5 players who were lucky to play for Real Madrid

Cassano's had a troubled time at Real Madrid
Cassano's had a troubled time at Real Madrid

Every footballer in the world wants to play for the very best team—and who better than Real Madrid, the club officially recognised as the best of the 20th century.

In a way, every player that has played for Los Blancos is lucky since the stature of the club and its history holds an eternal place in the football fraternity.

However, some players perhaps didn’t deserve to play for the record Champions League winners. Be it because of their pre-Real Madrid career antics or their outing in the famous White shirt, there are a few players who should be thanking their stars that they can add ‘played for Real Madrid’ in their CV.

And here are five such players.


#5 Royston Drenthe

Drenthe's lack of discipline has haunted him throughout his career
Drenthe's lack of discipline has haunted him throughout his career

The fall from grace of Royston Drenthe is a story that every kid should know by heart as it will infuse the importance of keeping your feet on the ground with humility. Drenthe was once the crown jewel of Dutch football, winning the best player award in the U-21 Euro 2007, and was subsequently signed by Real Madrid.

So far in the story, it doesn’t seem like he was lucky to play for Los Blancos, but the signs were always there. Ever since he was a kid he was marred with disciplinary issues. During a trip to Switzerland with the B-team of Feyenoord, his ill manners frustrated coach Marcel Bout to such an extent that he wanted the youngster out of the club.

His move to Real Madrid was also filled with controversy as he threatened to take Feyenoord to court if they didn’t allow him to make the switch. In Spain, after featuring regularly during the first season, an ever-improving Marcelo ousted him from the lineup, which once again sparked his wrath and subsequently led to more disciplinary issues.

Drenthe is back in Spain at the moment playing for Real Murcia (on-loan from Racing Murcia), having retired for a brief period to pursue his career as a rapper.


#4 Antonio Cassano

Antonio Cassano's reputation was a stumbling point throughout his career
Antonio Cassano's reputation was a stumbling point throughout his career

This name might irk some fans since Antonio Cassano was perhaps one of the most technically gifted Italian players of his generation.

However, at the time Real Madrid signed him, he was already infamous for his lackluster attitude and inability to cooperate with his peers.

Regardless of that, Los Blancos took a leap of faith and acquired his signature for just €5 million. Despite being a troublesome character, the price seemed like a bargain and worth the risk. It all began very well for the Italian as he scored within three minutes into his Real Madrid debut.

Unfortunately, it didn’t go on to work out for the Whites since the former Bari starlet started gaining weight due to poor eating habits and had to be fined for every gram that he gained. This antic also earned him the nickname ’Gordito', which means ‘little fat one’ in Spanish.


#3 Jonathan Woodgate

Jonathan Woodgate never recovered from his horrendous Real Madrid debut
Jonathan Woodgate never recovered from his horrendous Real Madrid debut

It is not often that Real Madrid splash the cash on English defenders, but when they took the risk of doing so with Jonathan Woodgate, it backfired from all angles.

First of all, Woodgate was a decent defender who would have been a good squad player for Los Blancos—and that was the intention behind this signing. However, the one thing that went against him was his susceptibility to injuries.

His debut was a perfectly minuscule display of the things to come as he scored an own goal and then earned a red card during the game. After that, his career in Spain was like a series of medical checkups funded by the richest club in the world.


#2 Julien Faubert

Faubert was once pictured falling asleep in the dugout
Faubert was once pictured falling asleep in the dugout

Along with Royston Drenthe, he is the most disliked player among the Real Madrid fan base. At least with Drenthe, there was talent before he screwed it all up. With Faubert, however, even that wasn’t present, which makes his signing the most inscrutable in the history of Real Madrid.

As a right midfielder, the management perhaps saw him as a David Beckham replacement. But he turned out to be the most liable player the club ever had. Thankfully for Los Blancos, he joined them on loan and they could see the back of him after the season.

But in the meantime, he did some unfathomable things that left Madridistas fuming. As if it wasn’t his absolute honour to represent a club of Real Madrid’s stature, he didn’t seem to care much as he was once caught on camera falling asleep in the dugout during a game.

Many players have donned the White shirt and elevated its stature. However, if there was one player who devalued the name of the club, it is Julien Faubert.


#1 Emmanuel Adebayor

Adebayor's Real Madrid stint wasn't bad
Adebayor's Real Madrid stint wasn't bad

On his day, Emmanuel Adebayor was one of the most lethal strikers on the planet. At Arsenal, he was on fire, scoring almost every other game and made his way up the ladder in the football fraternity.

Then came the greed and that ruined it for him. When Manchester City came calling, he forced through a move to the Etihad, where he had a less-than-fruitful endeavour. His relationship with then-manager, Roberto Mancini, soured with every passing second and he ultimately found himself on the fringes.

Not that it was bad for him, though, as he was on a huge wage and was getting paid for basically doing nothing.

Out of favour and out of touch, and with a terrible attitude to adorn all that, a move to Real Madrid would not have taken place even in his wildest dream, but a political agenda from then Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho, coupled with Karim Benzema’s terrible form opened the gates of the Bernabeu for him.

Among the players on this list so far, his Real Madrid career was perhaps the most fruitful in context since he not only gave it his all on the pitch but also rejuvenated Benzema to become the player that he is today.

But that was it. His Real Madrid career lasted for six months and then he was shipped to Tottenham Hotspur.

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Edited by Staff Editor