5 players who did not deserve to play for Real Madrid

Woodgate flopped hard at the Bernabeu
Woodgate flopped hard at the Bernabeu

#3 Luca Zidane

Real Sociedad v Real Madrid CF - La Liga
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.


#2 Julien Faubert

Faubert played just 54 minutes for Los Blancos
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.


#1 Perica Ognjenovic

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


Also read: 5 players Real Madrid should sell in 2022

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