Month: March 2023

As one of the top football clubs in all of Europe, there have been plenty of great players to suit up for Inter Milan. Of the hundreds who have done so, who have been the best? Here are our picks for the top five in club history. Before we start the list, some of the more notable players who just missed the cut include Christian Vieri, Ivan Cordoba, Julio Cesar, Samuel Eto’o, and Ronaldo.

Luis Suarez

While the other Luis Suarez in football may be more well-known these days, the original was a massive star back in his heyday. The Spaniard was born in 1935 and came up through the Fabril youth program following World War II. Suarez then spent the first couple of years of his professional career with Deportivo La Coruna and CD Condal before six years with Barcelona. He then joined Inter Milan in 1961, sticking around for nine years until retiring with Sampdoria.

Suarez appeared in just over 250 league matches for Inter Milan, and during that time scored 42 goals. He helped the club win the Serie A title three times in four years, as well as two Intercontinental Cups and European Cups. In 1960, Suarez earned the Ballon d’Or Trophy while also finishing in the top three on three other occasions.

Alessandro Altobelli

The first Italian-born player on the list is forward Alessandro Altobelli, who was born in Sonnino in 1955. Altobelli began his professional career with a brief run at Latina prior to joining Brescia in 1974. Three years later, Altobelli became a member of Inter Milan and would remain with the club for over a decade. He wrapped up his career with short stints at Juventus and Brescia in the late 1980s.

With 466 matches, Altobelli is ninth all-time on the Inter Milan list, but he’s second all-time with 209 goals scored. He’s behind only the number-one player on our list in that regard. Thanks to Altobelli’s scoring prowess, Inter Milan was able to win the Coppa Italia twice during his time with the club, as well as the 1979-80 Serie A title.

Giacinto Facchetti

There’s only one player on the list who spent his entire career with Inter Milan, and that’s Giacinto Facchetti. The Treviglio native came up with the Trevigliese youth program, then joined Inter Milan in 1960, making his professional debut that year. Facchetti then spent all 18 of his pro seasons with the club, so the only other team that he played for was the Italian National Team.

Facchetti is third all-time on the list of matches played for Inter Milan with 634. Fachetti nearly won the Ballon d’Or Trophy in 1965 after leading Inter to a second Serie A title in three years. He then added two more league titles, as well as a Coppa Italia and pair of European Cups. In 2015, Facchetti was inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame and four years later was inducted into the Inter Milan Hall of Fame.

Giuseppe Meazza

The highest-ranked Italian player on the list is Giuseppe Meazza, and he happens to be the namesake for the stadium that’s home to both Inter Milan and AC Milan. Meazza played for both squads throughout his illustrious career, though he’s most known for his long run with Inter. He started with the youth program, then made his debut in 1927. His first Inter run lasted until 1940, and he then returned for a short stint from 1946 to 1947.

Meazza might not be far up the leaderboard in terms of matches played for Inter Milan, but he’s far and away the leading goal scorer. His 287 goals are 78 more than anybody else, with Altobelli being the only other player over 200. Meazza won the Serie A title three times with Inter Milan while also leading the league in scoring in three different seasons. In 2019, he became a member of the Inter Milan Hall of Fame.

Javier Zanetti

The top player on the list is the only one from outside of Europe, as Argentinian Javier Zanetti meant everything to the Inter Milan club for two decades. Zanetti made his professional debut in his home country and played for both Talleres and Banfield before heading to Europe in 1995. He would join Inter Milan that year and spent the final 19 years of his playing career. After retiring in 2014, Zanetti became part of the executive team for Inter Milan.

Zanetti holds the record for most matches played with Inter Milan, and it’s not particularly close as he’s more than 100 ahead of second-place Giuseppe Bergomi. Zanetti helped guide Inter to five straight Serie A titles, and he also won the Coppa Italia, Supercoppa Italiana, and UEFA Champions League. In 2018, he was inducted into both the Inter Milan and Italian Football Halls of Fame.

Inter Milan is one of the most prominent football clubs in the world and for good reason. The club has won many league titles and has had some of the greatest players in the sport’s history. There has also been a long list of great managers in Inter Milan’s history, with these five standing out as the best.

Before we start the list, some of the managers who just missed the cut include Arpad Weisz, Jose Mourinho, Simone Inzaghi, and Hector Cuper.

Giulio Cappelli

La Spezia native Giulio Cappelli spent his playing career with several teams throughout the country, including Spezia, Livorno, and Viareggio. He had over 200 games as a player, then retired in 1943. Just a few years later he joined Lucchese as the club’s manager and he would spend two short stints as the manager of Inter Milan from 1949 to 1950 and for one year in 1960.

Capelli may have only had three seasons in total as the manager, but he was able to amass a winning percentage of 59.32% He didn’t win any of the major trophies during that time, but he helped guide Inter Milan to a time of stability after things had been rocky for a little while. He went on to manage Chieti and Alessandria at the end of his career.

Virgilio Fossati

These days, it would be incredibly rare to see someone spend time as both a player and manager at the same time, but that’s what happened for Virgilio Fossati. From 1909 to 1915, he was a midfielder and manager for Inter Milan. During that time, Fossati scored four goals and made nearly 100 appearances while also being part of the Italian National Team. Fosatti’s career was cut short by World War I, but he was able to find success as a manager first.

Fossati had one of the top winning percentages in Inter Milan history at 62.72%, which is doubly impressive when you consider that he had 110 matches in total, drawing just nine times. Inter Milan won Serie A one time during Fossati’s career, and the team was incredibly consistent during his tenure.

Giovanni Trapattoni

Giovanni Trapattoni was part of the arch-rival as a player when he starred with AC Milan from 1959 to 1971. He then ended his career with Varese in the early 1970s and then rejoined AC Milan as the team’s manager in 1974. After spending a few years with the squad, Trapattoni became the leader of Juventus for a decade and then spent another three years there in the early 1990s. In between, Trapattoni had a five-year stint as the Inter Milan manager.

Trapattoni is third all-time in club history with 230 matches managed, and he finished with a record of 126 wins, 59 draws, and 45 losses. Trapattoni won Serie A one time during his managerial career, as well as the Supercoppa Italia and the UEFA Europa League.

Roberto Mancini

Iesi-born Roberto Mancini spent time with Bologna as a player during the early 1980s before spending 15 years with Sampdoria, scoring 132 goals in 424 appearances. After wrapping up his career with Lazio and Leicester City, Mancini got into management with Fiorentina in 2001. He then led Lazio for a couple of years before starting the first of his two stints with Inter. The first lasted from 2004 to 2008 while the second was from 2014 to 2016.

Mancini is one of just two men to have over 300 matches managed in Inter Milan history, and he won 58.08% of those matches. He’s also tied at the top of the list for trophies with seven, three of which are Serie A championships. Mancini won the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italia twice each before moving on to Zenit Saint Petersburg in 2017.

Helenio Herrera

The top manager on the list is another man who spent multiple stints as the Inter Milan manager. Argentinian Helenio Herrera had a playing career that lasted for 15 years before managing a long list of teams which included Barcelona, Roma, and Atletico Madrid. From 1960 to 1968 and 1973 to 1974, Herrera was the leader of Inter Milan, giving him the longest total time spent as the club’s manager.

Herrera’s 366 matches are tops on the list by more than 60 matches, and he also leads the club in all-time wins as the only man to get over 200. Herrera won just over 56 percent of his matches with Inter Milan, and he’s tied with Mancini for the most trophies in club history with seven. This includes winning Serie A three times as well as two UEFA Champions Leagues and two Intercontinental Cups.

As one of the premier football clubs throughout all of Europe, Real Madrid tends to get its choice of players to acquire. Throughout the years, some of these players have been slam dunks that ended up being well worth their massive contracts. However, there have also been plenty of players who failed to live up to their contracts, wasting millions along the way. Let’s take a look at some of the worst signings in Real Madrid history, showing just how much it set the franchise back.

Luka Jovic

Serbian Luka Jovic was supposed to be a big-time goal-scorer for Real Madrid, and the club got him at a young age. Jovic spent his entire youth career with Red Star Belgrade and went on to make his debut with the senior squad in 2014. Jovic scored a dozen goals in 42 league games, then made his way to Benfica where he was sent on loan to Eintracht Frankfurt. 

In the summer of 2019, Jovic was free to sign anywhere and got a €60 million deal over six years with Real Madrid. Jovic made just 36 league appearances during that time, netting only three goals. Injuries mounted quickly, and Jovic’s tenure with Real Madrid ultimately fizzled out.

Walter Samuel

Walter Samuel had been one of the best defenders of his time, especially in South America and Italy. Samuel was born in Argentina and made his professional debut with Newell’s Old Boys before having his big breakout with Boca Juniors. In 2000, he made his way to AS Roma where he made more than 120 appearances before joining Real Madrid for his brief stint from 2004 to 2005, earning €25 million.

Samuel did net two goals with Real Madrid but appeared in only 30 league matches with the club. It turns out that Samuel just wasn’t a good fit for Spanish football, because his career both prior to and following his Madrid stint were fantastic, and he finished his career with a long list of honours.

Julien Faubert

While most of the players on the list at least got a couple of dozen matches in with Real Madrid, that wasn’t the case for Julien Faubert. Faubert made his professional debut with Cannes in 2002 after spending his youth days with the club, then struck it big with both Bordeaux and West Ham United. With the latter, he made more than 100 league appearances, and in 2009 he was sent out on loan to Real Madrid, but lasted just two matches.

Real Madrid spent £1.5 million to acquire Faubert for the rest of the 2008-09 season, but troubles began instantly when he missed training. There was an option for Real Madrid to extend the contract for three years, but instead, they sucked up the finances, admitting the mistake, and letting him walk after the season.

Jonathan Woodgate

Englishman Jonathan Woodgate had every Real Madrid supporter excited but nervous. After all, he was just entering the prime of his career when he joined Real Madrid and many thought he could be an all-time great, though he did suffer several injuries. Woodgate came up with the Leeds United club, making more than 100 appearances throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s. He then joined Newcastle United for the 2003-04 campaign, joining Real Madrid in August 2004 for £13.4 million.

The problems which plagued Woodgate during his previous stints carried over into his time with Real Madrid. While he was still solid during the times he was actually on the pitch, it was pretty rare to see him. Woodgate required back surgery, and he was limited to just nine total league matches with Real Madrid over a three-year span before joining Middlesbrough.

Eden Hazard

While Woodgate is an example of rolling the dice on a player who was entering their prime, obtaining Eden Hazard was a case of landing a player toward the end of their prime. The Belgian spent over five years with the Lille organization, playing as part of the senior squad from 2007 to 2012. He then joined Chelsea and made over 250 appearances and scored more than 85 goals. In 2019, Hazard was acquired by Real Madrid for a total between €100 million and €146.1 million.

Real Madrid took a huge chance with the contract as it was signed through June 2024 and he was the most expensive player the club ever signed as long as he were to meet just a handful of the contract variables. Things went south quickly, though, as Hazard had reported to camp out of shape and suffered injuries. Hazard also lost some of his abilities going into his 30s and the club began using him less and less until he became a non-factor.

Real Madrid has one of the most storied histories in European football, and as a result, there has been a long list of historic matches. Which of those ranks among the most significant and best for Real Madrid fans, though? Here are our picks for five classic games that every supporter should know.

The First Copa del Rey Title (1905)

The Copa del Rey was introduced in 1903, and Real Madrid nearly secured the first-ever title but lost to Atletic Bilbao in the first go-around. Bilbao won the following year, as well, and they were going for a third straight to start the history of the Copa del Rey in 1905. However, Real Madrid was out for revenge.

After getting through Moncloa FC and San Sebastian Recreation Club without allowing a goal, the rematch was set in the finals. This time around, Real Madrid would win the Copa del Rey thanks to yet another shutout, defeating Bilbao 1-0 on a 70th-minute goal by Manuel Prast.

Meeting of the GOATS (2012 La Liga)

El Clasico is the matchup that all Real Madrid supporters wait for every year, and things certainly got kicked up a notch when it also meant a meeting between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, the two greatest players of their generation. Perhaps the best match that was played between the two came in the seventh week of the La Liga season in 2012, with the match ending in a 2-2 draw.

All four goals were netted by the two superstars, with Ronaldo striking first in the 23rd minute. Messi would score the next two in the 31st and 61st minutes, but Ronaldo answered back in the 66th minute to force the draw. It was an epic showdown of two living legends at their best.

2002 Champions League Semis

The 2002 Champions League was certainly one to remember, even for the clubs who didn’t win. As for Real Madrid, the club advanced easily out of its group which also contained Panathinaikos, Sparta Prague, and Porto with five wins and a draw. In the quarterfinals, Real Madrid advanced past Bayern Munich thanks to a 2-0 victory in the second leg to give the club a 3-2 aggregate win.

The matchup was then set for Real Madrid to take on rival Barcelona, and Madrid would get the advantage with a 2-0 victory on the road in the first leg. In the second leg, Real Madrid took a 1-0 lead just before half to all but seal the victory in its first-ever Champions League meeting with Barcelona. Barca scored in the 49th minute, but it was too late, as Real Madrid advanced and went on to win the finals.

2014 Champions League Final

Coming into the 2014 UEFA Champions League, many figured that the winner of the tournament was going to come from the city of Madrid following the group stage. Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid ran through their groups, collecting 16 points in six matches while Madrid was grouped with Galatasaray, Juventus, and Copenhagen. In the round of 16, Real Madrid took care of business against Schalke 04, then dispatched two more German teams (Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich) in the quarters and semis.

After Atletico Madrid ran through Milan, Barcelona, and Chelsea, the stage was set for the two to face off in the Champions League Finals. On paper, the match looked like a drubbing in Real Madrid’s favor. However, Atletico Madrid scored in the 36th minute, and it remained 1-0 in their favor until Sergio Ramos forced extra time in the 93rd minute. Real Madrid scored three more times in extras to win the title 4-1.

The Drubbing of Barcelona (1943)

Massive wins against Barcelona don’t come very often, so it was definitely noteworthy when Real Madrid was able to beat Barca by not just a couple of goals, but a whopping 10. The match came as part of the 1943 Copa del Generalisimo. In the first round, Real Madrid had a huge 6-1 victory over UD Salamanca, then advanced on a tiebreaker against Espanol in the round of 16. After defeating Xerez CF 6-4 on aggregate, Real Madrid and Barcelona would square off in the semifinals.

Interestingly enough, Barca actually won the first match by a 3-0 margin. Things would change completely, however, as Real Madrid won by a score of 11-1 in the second leg. A lot of drama surrounded the match and was the start of the rivalry Pruden scored a hattrick for Real Madrid while Barinaga added another four. Despite the drubbing, Real Madrid would go on to lose 1-0 in the final to Atletico de Bilbao.

Real Madrid is one of those football clubs that has enjoyed so much success that listing off all of its accomplishments would take far too long. Another list that’s shockingly long is the list of Hall of Fame talent that the club has had over the years. Narrowing it down to just a few players who stand out as the best is tough, but we picked out the five best players in Real Madrid history.

Before we start the list, some of the players who just missed the cut include Zinedine Zidane, Ferenc Puskas, Paco Gento, Manuel Sanchis, and Amancio.

Karim Benzema

We start the list with Frenchman Karim Benzema, who got his career started with Lyon during the mid-2000s in his native country. Benzema then joined Real Madrid in 2009 and stuck around, spending well over a decade with the club. Benzema never let up in terms of talent while playing for Real Madrid, either, and seemed to actually improve after celebrating his 30th birthday.

Benzema helped Real Madrid win a long list of club honours, including four La Liga titles, two Copa del Reys, and five UEFA Champions League trophies. In 2022, Benzema became one of the oldest Ballon d’Or winners at 34 years old. In fact, only Stanley Matthews was older when he won the trophy at 41.

Raul

The world knows Raul Gonzalez Blanco simply as Raul, and he made his mark on the sport of football for more than two decades. Raul joined the Real Madrid youth program in the early 1990s and made his way to the senior squad in 1994. He’d remain with the club all the way up until 2010 before finishing his career with Schalke 04, Al Sadd, and the New York Cosmos until retiring in 2015.

Raul holds the record for most appearances in Real Madrid history with 741, and 550 of those came in La Liga competition. Raul was no slouch when it comes to scoring, either. He netted 323 goals during his Real Madrid career, which is good for third all-time behind Benzema and our number-one player on the list.

Iker Casillas

Iker Casillas ranks as the top goaltender in Real Madrid history and in third place overall on the list. Casillas is a native of Madrid, and he made his professional debut with Real Madrid’s top squad in 1999 after nearly a decade with the youth program. Casillas spent 16 years as the keeper for the club until spending the final five years of his career with Porto.

Casillas helped guide Real Madrid to five La Liga titles, as well as two Copa del Rey victories. Casillas added three UEFA Champions League titles, too, while winning a slew of individual honours that include two wins for La Liga Best Goalkeeper. Casillas is second all-time in club history for career appearances with 725 behind only Raul.

Alfredo Di Stefano

While the rest of the players on the list are more recent, there probably aren’t too many living Real Madrid fans who got the chance to watch Alfredo Di Stefano at his best. The Argentinian played professionally in South America following World War II for eight years before making his way to Spain in 1953. He spent 11 years with Real Madrid before wrapping up his career with a two-year stint at Espanyol.

Di Stefano was a cornerstone for the club, and he helped Real Madrid win La Liga a whopping eight times between 1954 and 1964. Di Stefano also hoisted the European Cup five times while wearing a Real Madrid kit and he won the Ballon d’Or Trophy twice. In 1989, he won the Super Ballon d’Or Trophy which was given out just once for the best player of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s combined.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Almost every football fan would have been able to guess that Cristiano Ronaldo was going to take the top spot on the all-time list for Real Madrid. Ronaldo spent the prime of his career with the club after coming up with Sporting CP and then six years with Manchester United. Ronaldo was part of Real Madrid for nearly a decade before departing for Juventus in 2018.

Ronaldo is far and away the leading scorer all-time in Real Madrid history with 450 goals, putting him more than 100 ahead of anybody else. What makes his scoring prowess even more impressive was the fact that he averaged more than one goal per game as a member of Real Madrid. Ronaldo won La Liga twice with the club and won the Ballon d’Or Trophy as the world’s best player a whopping four times.

Real Madrid has seen a lot of success in more than a century of play, including winning a long list of trophies while never being relegated from La Liga. With such a popular and valuable club, expectations are often high. Because of that, Real Madrid has gone through quite a few managers over the years, with some of them standing out as being the best of the best. 

Today we’ll take a look at the five men who found the most success as Real Madrid managers with dozens of honours amongst them. Before we start the list, some of the managers who just missed the cut include Luis Molowny, Jose Villalonga, Miljan Miljanic, and Luis Carniglia.

Carlo Ancelotti

As a player, Carlo Ancelotti enjoyed a fine career as a midfielder, splitting his time between Parma, Roma, and AC Milan. After his retirement in 1992, Ancelotti got into coaching where he became an assistant with the Italian National Team until taking over Reggiana in 1995. After several stints throughout Europe, Ancelotti made his way to Madrid for his first tenure which lasted from 2013 to 2015, then he returned in 2021.

Ancelotti had come from Paris Saint-Germain and posted a 74.79% winning rate while with Real Madrid. He also led the club to a UEFA Champions League title to go along with the Copa del Rey, UEFA Super Cup, and FIFA World Cup before departing for Bayern Munich.

Leo Beenhakker

Dutchman Leo Beenhakker has one of the lengthiest managerial resumes in football history. After his playing time ended in the early 1960s, Beenhakker took over several clubs in the subsequent decades including Ajax and Volendam. From 1986 to 1989, Beenhakker managed Real Madrid, and he came back for a second stint in 1992. During that time, Beenhakker was able to find success.

Beenhakker is fourth all-time in matches managed for Real Madrid with 169, and his squads won 107 of those. Beenhakker won La Liga on three occasions while also winning two Supercopa de Espanas and a Copa del Rey. Beenhakker then went on to manage Ajax and many other clubs before retiring in 2009.

Zinedine Zidane

Many know Zinedine Zidane from his fantastic playing days with Bordeaux, Juventus, and Real Madrid in the 1990s and 2000s. Zidane was also a staple of the French National Team, and after he retired from the sport in 2006, took several years off from football. In 2013, he became an assistant with Real Madrid then took over the B squad from 2014 to 2016. From 2016 to 2018 and 2019 to 2021, Zidane led the top squad.

Zidane’s Madrid clubs didn’t mess around in the UEFA Champions League as he won the title three times. Not only that, but Madrid won La Liga and Supercopa de Espana once each while adding two UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup titles. Overall, Zidane won more than 69 percent of his matches with Real Madrid.

Vincent del Bosque

A defensive mastermind as a player with Real Madrid, Vincent del Bosque was part of the squad from 1968 to 1984. After his retirement from the sport, del Bosque came back to the club that he knew and loved, becoming a caretaker during the 1990s. At the end of the decade, though, del Bosque became manager of the top squad and held the position until 2003.

Del Bosque doesn’t have the best winning percentage on the list, but he was able to win 54.51% of his matches while also winning several honours. Del Bosque won La Liga and the UEFA Champions League twice while also adding titles in the Supercopa de Espana, UEFA Super Cup, and Intercontinental Cup. At 233 matches, he’s second all-time in Madrid appearances.

Miguel Munoz

The top spot on the list belongs to Miguel Munoz, who like del Bosque, spent most of his playing years with Real Madrid. Between 1948 and 1958, he netted 23 goals for the club and then took over as manager upon his retirement. Though he didn’t last for an entire year, Munoz would return to manage the club from 1960 until 1974 following his brief time with Plus Ultra. No other manager had a tenure of that length.

Munoz is far and away the most successful manager in Real Madrid history when it comes to honours won. Munoz won La Liga nine times, as well as a pair of Copa del Rey and UEFA Champions League titles. Munoz also has more than twice as many matches as anyone else on the list, managing 595 times and winning 352 of those matches.