In every transfer window, football fans go through a whirlwind of emotions. Confronted with questions like who is going to leave and who is arriving, fans wade through a labyrinth of the remotest transfer rumours to get to a conclusion. And every once in a while, a team lands a player the fans and the team fancy alike and all hell breaks loose.
The revelry and madness that follows is quite a sight to behold. This is a list of player unveilings that blew the roof off and then some.
#5 Fernando Torres at Vicente Calderon
Atletico Madrid fans went wild when they heard 'El Nino' was headed towards home on a loan spell from AC Milan. Torres who, at one point was one of the best strikers around, saw a dip in form and a spell of inconsistency following his departure from Anfield to Stamford Bridge.
He had scored 81 goals in 214 appearances for Atletico Madrid and the reception he got on his return to Atletico in 2015 is a testament to how much admiration the Atletico fans have for him. They turned up in huge numbers to get a glimpse of their returning prodigal son.
Also read: Torres signs on for 2017-18 at Atletico
The former Chelsea and Liverpool striker, who spoke of the move as a 'dream come true', walked out to the Vicente Calderon on 4th January 2015 to 45,000 fans screaming and cheering him on. The optimism in the stands was palpable and the whole world hoped Torres would return to his best under familiar conditions.
#4 Neymar at Camp Nou
After his breakthrough at Brazilian club Santos, all the big fish in world football wanted him. But Neymar ultimately signed for Barcelona. When the Catalan giants finally showed off their summer capture at Camp Nou, around 50,000 Barcelona fans showed up to welcome the Brazilian wizard.
Neymar waved and showed off his juggling skills before hailing the move as a realisation of his dream. He then modestly remarked that he is going to help Messi continue being the best footballer on the planet.
The Brazilian winger has already won two La Ligas, two Copa Del Reys, a Supercopa De Espana, FIFA Club World Cup and a UEFA Champions League with the Catalan giants.
#3 Kaka at Santiago Bernabeu
The Brazilian midfield maestro Kaka was a player all the top clubs in the world were in the hunt for. His impressive showings for Brazil and AC Milan had already earned him a place as one of the greatest footballers of his time. So when Real Madrid finally managed to lure the midfielder - who won the Ballon d'Or in 2007 - to Bernabeu for a record-breaking £56m, the fans were ecstatic.
Kaka received the number 8 shirt, previously worn by Fernando Gago. On 30th June 2009, more than 50,000 fans, which was thrice more than the expected turnout, turned up to see him in Real Madrid colours for the first time.
At Real Madrid Kaka won the La Liga in 2011-12, Copa Del Rey in 2010-11 and the Supercopa de Espana in 2012 before departing for AC Milan in 2013.
#2 Diego Maradona at Stadio San Paolo
Maradona's time at Barcelona started well but then it went haywire. The infamous brawl with the Bilbao players, intermittent bouts of injury and diseases marred his time with the Catalans. He had frequent run-ins with the board and a Barcelona executive once remarked that “we couldn't go any further with him.” So the little magician was transferred to Napoli in a record-breaking deal.
When the Argentine legend arrived in Naples, the city went bonkers. David Goldblatt recollects, “They were convinced that the saviour has arrived.” Maradona walked out into the Stadio San Paolo on the 5th of July 1984 to an overwhelming 75,000 Napoli supporters.
One can say that, Diego - one of the best to have ever graced the game - repaid their belief as he reached the peak of his professional career with Napoli. He won the Italian Seria A with Napoli in the 1986-87 season, 1988-89 season, the UEFA Cup in 1989, the Coppa Italia in 1987 and the Italian Super Cup in 1990.
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo at Santiago Bernabeu
In 2009, Real Madrid broke the record for the most expensive signing in football history. Only five days after Kaka was unveiled at the Santiago Bernabeu, Real Madrid presented to their fans the new £80m capture from Manchester United and the rest is history.
An unbelievable 80,000 people showed up to greet Cristiano Ronaldo on a summer evening at the Bernabeu. The Portuguese forward was coming to Real Madrid as a Ballon d'Or winner. The whole affair hardly lasted more than 10 minutes and Bernabeu witnessed three high profile signings and presentations within the span of a few days after Karim Benzema also signed for them in the subsequent days.
The former Manchester United winger is easily one of the greatest players in the modern game, if not the best. With Real Madrid, he has won three UEFA Champions league titles, two La Liga titles, two Copa del Reys, two FIFA Club World Cups, a UEFA Super Cup and Supercopa de Espana. Clearly worth the hype.
