5 players you didn't know played for Real Madrid

Real Madrid are one of the most successful clubs in the world and have the most titles (91) of any club in Europe's top five leagues. Los Blancos have also won the most La Liga (34) and Champions League titles (13) than any club in history.

The reigning La Liga champions, one of three clubs never to have been relegated from the Spanish top flight, are the only team in the Champions League era to have successfully defended their title.

5 players you didn't know played for Real Madrid

Considering Real Madrid's rich history and pedigree, a number of brilliant players have turned up for the club over the years. A few of them had short or forgettable stints at Real Madrid but found success elsewhere.

On that note, let us take a look at five such players in no particular order.

#5 Esteban Cambiasso

Esteban Cambiasso started his European club football career at Real Madrid before he became one of his club's mainstays during a successful decade-long stint at Inter Milan, where he also won the continental treble.

Cambiasso wasn't terrible at Real Madrid by any stretch of imagination. However, the defensive midfielder looked like a misfit in a Los Blancos side glittering with Galacticos like Ronaldo Nazario, Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo and David Beckham.

Though the Argentine won the UEFA Cup (now called the Europa League) and a La Liga title, he scored just once in 67 games before leaving the club to join Inter Milan. However, Cambiasso only has fond memories of his time at Real Madrid, saying in a later interview:

"Already in the first team, the politics of the moment meant that most of the side were made up of academy players and galacticos, and I wasn't either of those. But it was not bad at all, it was a beautiful experience in fact."

The versatile Cambiasso, who could play in a plethora of midfield positions, scored 51 goals and assisted 34 in over 400 games at Inter, winning a lot of titles along the way. He retired from the game after following up his Inter stint with spells at Leicester City and Olympiacos.

#4 Christoph Metzelder

After making his name at Borussia Dortmund, Christoph Metzelder arrived at Real Madrid in the summer of 2007 but found the going tough at his new surroundings.

The lanky German centre-back's stint at Real Madrid was blighted by injuries as Metzelder struggled for regular game-time and failed to break into the playing XI. He managed only 31 appearances in three seasons at the capital club before returning to Germany to play for his boyhood club Schalke.

Nevertheless, Metzelder did win a La Liga title and the Spanish Super Cup during his time at Real Madrid.

#3 Emmanuel Adebayor

After successful spells at Monaco and Arsenal, Emmanuel Adebayor arrived at Real Madrid in 2011 but was mostly a peripheral presence.

The on-loan Manchester City striker did score a hat-trick at Real Madrid and netted five times in 14 games for the club before returning to the Premier League at the end of the season.

During his short stint at Real Madrid, Adebayor won the Copa Del Rey, coming on as a substitute in the 1-0 win over Barcelona in the final.

#2 Fabinho

Fabinho was a product of the Real Madrid academy but incredibly departed the club after playing only one game for the first team.

After arriving from Rio Ave in Portugal, the Brazilian midfielder made 30 appearances for Real Madrid Castilla, drawing the attention of scouts of many top teams in the continent.

Then-Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho handed Fabinho a debut on the last day of the 2012-13 season against Malaga, and the player responded by contributing an assist.

At the end of the season, Real Madrid loaned out Fabinho to Monaco, and there would be no looking back for the player.

The player blossomed into one of the most sought-after defensive midfielders in the game during his successful stint at the Ligue 1 club before Premier League champions Liverpool came calling for his services in the summer of 2018.

Fabinho would make an immediate impact in his new surroundings as he became a key member in Jurgen Klopp's Champions League and Premier League-winning sides in the next two seasons.

#1 Samuel Eto'o

Samuel Eto'o turned out to be another player who got away from Real Madrid only to blossom at another club - ironically at arch-rivals Barcelona.

The precocious Cameroon striker joined the Real Madrid youth ranks in the late 90s but left the club after making a grand total of just two appearances.

Eto'o would go on to enjoy the most prolific spell of his career at Barcelona, where he scored goals and won trophies galore. After winning the continental treble in 2009, Eto'o moved to Inter Milan and repeated the trick there, making him the only player to do so in consecutive seasons for two different clubs.

About the author

Bhargav is a veteran sports journalist and editor at Sportskeeda, with a rich professional experience of 17 years, working for the likes of Siemens and Bombay Dyeing. An avid football and tennis follower for over three decades, Bhargav uses his vast knowledge and experience, attention to detail, an unbiased yet interesting writing style, and thorough research to craft insightful articles, which have raked in over 20 million reads so far.

Bhargav supports Italy at national level, a team steeped in tradition and history according to him. He still harbors the heartbreak from the Azzurri’s 1994 FIFA World Cup final defeat against Brazil, and protagonist-turned-antagonist from the game, ‘Divine Ponytail’ Roberto Baggio is his all-time favorite player. His favorite manager is Marcelo Lippi, who ended Italy’s 24-year wait for the World Cup trophy, winning it in 2006.

Outside Europe’s top five leagues, he follows the MLS following Lionel Messi’s move in 2023 but favors Cristiano Ronaldo in the G.O.A.T. debate. During his free time, Bhargav enjoys driving off to new places and singing.

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Edited by Rachel Syiemlieh