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Playing for Real Madrid is a dream come true for most footballers. It takes some incredible level of performance to gain the attraction of the Spanish giants and many around the globe have been successful in achieving that.
Real Madrid have time and again attracted some world-class players, building a team of Galacticos in the process. Superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo, Xabi Alonso, Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and many others have played for Los Blancos and cherished the time with them.
Some players have regretted signing for Real Madrid
While most players have seen their move to Real Madrid as a successful one, there are few for whom things haven't gone as planned. Sometimes it has been the injuries, other times it has been the management that has played its part in making a player's time at Madrid miserable.
In most cases, players joined Real Madrid after performing very well for their previous clubs. By leaving for the Spanish giants, they did put a lot at stake and that's why it turned out regretful when things didn't work out. On that note, let's take a look at some of those top players who regretted signing for Real Madrid:
#5 Arjen Robben
Arjen Robben, arguably one of the best players of his generation, started his career with Groningen. He joined Chelsea in 2004 and left for Real Madrid in 2007 after winning the Premier League twice.
With his phenomenal left foot, Robben can tear defenders apart, thanks to his mind-boggling dribbling and creative skills. He was deadly on the right, especially when he came inside onto his left foot and curled the ball towards the far post.
After having a decent spell at Chelsea, Robben was touted to do well with Real Madrid. The Dutchman scored 11 goals and recorded eight assists in two seasons, winning the La Liga once in the process. Yet things changed when Florentino Perez arrived at the club in 2009.
Robben claimed he was forced out of the club as the arrivals of Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka were prioritized by Perez, with his place in the team being compromised. He then signed for Bayern Munich in 2009 and became a legend for the Bavarians over the years.
#4 Michael Owen
Michael Owen started his career by joining Liverpool's youth academy. After being promoted to the senior team in 1996, the English striker was on a roll as he was among the top goal-scorers on a consistent basis.
In his Liverpool career, Owen scored 117 goals in the Premier League over a period of eight seasons. He's one of the nine players in the league to have scored 150 or more goals. His stunning spell at Liverpool earned him a move to Real Madrid in 2004.
He initially struggled to play in Spain but once he overcame his poor form, Owen started to show signs of improvement. The Englishman ended the season with 13 league goals for Real Madrid. With the arrival of Robinho and Julio Baptista, his place in the starting eleven looked doubtful and eventually resulted in Owen signing for Newcastle United after just a season in Madrid.
The season he left for Real Madrid was the season when Liverpool won the UEFA Champions League. Considering he had also won the Ballon d'Or in 2001, Owen was nothing short of a superstar. However, his spell at the Bernabeu flattered to deceive and in addition to Newcastle, he also turned up for Manchester United and Stoke City.
#3 Eden Hazard
Real Madrid have signed some of the best players from the Premier League in the club's history. Cristiano Ronaldo is a fine example of that. That being said, not all superstars have found success since leaving the Premier League.
Eden Hazard is one such name and while the Belgian is still with Los Blancos, his time at Real Madrid hasn't been that great. The former Lille attacker joined the Spanish giants from Chelsea in the summer of 2019. With the Blues, he was absolutely amazing with his nimble footwork, quick feet and amazing creative abilities in attack.
The winger scored 85 goals and assisted in 54 others in 245 league appearances for Chelsea. The two-time Premier League winner has struggled ever since moving to Spain. Marred by injuries and poor form, Hazard has managed to make only 37 league appearances for Real Madrid in three seasons. He has never looked like a real threat and at the moment, it looks like it would have been best had he stayed with the Blues.
#2 Kaka
Kaka is best known for his wonderful spell at AC Milan. The Brazilian playmaker had an amazing range of passing, creativity and goal-scoring abilities. Having started his career with Sao Paulo, he joined AC Milan in 2003.
With some star-studded players around him, Kaka only got better with time and provided some scintillating displays on the pitch. He won Serie A and the UEFA Champions League with Milan, which also helped him win the Ballon d'Or in 2007.
In the summer of 2009, Real Madrid wanted to sign Kaka and were successful in doing so. Unfortunately, hs time with Los Blancos saw him suffer multiple injuries at different time intervals. His form had taken a hit and he never really recovered from that. In the summer of 2013, the 2011-12 La Liga winner expressed his desire to leave Madrid and returned to play for Milan on a free transfer.
#1 Nicolas Anelka
Nicolas Anelka played for some of the top clubs in European football and Real Madrid is one of them. After an impressive 1998-99 season with Arsenal, where he scored 17 goals and recorded five assists, the Frenchman earned a move to Madrid the following season.
He was the Gunners' top goal-scorer when he left and it was expected that he would continue with the same form in Spain. Little did he know what was lying ahead of him. Anelka struggled to score in his first five months with Los Blancos and therefore lost his place in the starting eleven.
The French forward only managed to start eight times in his twenty La Liga appearances for Real Madrid. His relationship with then-Madrid manager Vincente Del Bosque wasn't great either. With things not working out, Anelka left the Spanish club after just one season to return to Paris Saint-Germain the following season. Leaving Arsenal for Real Madrid was probably the biggest mistake of his career.
