5 Greatest Real Madrid defenders of all time

#4 José Santamaría

Appearances: 337

Years played: 1957-1966

In the late 50s and the early 60s, Real Madrid were at the absolute apex of the European football. The glorious galacticos featured stars such as Francisco Gento, Alfredo di Stefano, Hector Rial and Ferenc Puskas. At the crux of the backline was the star of the defence, José Santamaría.

Santamaria moved to Santiago Bernebeau during his peak years in 1957 when he was 28. He instantly became a hit at the club winning the Liga and the European Cup during his first season with them, representing the club 34 times in both competitions combined.

Santamaria was an absolute defensive juggernaut, his sense of positioning was supernatural and he was as solid as a wall can get. The legendary defender retired from the beautiful game in 1966.

Honours: 5 La Liga, 4 European Cup, 1 Spanish Cup &1 Intercontinental Cup.

#3 Roberto Carlos

Appearances: 527

Years played: 1996-2007

Pace, Power and a left foot that was made of metal, that's Roberto Carlos for you in a nutshell. The Brazilian born defender belonged to the first generation of fullbacks who also provided support in the attack. In a career that spans over a decade at the Bernabeu, Carlos marauded up and down the left flank with authority.

Apart from his defensive and offensive expertise, he was also a master of the free kicks with some of his strikes reaching a vicious velocity of 140km/h. In 2007 he left the club and holds the Whites all-time record for most number of games by a foreigner.

Ronaldinho once mentioned Carlos, saying-

“Would be worth having in any team for his ability to take free kicks, but as well as being one of the best free kick takers ever, he is also one of the finest left backs ever. So important to all of Real Madrid’s Champions League wins.”

Honours: 3 European Cup, 2 Intercontinental Cup, 1 European Super Cup, 4 La Liga & 3 Spanish Super Cup.