out in the field for Real Madrid should be exceptionally good. There are big fishes in this sea and one needs to be a shark to survive here. Real Madrid wants to dominate the world and Ronaldo gives us a glimpse by scoring four goals in the first two games of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Real meaning Royal in Spanish was bestowed on the club by King Alfonso XIII, thus the royal crown in their emblem. They did enough justice to the trust bequeathed to them and matched with the expectation held for them as well. They never shied away from expensive football transfers or hesitated to push their players a little more leading to having the best players to have donned the field in their club.
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Alfredo di Stefano
Going down memory lane, one of Alfredo di Stefano's well-circulated picture in Google is that of him sitting on a field with five golden cups sprawled in front of him. The look in his eyes is that of achievement and gratitude at the same time. He is best known for his versatility. Put in any part of the field, he did his best and was kicking people's butts in the attack, defense, and midfield. He was fluid in meeting the team's needs and won two Ballon d'Or, 5 European Cups, and 8 La Linga titles.
Francisco Gento
Since we are already down the memory lane let’s talk about la Galerna del Catabrico (the Gale of the Cantabrian Sea)! Francisco Gento, known to be as fast as the ball itself was bestowed this nickname during his peak game. He is known to be one of Spain's greatest player and it is said that Ronaldo or Messi are secretly thankful that he is retired now for he is a superior threat to any fellow footballer. He holds the unmatched record of winning the European Cup 6 times with Real Madrid. After he left football for retirement, football refused to leave him and he became a coach for lower league teams and later became an ambassador of Real Madrid in Europe.
Zinedine Zidane
As I pen down this article, I see a kid in the park overlooking my building, doing roulettes with his football. In football, it is not just a roulette but it is known famously as Zidane roulette. Zinedine Zidane, a midfield attacker showed magic on the field. His mercurial movement, agility, and his artsy motions across the field were a sight to watch! He not only bought style but also few Intercontinental cups and UEFA cups along with it. This French footballer or should I say magician has now taken up the position as a coach for Madrid to spread his Midas touch.
Emilio Butragueno
Emilio Butragueno aka The Vulture was famous for leading the Quinta del Buitre (The Vulture Squad) along with Rafael Varquez, Manolo and the like. Amongst huge footballers, he was comparatively a small guy but his swift movement and ball control were mind-blowing. With 123 goals in his pocket, Emilio Butragueno is a force to reckon with.
Sergio Ramos
If you think Neymar influenced hairstyles, think again. Sergio Ramos' sleek yet trendy haircut along with his football skills was the talk of the town for decades. Known for his last-minute goals, Ramos has few La Linga titles and UEFA Champion League titles under this belt. He has acquired the La Liga's best defender title few times and is regarded as one of the best defenders in the world.
Hugo Sanchez
Hugo Sanchez with stereotypical curly hair is one of the greatest footballers of the 20th century. His name also popped up in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players. He is known as the 6th greatest goal scorer in Real Madrid's history. With a golden shoe in his showcase, Hugo takes the comfort that his record in La Linga was only to be broken by Messi very recently. He celebrated every goal with summersaults breaking into his inner gymnast now and then.
Raul
Rebelling against retirement Raul scored his 448th and final goal. As a captain, he won six league titles, three European cups, and two intercontinental cups. Raul proved that you need not be perfect to be the best. Raul himself was not the most perfect footballer. His debut was a disaster and his slightly hunched demeanour made people question his abilities. But he proved everyone wrong with the confidence he exuberated and showed that a person's temperament can give hand to talent. He always worked on minimizing his flaws and that was what made him go up the ladder.
Cristiano Ronaldo
The man who overtook him was Cristiano Ronaldo. While speaking of Raul, it would only be an offence to Ronaldo if he didn’t follow him. It is obvious that Ronaldo had always considered Raul as his role model and number one. Cristiano Ronaldo was said to be one of the most expensive football transfers done by Real Madrid and he did enough justice by bringing home few trophies his way. Ronaldo is in no doubt one of the greatest players of Real Madrid just for the plain reason that he spun around the team to bring back its relevance in Europe. When Ronaldo entered the team, the team was in shackles. With great skills and leadership qualities he gave the team a chance to win and led the way to victory.
Casillas
The second most capped player after Raul is Iker Casillas. Casilla's goalkeeping abilities are unmatched for and it is true that Real Madrid named him as the "best goalkeeper in our history" on their website. Iker won 18 trophies under Real Madrid to prove this. His lightning-fast reflexes, impeccable pitch guarding abilities and his spectacular saves fetched him the nickname San Iker or Saint Iker.
Luis Figo
The last mention is going to the most controversial player in Real Madrid's history. Luis Figo is one such player who has played in both the Spanish rival clubs (Barcelona and Real Madrid). His transfer to Real Madrid was a shock and was welcomed with such hatred that people were seen throwing things at him from ripe tomatoes to live pig heads! Keeping aside the politics and the contentions, Figo was indeed one of the best players. From UEFA Super cups, Spanish Super cups, UEFA Champion League and Intercontinental cups, he got it all. Though he is a footballer to reckon with, his transfer to Real Madrid created great animosity and till this date thinking of Figo always left a bittersweet taste in the hearts of fans.
