5 players who did not deserve to play for Real Madrid

Despite the recent emergence of Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) as continental heavyweights, it will take them an eternity to replicate the feats of Real Madrid. Since their inception in 1902, Los Blancos have never failed to assert their dominance over their rivals. On top of that, Real Madrid have done so whilst boasting some of the most glittering rosters in the history of football.

Real Madrid have been home to some legendary players over the years

Popular for their ability to produce results on the European stage, Los Merengues successfully put their stamp on the competition early on. They remarkably won five consecutive titles in the tournament's inaugural stages, sweeping the prize money every season between 1955-1960. At the center of that unplayable Real Madrid team were legends like Ferenc Puskas, Paco Gento, Raymond Kopa and the evergreen Alfredo Di Stefano.

While the men in white did experience a drop-off in the late 80s, they re-announced themselves after the 2000s. Real Madrid procured several high-profile acquistions like Figo, David Beckham, Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos and Zidane as part of their 'Galactico' project.

However, arguably their best achievement came under Zidane's managerial reign, with Real Madrid achieving the Champions League three-peat between 2016-2018. Again, their success was helmed by generational talents like Luka Modric, Toni Kroos, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Despite having harbored several gems of the game over the course of time, Real Madrid have a track record of employing mediocre players from time to time. A number of underwhelming signings, coupled with lackluster academy talents, have resulted in several undeserving footballers donning their prestigious jersey. On that note, let's take a look at five players who did not deserve to play for Real Madrid:

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#5 Royston Drenthe

Drenthe had a calamitous fall from grace

In 2007, Royston Drenthe was the hottest property in football, having bagged the MVP award at the U-21 Euros that year. As a result, the Feyenoord graduate was courted by every elite European club. Real Madrid deemed themselves lucky when they finally landed the youngster's signature for a reasonable fee of €14 million.

However, Drenthe's fall from grace was as rapid as his rise. While his 26 appearances in his debut campaign with Los Blancos showed little promise, Drenthe was given the benefit of the doubt due to his tender age.

Drenthe's early potential at Feyenoord turned out to be a false positive as the Dutch midfielder was never able to muster any kind of consistent form. After just four goals in five years, Real Madrid decided to cut their losses short and released the supposed prodigy in 2012. Now 34, Drenthe plays for Racing Murcia in the Tercera División (below fifth tier) of Spanish football.

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#4 Jonathan Woodgate

Woodgate has turned to management after retirement

The perfect example of how not to start your career at a new club, Jonathan Woodgate was once regarded as one of the most promising English defenders of his era. Having spent time in the Middlesbrough academy, Woodgate got his first taste of professional football with Leeds United.

The Whites were European regulars at the time, with Woodgate fitting convincingly into the squad. However, the youngster had started displaying fitness issues from a very early stage. Unaware of their initial impact, Woodgate would go on to surrender his budding career to a bucket load of injuries.

Despite his patchy fitness record, Real Madrid forked out €18.3 million for the Englishman's services in 2004. Due to a long-term injury, it took Woodgate 17 months to make his debut for Los Blancos. Fans had been waiting patiently for the first touch of their new signing.

Instead, they were treated to a 66-minute long horror show, as Woodgate was given his marching orders, not before scoring an own goal. With just 14 appearances under his belt, he was sold to Middlesbrough for half the price Real Madrid paid to acquire him.

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#3 Luca Zidane

Real Sociedad v Real Madrid CF - La Liga

The second oldest son of Real Madrid legend Zinedine Zidane, Luca Zidane has followed in his father's footsteps, choosing to make a living out of football. However, unlike his old man, Luca is a convincingly average player. Despite his questionable abilities, the young shot-stopper has had the privilege to play for a club as massive as Real Madrid.

Luca joined Madrid's youth setup at the tender age of six in 2004, at a time when Zinedine Zidane was still employed at the club. He spent the next 14 years trying his level best to make a name for himself. Nevertheless, the Frenchman only got a crack in the first team, after Zidane's appointment as Real Madrid's head coach.

With nepotism definitely playing a role in his rise, Luca could only manage two appearances for Los Blancos, conceding four goals in the process back in 2018. When between the sticks, the youngster could never show the confidence needed to succeed at Real Madrid.

After two abysmal performances, Luca Zidane was shipped off to third-tier side Racing Santander. In the 2021-22 season, he will be seen battling newcomer Iván Arboleda for the position of second-choice goalie at Rayo Vallecano.

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#2 Julien Faubert

Faubert played just 54 minutes for Los Blancos

Regarded as one of the most bizarre transfers of all time, Julien Faubert's six-month loan to Real Madrid sent shockwaves all across the footballing world. Faubert wasn't even the best player in a below-average West Ham side at the time of his transfer.

Primarily a right-back, Faubert was also deployed in an advanced role at times. At Real Madrid, however, the Martinique international spent the majority of his time warming the bench. Faubert could only muster two appearances with Los Blancos, failing to produce anything worthwhile for that duration.

The fact that napping on the bench during a game was the highlight of his Real Madrid career is a testament to his commitment as a football professional. Faubert followed his disastrous spell at Madrid with multiple underwhelming stints in Turkey, Scotland, Finland and even Indonesia.

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#1 Perica Ognjenovic

Ognjenovic being unveiled by Real Madrid (Photo courtesy: AS)

Undoubtedly the most obscure name on the list, Perica Ognjenovic has always been an unknown entity in the football fraternity. His signing in 1999 for a fee of €2.4 million raised many eyebrows, considering his middling output of five goals in 13 appearances for former side Red Star Belgrade.

The doubters were proven right upon his arrival as Ognjenovic went on to score just a solitary goal in the entirety of his Real Madrid career. Having bagged just eight caps for the now-disbanded nation of Yugoslavia, the wideman failed to add to this tally post the said transfer.

However, the fact that Real Madrid chose to offload an 18-year-old Samuel Eto'o in order to incorporate the Yugoslav propels him to first place on this list. By selling Eto'o, Los Blancos not only lost on a future superstar but also made a huge contribution to Barcelona's eventual success. Ognjenovic, on the other hand, was discarded after just 22 appearances.

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