5 former Real Madrid players you would be surprised to know are still active

Real Madrid v AS Roma - UEFA Champions League
Real Madrid v AS Roma - UEFA Champions League

Real Madrid became recognized as a noteworthy power in both Spanish and European football amid the 1950s, winning five successive European Cups and achieving the final on multiple occasions. This achievement was reproduced in the Spanish league, where the club won multiple times over the course of about seven years.

This legendary team, which comprised of players, for example, Francisco Gento ,Ferenc Puskás, Alfredo Di Stéfano, and Raymond Kopa, is considered by some in the game to be the best football club in the world.

One of Real Madrid's recent achievements which is also a proof of the greatness the club, is that they have won the UEFA Champions League 3 times in a row. They likewise lifted the FIFA Club World Cup effectively over the most recent three years, establishing their place as the greatest football club on the planet.

At present, Los Blancos are not in the best of form and are sat 3rd in the LaLiga table in the current season.

However, the best club in Spanish football has a talent of winning silverware and that is probably not going to stop. One can anticipate that The Galacticos should ricochet back soon and get things right.

A lot of incredible players hung up their boots at the Santiago Bernabeu. There is additionally a group of players who took up training or administrative jobs in the wake of saying goodbye to the club. In the interim, there is additionally a bunch of players who proceeded to play in lesser-known domestic leagues around the globe.

On that note, I present to you five of the previous Real Madrid stars who are playing for clubs in lesser-known football leagues on the planet.


#5 Álvaro Mejía Pérez

In the wake of playing in the B and C groups of Real Madrid, Álvaro Mejía burned through four seasons playing for the senior group of The Galacticos (from 2003 – 2007). The central defender played 57 matches for them and furthermore has a goal to his name.

He was likewise a part of the group when they won the LaLiga in the 2006–07 season.

The 36-year-old is right now an essential piece of a first level Qatari club, known as Al-Shahaniya Sports Club.

Álvaro played three seasons with Spanish club Murcia after his time at Real Madrid. A single season with Ligue 1 club Arles-Avignon followed in 2010. He was then a piece of Turkish club Konyaspor for a long time before returning to Spain to play for Almería for a season.

The Spaniard at that point played for Superleague Greece club Ergotelis before at long last proceeding onward to Al-Shahaniya.

#4 Julio Baptista

Real Madrid v Villarreal - La Liga
Real Madrid v Villarreal - La Liga

Julio Baptista was with the Madrid monsters for a long time (from 2005 to 2008). Notwithstanding, the midfielder was loaned out to Arsenal for the 2006 – 2007 season.

Julio came to be known as "The Beast" for his physical quality and stamina on the field. In the 77 appearances for Real Madrid, Julio scored 13 goals and furthermore made 6 assists.

The 37-year-old has played for numerous clubs over the globe - São Paulo and Cruzeiro (in Brazil); Sevilla, Real Madrid, and Malaga (in Spain); Roma (in Italy); Orlando City (in the USA), and now CFR Cluj (in Romania).

The Brazilian player has not retired yet and is currently playing for a Romanian first division club CFR Cluj.

Baptista was additionally a part of the Brazilian national football squad, amid his prime years and was a part of the team when they won the FIFA Confederations Cup (in 2005 and 2009) and Copa América (in 2004 and 2007).

#3 Wesley Sneijder

Real Madrid v Osasuna - La Liga
Real Madrid v Osasuna - La Liga

Wesley Sneijder started his professional footballing career with Ajax and scored 59 goals in 181 appearances for them. In the wake of performing in five effective seasons with the Dutch club, the Sneijder was purchased by Real Madrid.

Sneijder was given the 23 number shirt - which had been worn by David Beckham in the past - at Los Blancos.

However, his stretch with Real Madrid was not as fruitful as some anticipated it to be. And, he played there for two seasons - scoring 11 goals in 66 appearances.

Post-Madrid, Sneijder went through four seasons with Italy's Internazionale, afterwards another 5 with Turkish goliaths Galatasaray, and a singular season with French club Nice.

The veteran attacking midfielder was brought in by Qatari club Al-Gharafa before the 2017-18 season. He is as of now with them and has additionally delighted in a fruitful run of form wherein the 34-year-old has scored 18 goals in 29 appearances.

#2 Fernando Gago

Real Madrid v Villarreal - La Liga
Real Madrid v Villarreal - La Liga

Fernando Gago moved through the youth divisions of Boca Juniors and played for the senior group in 2004. His great presentation in the midfield for Boca pulled in enthusiasm from Real Madrid and he was brought in for €20.5 million. The midfielder gave some class exhibitions in the five seasons he was with Madrid.

In his 122 appearances, Gago scored one goal and gave 14 assists. Injuries and the entry of Xabi Alonso and Sami Khedira implied that he would battle to discover a spot in the starting XI, in the 2010-11 season.

This brought about a loan move to Roma for 2011– 12 and after that a permanent move to Valencia for the 2012– 13 season.

The Argentine playmaker went through a lone season with Vélez before moving to his youth club Boca Juniors in 2013. Gago has been with Boca from that point forward and furthermore won a ton of silverware, however reports are surfacing nowadays, of his exit from the club.

He has likewise shown up for the national group and was additionally in the squad when Argentina finished runners-up in the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

#1 Robinho

Real Madrid v Villarreal - La Liga
Real Madrid v Villarreal - La Liga

Robson de Souza, also called Robinho, started his professional footballing career with Santos in 2002. Spanish mammoths Real Madrid were intrigued in the wake of seeing exceedingly effective four seasons with the Brazilian first division side. They signed him before the 2005–06 season.

The amazingly skilled forward went through four years with Real Madrid, and helped the Spanish club in winning 2 LaLiga titles (2006–07, 2007–08). Despite the fact that Chelsea had demonstrated a great deal of enthusiasm for the masterful Brazilian player, he made a move to Manchester City after Real Madrid.

In the wake of investing a concise energy in Santos on advance from City, Robinho made a move to Italian goliaths Milan. He was there for a long time and was again loaned to Santos for 2014 and 2015 seasons.

Subsequent to investing some time with Guangzhou Evergrande in China, the Brazilian proceeded to play in his home country in 2016 and 2017 - for Atlético Mineiro. The 34-year-old recently transferred from his old Turkish club Sivasspor to Istanbuls Basaksehir and has scored 12 goals in 30 appearances for them.

The veteran forward has won a great deal of individual distinctions and silverware in his footballing career and was additionally a major part of the Brazilian national team. He won the FIFA Confederations Cup with Brazil in 2005 and 2009. He likewise was the best player of the 2007 Copa América, which Brazil won.

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Edited by Emeka Monyei