Talk about La Liga for more than a minute or so and I challenge you to not mention Real Madrid unless you live in Catalonia of course!
For decades, Los Blancos have been one of the most dominant forces in world football and the El Clasico, the match with Barcelona, is the most eagerly anticipated clash in the game.
The latest La Liga 2020 betting odds confirm this season’s competition is a two-horse race again and fans of Real and Barca simply can’t wait for it to resume.
The UEFA club coefficient ranking places Real Madrid at the top of the list, ahead of Barcelona, FC Bayern, Atletico Madrid and Juventus, and with 33 La Ligas and 19 Copa del Reys, as well as 13 Champions League titles, it’s no wonder.
So let’s take a look at five players who have written much of this grand old club’s sparkling history.
Sergio Ramos
Sergio Ramos Garcia arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu back in 2005 and has been a formidable fixture ever since.
Some 15 years later, he still makes the headlines and has been in the midst of the La Liga 2020 news again — leading his team and its defence while scoring seven goals — which makes him the club’s second top scorer this season ahead of Casemiro, Toni Kroos, Isco, Gareth Bale and Luka Modric.
He’s the all-round player and leader with a string of records to his name. He is also Spain’s most capped player and tenth highest scorer of all time.
His goal tally is an incredible feat for a defender and he has scored 64 goals in 444 appearances for Real Madrid. One of the best defenders in world football, Ramos is so much more than that.
Alfredo di Stefano
While Ramos is the man with some mind-boggling records, Alfredo di Stefano is seen by many as the greatest Real Madrid player of all time.
The Argentine striker led Los Blancos to five European Cup triumphs consecutively during the 1950s, and he finished his career with an incredible 308 goals from 396 matches in all competitions.
Nicknamed as the Blond Arrow, Di Stefano was a quick and powerful forward with mesmerising skill and 360-degree vision. And he was never slow to track back and support his team’s defence as he was fierce in the tackle.
A leader on and off the pitch, he won the Ballon D’Or in 1957 and 1959 and was the club’s superstar in one of its most successful periods.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Di Stefano scored the most goals of any Real Madrid player in the El Clasico goals until Cristiano Ronaldo arrived at the Bernabeu, but then CR7 has always been a player for the big occasion.
He’s unashamedly listed by SBOBET as one of the five best players to grace the Manchester clubs. And when he made the switch to Real Madrid in 2009, he became the club’s most expensive signing at an eye-watering 94-M Euros but he certainly paid Los Blancos back.
He scored 311 goals in 292 appearances for the club before he departed for Juventus in 2018, picking up two league titles and four Champions Leagues along the way.
Raul
An all-round striker, Raul is Real Madrid’s fifth top scorer and is Los Blancos’ most popular player in recent times.
He made 550 appearances for Real between 1994 and 2010 bagging his 228 goals, and it was his all-action performances which made him a fan favourite.
Raul was a Real Madrid fanatic himself and it showed as only few players have played for any club with such passion, and he celebrated every goal and every one of his six La Liga titles as if it were his first.
His brilliant ball control was a joy to watch and only when CR7 arrived at the club did Raul take a step back.
Ferenc Puskas
Hungarian Ferenc Puskas followed Di Stefano into the classic Real Madrid side of the 50s, scoring 156 goals in 180 appearances until his retirement in 1966.
He is equally famous for his record playing for his national side as the Magyars went unbeaten in 32 games and reached the 1954 World Cup final.
Puskas scored 83 goals in 84 games for Hungary and played the 1954 final against West German even with a hairline fracture in his ankle. He was a tough cookie!
With Los Blancos, Puskas won the European Cup in 1958, 1960, and 1966 and had the deadliest left foot in the game.
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