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Real Madrid captured Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo during the summer of 2009. The Portuguese international managed to net more than 30 goals during his debut season at the Santiago Bernabeu. However, a managerial change was of the essence after a trophyless season under Manuel Pellegrini.
Club president Florentino Perez's vision to end Barcelona's Pep Guardiola dominance and re-establish Real Madrid's superiority did pay off to an extent. Jose Mourinho, being a serial winner, was the need of the hour at Real Madrid.
The Champions League-winning manager made himself available and signed for Los Blancos on a four-year deal to make headway in the Spanish capital. he did so after terminating his contract with the Nerazzurri in 2010.
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The Portuguese manager signed the likes of Angel Di Maria, Mesut Ozil and Sami Khedira during his debut season with Real Madrid. The Whites fell short by four points in the league but stopped Barcelona from completing their treble with a victory over their rivals in the Copa Del Rey final.
The ex-Chelsea manager and his squad were crowned the La Liga champions the following season, having mustered 100 points in 38 games. Like Barcelona, Real Madrid failed to complete a treble after crashing out of the Champions League semi-finals.
With just two years on his original contract, Real Madrid managed to extend Mourinho's contract up to 2016. However, the following campaign saw Jose Mourinho falling out with Cristiano Ronaldo, which put an end to his managerial reign at Real Madrid.
During his stint at the club, he lifted two Copa Del Reys and one La Liga title. It was not close to Barcelona's unparalleled success by any means. However, Mourinho put Los Blancos back on the map and made them a European powerhouse once again.
Mourinho was renowned for his shrewd signings at the Santiago Bernabeu. We look at his last five signings at Real Madrid.
#5 Michael Essien
Michael Essien was one of Mourinho's favourite players at Chelsea. The duo enjoyed a great relationship in England before their reunion in the capital city of Spain in 2012.
The Ghanian midfielder started 31 games in all competitions at Madrid, but the rise of Sami Khedira forced Essien to make a return to Stamford Bridge. Following his departure from Real Madrid, the midfielder plied his trade with AC Milan, where he failed to reach the expected heights.
He was ultimately sold to Greek club Panathinaikos while Persib Bandung, a club based out of Indonesia, was Essien's next stop.
Due to the maximum foreign quota in place, Michael Essien was released by the Indonesian outfit a year later. The 37-year-old last played for Sabail, a team based out of Azerbaijan. After hanging up his boots in 2020, Essien is currently a member of Danish club Nordsjaelland's backroom staff.
#4 Fabio Coentrao
Fabio Coentrao was one of Europe's finest growing talents in 2011. The left-back signed for Real Madrid in a swap deal with Benfica, involving €30 million-plus-Ezequiel Garay.
Coentrao had to fight for the left-back position with Marcelo at Real Madrid. The former Benfica defender was in the starting lineup for 23 games during his debut season. The following season, he started 31 games for the club before Jose Mourinho parted ways with Real Madrid.
The Portuguese international fell out of favor under Carlo Ancelloti and made a paltry 33 appearances in two seasons. His loan move to AS Monaco was plagued by injuries, as he appeared only 19 times for the French club.
Coentrao had an unimpressive loan spell with Sporting during the 2018-19 season. After terminating his contract with Los Blancos, he signed for Rio Ave for a season. Coentrao was forced to hang up his boots at the age of 32 after failing to receive an offer last summer.
#3 Jose Callejon
Jose Callejon grew through the ranks of Real Madrid. He represented Real Castilla and the C team. However, he pushed for a move away from the club in search of first-team opportunities. The Spaniard spent three years in Espanyol before rejoining Real Madrid for a fee of €5.5 million in 2011.
On his return to his boyhood club, Callejon failed to start as many games as he would have liked but still managed to take his goal tally to double figures. With over 30 starts to his name the following season, the Spaniard didn't hit the expected heights and signed for Napoli when Rafa Benitez approached him over a transfer.
The 34-year-old was one of the key players in Napoli's frontline and spent seven years at Naples before moving to Fiorentina in 2020.
#2 Diego Lopez
Skipper Iker Casillas was benched after struggling to replicate his old performance following a back injury in 2013. This forced Jose Mourinho to take a gamble by signing Diego Lopez from Sevilla. However, it was a decision that immediately paid dividends.
The Spaniard was the man in between the sticks when the Whites lifted the Champions League trophy in 2014. However, after Keylor Navas' arrival, it was clear as a day that it was time for Lopez to exit the club and look for game time elsewhere.
Lopez moved to AC Milan for two seasons before being loaned out to Espanyol for the 2016-17 campaign. At the age of 39, Diego Lopez is still the first choice shot-stopper for Espanyol and has made 124 appearances for the Barcelonian club.
#1 Luka Modric
Luka Modric's pulsating displays at Tottenham Hotspur attracted attention from a host of clubs. However, no other club had the pulling power of Real Madrid, who landed him for a fee of €40 million in 2012.
The Croatian was deemed a flop by many for his mediocre displays during his first two seasons at the Santiago Bernabeu. However, the midfielder bounced back under the management of Carlo Ancelloti and went on to become one of the best players in the world. Modric won the UEFA Best Player in Europe and the Ballon d'Or in 2018.
The former Dinamo Zagreb midfielder was also a vital cog in the team, which won four Champions League titles in five years. Over the past eight years, Modric has appeared 391 times for Real Madrid, scoring 28 goals and notching up 61 assists in the process.
