Category: Sports

Ever since its founding in 1892, Newcastle United has been one of the most prestigious football clubs in all of England. Newcastle has been part of the top division in English football in almost every year of existence, and throughout the years has had some amazing players. Which of those are the best, though? Here are our picks for the top five players in Newcastle United history. Before we start the list, some of the players who just missed the cut include Frank Hudspeth, Shay Given, Frank Clark, Len White, and Bill McCracken.

Jimmy Lawrence

While many of the players on the list were around in more recent years, that wasn’t the case for Jimmy Lawrence. The Scotsman was born in 1879 and his professional career began at the start of the 20th century with Patrick Athletic. After a brief stint with the club (as well as Glasgow Perthshire and Hibernian), he joined Newcastle United for the final 18 years of his career as the club’s goalkeeper.

Lawrence holds the Newcastle United record for matches played, appearing in 496 of them, good for most by a full 24 matches. Lawrence helped Newcastle United win the Football League championship in three years out of five, and he also won the 1910 FA Cup. Because he was around in the days before individual awards were more frequent, Lawrence didn’t win many, but he certainly would have by today’s standards.

Paul Gascoigne

Paul Gascoigne was one of the finest midfielders in Newcastle history, and he started with the youth program in 1980 at just 13 years old. Gascoigne then made his professional debut in 1985 with the club, spending three years there before heading to Tottenham Hotspur. Some of the other clubs he played with throughout his lengthy career include Lazio, Rangers, and Everton, before retiring in 2004.

Gascoigne doesn’t find himself toward the top of the list for most matches played or most goals scored, but he did leave his mark on Newcastle during his brief time. Though his personal issues would derail his career, Gascoigne still had a fine playing career. He won the FA Youth Cup with Newcastle in 1985 and was named to the First Division Team of the Year twice while also named the Young Player of the Year.

Kevin Keegan

Kevin Keegan was born in Armthorpe in 1951 and was a member of the Scunthorpe United youth program. He started his professional career with the club in 1968, and after three years made his way to Liverpool. Keegan then spent time with Hamburger SV and Southampton before joining Newcastle United in 1982.

Though he didn’t win any club titles with Newcastle, Keegan had a fine career with the club. He was named the North-East FWA Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons (1983 and 1984) while also being named the Players’ Player of the Year. Prior to his time with Newcastle, Keegan won the Ballon d’Or Trophy in consecutive years (1978 and 1979). He then went on to manage Newcastle United, winning a First Division title.

Jackie Milburn

Taking the second spot on the list is Jackie Milburn, a forward from Ashington who began his professional career with Newcastle United. Milburn joined the senior squad in 1943 and remained with the club for 14 years. In 1957 he departed for Linfield where he would spend another three years before wrapping up his playing days with Yiewsley in 1962.

With Milburn on the squad, Newcastle United would win the FA Cup three times in five seasons between 1951 and 1955. Milburn retired as the second-leading scorer in Newcastle history, scoring 200 on the dot in 397 appearances. In 2006, Milburn was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame due to his contributions to the sport.

Alan Shearer

The top spot on the list belongs to Newcastle upon Tyne native Alan Shearer. The striker’s career began with Southampton in 1988, and he made his way to Blackburn Rovers for four years in the 1990s. In 1996, Shearer joined Newcastle United, and he would remain there for the final decade of his career. He even managed Newcastle on an interim basis in 2009, three years after his retirement.

Shearer is the all-time leading scorer for Newcastle United, scoring six more goals (206) than Milburn throughout his career. Shearer did that in just 405 appearances, giving him an impressive 0.51 goals per game. He helped Newcastle reach the finals of the FA Cup in back-to-back years in the late 1990s while also being named to the PFA Team of the Year several times. In 2004, he was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame.

Newcastle United might not have the longest list of trophies in Premier League history, but the club is still one of the oldest in English football. Newcastle was founded in 1892 and has been part of the top division nearly every year since then.

Along the way, there have been some truly great managers to lead the squad, with these five men being the best in club history. Before we start the list, some of the managers who just missed the cut include Alan Pardew, Tom Mathew, Arthur Cox, and George Martin.

Kevin Keegan

When you think of Kevin Keegan, there’s probably a different club that comes to mind. After he started his professional career with Scunthorpe United during the late 1960s and early 1970s, Keegan made his way to Liverpool where he spent six years and played in over 230 matches. Keegan then spent time with Hamburger SV and Southampton before becoming a member of Newcastle United from 1982 to 1984. Eight years after retiring, he became the club’s manager for five years.

Keegan is the only man in Newcastle United history to have more than 100 matches managed while also being able to secure a winning percentage of over 50. In fact, Keegan won nearly 55 percent of his matches and even led Newcastle United to a second-place finish in the Premier League in 1995-96. His club won the First Division in 1993, and he wrapped up with 138 career wins.

Bobby Robson

Sacriston native Bobby Robson spent much of his playing career with Fulham while also having a long stint with West Bromwich Albion. He wrapped up his playing career in 1968 as a player-manager in Canada before moving on to Fulham to become their manager for a brief period. Robson had several different tenures as a manager, ending his career in 2004 after spending five years leading Newcastle United.

Robson is fourth all-time on the list for matches managed with Newcastle United at 255, though his winning percentage is actually better than those ahead of him. Robson won 46.67% of those matches, though the First Division title escaped him. Robson’s squads nearly won the Intertoto Cup, as well as the UEFA Cup in 2004.

Stan Seymour

Stan Seymour had a lengthy playing career that lasted nearly two decades, almost all of it split between Greenock Morton and, of course, Newcastle United. Seymour retired in 1929 after spending nearly the entire decade with the club, netting 73 goals in 242 league matches. After 10 years away from football, Seymour would return to Newcastle United to become manager. He had three stints as the club’s manager (1939-1947, 1950-1954, and 1956-1958), and managed no other clubs.

Seymour had 338 total matches as a manager, winning nearly 40 percent of those contests. He also won the FA Cup twice during that time. Unfortunately, Seymour wasn’t able to win the First Division as a manager but did do so as a player in 1927. He lived for another two decades following his retirement from football, passing away on Christmas Eve in 1978.

Joe Harvey

During the 1930s and 1940s, Joe Harvey spent time with Wolverhampton Wanderers, Bournemouth, and Bradford City as a player before joining Newcastle United in 1945. He’d spend the rest of his playing career with the club, retiring in 1953 after more than 220 appearances. Harvey then became a manager who had stops in Crook Town, Barrow, and Workington before returning to Newcastle United for the final 13 years of his career.

Harvey’s winning percentage wasn’t the greatest at 37.9%, but he brought a sense of stability during a time when Newcastle United really needed it. Harvey managed 591 matches, which is the second-most in the club’s history. Harvey won the Second Division once during his run while also winning the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and Anglo-Italian Cup. 

Frank Watt

The top manager on the list is one that most younger supporters may have never heard of, but he’s credit with being the “man who made Newcastle United”. Frank Watt was a massive influence on club football in England and Newcastle United in particular. Watt was named the secretary of the club in 1895 and stayed in that position until the mid-1930s. For more than 30 years, Watt was the manager of the club.

He finished with 1,264 total matches managed, which is far and away the most in the club’s history. That puts him more than 650 ahead of anybody else on the list. Watt won 575 of those matches, giving him a 45.49% winning rate. Watt won the First Division title four times during his career, as well as the Second Division once.

Throughout the history of Atletico Madrid which dates all the way back to 1903, there have been some all-time great players that were brought in thanks to genius signing from the front office. However, there have also been some massive overpays of players who wound up not being worth the millions spent. With that said, here are the five worse signings in Atletico Madrid history. Before we start the list, some of the players who just missed the cut include Valencia Train, Dani Carvahlo, and Carlos Gamarra

Kiki Musampa

While Kiki Musampa was excellent at free kicks, there wasn’t much else that he brought to the table for Atletico Madrid, unfortunately. Musampa, a native of Zaire, began his professional career with Ajax in 1994. After three years with the club, he made his way to Bordeaux and then Malaga where he had 22 goals in 96 league appearances.

Atletico spent €3 million to acquire Musampa from Malaga and gave him a five-year contract. Musampa lasted for just three years, however, and only appeared in 34 league matches as he played more matches for Manchester City on loan than with Atletico. After getting off to a decent start, Musampa was benched and his appearances became more sparse.

Roman Kosecki

The first player on the list is Roman Kosecki, who began his professional career with RKS Mirkow in 1982. Kosecki then made his way to RKS Ursus before breaking into a more visible spotlight with Gwardia Warszawa. The forward also played for Legia Warsaw, Galatasaray, and Osasuna. In July 1993, Atletico Madrid paid a €1.80 million fee to obtain Kosecki from Osasuna, which at the time was a massive deal.

Kosecki got off to a good start with the club, but things wouldn’t last for long. Despite being named the Polish footballer of the year in 1994, Kosecki struggled in the next year of his contract with Atletico Madrid and he was sent to FC Nantes after fewer than 60 league matches. While it wasn’t the most egregious bust of all time, Kosecki cost a ton of money to obtain and didn’t live up to the hype.

Diego Ribas

Diego Ribas (or simply Diego) has been on the list of disappointing signings for a couple of clubs throughout his career. The Brazilian midfielder began his career with Santos and showed a lot of potential, landing with Porto in 2004. Diego then spent three years with Werder Bremen where he was a star but ended up being a disappointment with Juventus. After being signed to VfL Wolfsburg, Diego was loaned to Atletico Madrid, then returned in 2014 for a brief period.

Diego appeared in a total of 43 league matches for Atletico Madrid, scoring just four times over that span. Despite his lack of production, Diego really liked being part of the club. In both of his farewells, he took the time to thank the fans for their support. It wasn’t a tragic signing by any means, but it simply was one that didn’t live up to the hype. For Diego, his time with Atletico was essentially a microcosm of his career.

Hugo Leal

Portuguese midfielder Hugo Leal spent his career with a lot of clubs. In 1997, he made his professional debut with Benfica, and during his two years there was loaned out to Alverca. Prior to playing for Paris Saint-Germain, Salamanca, Porto, and many others, Leal was part of Atletico Madrid for two years. Things went south in a hurry for Atletico Madrid after the acquisition.

In his first year, Leal scored just one goal and was immediately sent off after scoring. The club was relegated that season in an extremely rare occurrence and couldn’t rebound back into La Liga in his second year. Leal didn’t miss a lot of time compared to some of the other poor signings in football history, but the big spending at a time of relegation is one that Atletico fans certainly won’t forget.

Jackson Martinez

Jackson Martinez was tabbed as the next football superstar, and the Colombian forward proved that he could score early on in his career. Martinez started his career with Independiente Medellin, scoring 41 times in his 106 appearances. Martinez then kept the success going with Chiapas and Porto. With the latter club, Martinez scored a whopping 67 times in his 90 league matches.

Martinez was given a four-year contract, with Atletico spending €35 million to acquire his services. He ended up not blending well with the playstyle, and struggled to find the starting lineup, let alone the net. Martinez played in just 15 La Liga matches for Atletico, scoring only twice, before he was sent to Guangzhou Evergrande in China before ending his playing days with Portimonense.

Atletico Madrid was founded in 1903 and since then has been one of the most successful teams in Spanish history. Atletico has had well over 1,000 matches throughout club history, with some of those matches standing out as the club’s best. Let’s take a deep dive into Atletico Madrid’s history, highlighting the five matches that had the biggest impact on the club, between winning titles and beating top rivals.

Clinching La Liga in 2021

Atletico Madrid had been in a battle with Real Madrid throughout the entire 2020-21 La Liga season for first place. For the first few months of the season, Atletico had lost just one match, and it came at the hands of Real. In their second match, the two clubs tied 1-1, and came into the final matchday within two points of each other. Atletico was ahead of Real by two points and had Valladolid in the final week.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid defeated Villarreal to force the issue, meaning that Atletico had to draw or win. Things looked grim at first as Plano scored for Valladolid in the 18th minute, and Atletico didn’t score in the first half of the match. Finally, Angel Correa evened things up, lifting the club’s hopes. 10 minutes later, Luis Suarez scored to give Atletico a 2-1 lead, essentially clinching the title despite six yellow cards that followed to finish the match for Atletico.

Opening the 1955-56 Season

Though Atletico Madrid didn’t end up winning the 1955-56 La Liga season (finishing 5th), they would start off the season with a tie for the biggest win in club history. Atletico squared off against Hercules FC, and they were able to win 9-0 without scoring in the first half hour. It wasn’t Escudero scored the first of his three goals in the 32nd minute that Atletico got on the board. His two goals and Francisco Molina’s 41st-minute goal gave Atletico a 3-0 lead at the half.

Atletico came out on fire in the second half with Molina netting his second goal in the 47th minute. He then added a third while Miguel scored two himself. Enrique Collar scored his only goal of the game in the 87th minute, giving Atletico the 9-0 lead that they would finish with. If only the rest of the season had gone that well, it would have been an all-time year.

2018 UEFA Super Cup

Football tournaments around the world are all about determining the best of the best in that given year. Perhaps the title that can be considered the “ultimate championship” is the UEFA Super Cup, which takes the winner of the UEFA Champions League and pits them against the winner of the UEFA Europa League.

Atletico had won the UEFA Super Cup twice already by the time 2018 came around, but those wins came against Inter Milan and Chelsea. The 2018 edition saw Atletico square off against their arch-rival Real Madrid. Atletico jumped out to a 1-0 lead thanks to Diego Costa, but Karim Benzema and Sergio Ramos put Real ahead 2-1. Costa tied things up in the 79th minute, and Atletico scored twice in extra time to win the Super Cup.

2013 Copa Del Rey

Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid have met many times throughout the years outside of La Liga, as evidenced by the 2018 Super Cup. Five years prior, the two met in the finals of another major competition, the Copa del Rey. Leading up to the finals, Atletico Madrid defeated Real Jaen, Getafe, Betis, and Sevilla to take on Real Madrid.

Just like they did in 2018, Real and Atletico needed extra time to determine a tournament winner. This time around, it was Real Madrid who got out to the early lead when Cristiano Ronaldo scored in the 14th minute. They wouldn’t score again, though, as Diego Costa evened the match in the 35th minute. In extra time, Miranda netted the deciding goal, giving Atletico Madrid the 2-1 victory and the Copa del Rey.

1962 Winners’ Cup

Prior to the UEFA Super Cup, the best of the best throughout Europe was determined through the European Cup Winners’ Cup. Atletico Madrid had to play in the preliminary round, defeating Sedan 7-3 on aggregate. The club then defeated Leicester City to advance to the quarterfinals. German teams Werder Bremen and Carl Zeiss Jena were the next victims, with Atletico taking on Fiorentina for the title.

The two teams would play in front of 27,000 people at Hampden Park in Glasgow, but finished with a 1-1 draw after neither team scored in the second half. In the replay, Atletico wasted no time scoring, with Miguel Jones Castillo netting one in the eighth minute. Mendonca and Joaquin Peiro Lucas added goals to make a 3-0 championship win.

Atletico Madrid has had some ups and downs throughout the club’s history which started back in 1903. Today, however, we want to focus on those good moments. For fans of Atletico Madrid, here are the five best moments that we’ve seen, in no particular order.

Super Cup Victory

Atletico Madrid has won the UEFA Super Cup a handful of times, including defeating Inter Milan in 2010 and Chelsea in 2012. The winners of the Champions League and Europa League get to play each other every year in the Super Cup, so it’s rare to have two teams from the same league face off in the finals, especially archrivals. That’s what happened in 2018, however, as Atletico Madrid faced off against Real Madrid.

Real Madrid had won three of the previous four Super Cups, but Atletico came to play on that August evening. Diego Costa scored in the match’s first minute, but Karim Benzema knotted things up in the 27th. After Real Madrid took a lead in the 63rd minute, Costa scored his second to force extra time. Saul put Atletico ahead in the 98th minute, and Koke capped things off with his lone goal, giving Atletico the 4-2 Super Cup victory.

Beating Bayern

Surprisingly, throughout the history of Atletico Madrid, the club has never won the UEFA Champions League. That doesn’t mean that they haven’t come close, however. There have been multiple appearances in the final, with Atletico making some impressive runs to the championship match. The best of those runs came during the 2015-16 edition of the Champions League.

Atletico Madrid easily advanced through the group stage, but things became tougher during the knockout rounds. After two scoreless legs, the club advanced to the quarterfinals after defeating PSV Eindhoven in penalty kicks. They then knocked out rival Barcelona, setting up a memorable semifinal against Bayern Munich. After winning the first leg 1-0, Atletico needed a win, draw, or a loss by one goal at most. The latter ended up being the result, with the defense holding strong in the final 15 minutes to send Atletico to the final.

The Best in Europe

While it isn’t around anymore, the UEFA Cup Winners Cup was once a big deal after it was introduced in 1960, and was played through the rest of the 20th century. The event started out as a knockout tournament with a preliminary round, which Atletico Madrid was a part of. They defeated Sedan 7-3, then defeated Leicester City 3-1 thanks to a 2-0 victory in the second leg. German teams Werder Bremen and Carl Zeiss Jena proved to be no match in the quarters and semis, allowing Atletico to advance to the final to take on Fiorentina.

Joaquin Peiro scored in the 11th minute for Atletico in the final while Kurre Hamrin scored in the 27th minute for Fiorentina. Neither team scored the rest of the way, setting up a replay four months later. This time around, Atletico outmatched Fiorentina in a big way. Miguel Jones, Mendonca, and Peiro all scored for Atletico, giving the club a 3-0 victory in front of 38,000 people in Stuttgart.

Ending the La Liga Drought

Atletico Madrid had no problem winning the La Liga title throughout much of the 1970s, but things would change after they won the title in 1977. For nearly 20 years, Atletico attempted to get to the top, only to be shot down with each attempt as they had a long list of top-three finishes, but no championship. The tides would turn in the 1995-96 season as Barcelona and Real Madrid took big steps back while Atletico took a big step forward.

Heading into the final month of the season, Atletico Madrid and Valencia were locked into a battle at the top. After losing to Valencia on April 26, Atletico needed to turn it on, winning three of their last four matches while drawing against CD Tenerife. That draw ended up clinching the La Liga title for Atletico, with Cesar Gomez scoring in the 88th minute to end a nearly 20-year drought.

Ending the Second Drought

The La Liga title drought between 1977 and 1996 wasn’t the only one that Atletico Madrid has had. The club was relegated just a few years after winning La Liga, and it took a long time to bounce back to the top of the first division. After years of slowly finishing with a better spot in the table, the rebuild culminated with a title in the 2013-14 season.

In the final match of the season, Atletico faced off against Barcelona. Because of the goal differential, a win for Barcelona would have won them La Liga. They jumped out to a 1-0 lead thanks to a 33rd-minute goal by Alexis. However, Diego Godin answered back in the 49th minute, drawing the game 1-1, which was enough for Atletico to finish the season on top.

Atletico Madrid was founded in 1903 and has seen a lot of success ever since then. However, not all of the moments have been high points. Let’s take a look at Atletico Madrid’s history, pointing out the five worst moments that fans have had to endure, from losses to rivals to being knocked down to a lower level.

Christian Minchola’s Death

In 2013, a young boy named Christian Minchola joined the Atletico Madrid youth program. Minchola was said to be a rising star, and the striker was netting dozens of goals each year, inching his way to the professional ranks. Sadly, in 2020, Minchola passed away at just 14 years old without a cause of death listed. “We join in the grief of his family, teammates, and friends,” the club announced upon his death. “May he rest in peace.”

Club president Enrique Cerezo added that “We are shocked by the sad news of the death of our player and deeply regret his loss.” As for star player Koke, he took the tragic death hard. “Anger and pain at having to say goodbye to Christian Minchola,” he said. “Life is very unfair. Proud that you have worn this shirt. Much support to colleagues, family, and friends. Rest in peace.”

2016 Champions League Final

One thing that has alluded Atletico Madrid since its inception is the Champions League title. Despite being one of the most prominent football clubs in the world, Madrid has not won the big one, but has come so very, very close. One of the more heartbreaking matches in club history came in May 2016 in Milan at the Champions League final. The club was taking on its biggest rival, Real Madrid, and the match was a battle throughout.

Sergio Ramos got things started scoring-wise when he netted a 15th-minute goal for Real Madrid. It took until the 79th minute for Atletico Madrid to respond, and they did so with a Yannick Carrasco goal. Neither team scored the rest of the way, even in the extra time, and the match came down to penalty kicks. Both clubs made their first three, and Real Madrid went ahead 4-3 thanks to Ramos. Juanfran missed his attempt in the fourth frame, though, and Cristiano Ronaldo scored the clincher to win the Champions League.

Relegation

There was a period in the late 1990s that was pretty prosperous for Atletico Madrid. The club won La Liga in the 1995-96 season and still finished within the top seven in the following two seasons. However, things took a nosedive in 1998-99, with the club finishing 13th. The next year, things somehow got worse. After three straight losses to open the season, it looked like Atletico Madrid was getting things figured out as they pulled off a few wins.

After defeating Celta de Vigo on matchday 22, though, Atletico wouldn’t win another match until the final day of the season. They lost eight times during that stretch while also drawing another seven times. The win in the final week was too-little-too-late as Atletico had already fallen into the relegation zone, which is something that hadn’t happened in several decades at that point.

No Promotion

In the rare event that a big-name club gets relegated in a top-level league, they usually win the lower league the following year and get back to where they were. That wasn’t the case for Atletico Madrid in the 2000-01 Segunda Division, however. The club won just two of its first 11 matches in the lower level, needing to turn things around quickly just to stay competitive.

After a loss in the 20th matchday to Sporting Gijon, Atletico Madrid got hot. The club lost just three times and drew another four times, winning 15 of those matches. In the final week against Getafe CF, Atletico won 1-0, but they needed a lot more than that. They tied Tenerife for third place in the standings, and a few more goals would have allowed them to be promoted. Instead, they had to wait another year to get back to La Liga.

2014 Champions League Final

We already talked about the heartbreak that was the 2016 Champions League final, but that somehow wasn’t even the worst of it. Two years prior, Atletico Madrid had a shot at winning the Champions League, and once again it was against their biggest rival, Rela Madrid. In the first half, Diego Godin scored the match’s only goal (36th minute), and that proved to be the only goal of the 90-minute match.

However, stoppage time allowed Real Madrid to get back in the game, and Sergio Ramos scored in the third stoppage minute. This sent the match to extra time, and Real Madrid scored three times, including a 120th-minute penalty kick from Cristiano Ronaldo to add salt in the wound.

Atletico Madrid is among the most prominent clubs in Europe and has been one of the most successful clubs in La Liga history. Throughout that time, there have been hundreds of players, but a few of them stand out as truly the best. Here are our selections for the top five players in Atletico Madrid history. Before we start the list, some of the players who just missed the cut include Adelardo Rodriguez, Tomas Renones, Adrian Escudero, Paco Campos, and Antoine Griezman.

Koke

The first player on the list is Madrid-born Jorge Resurreccion Merodio, but simply known around the world as Koke. Koke began his youth career with Atletico at just eight years old, and in 2009 was promoted to the top squad. He would end up sticking around, as well, as the midfielder celebrated a full two decades with the club in 2020.

Nobody in Atletico history has made more appearances than Koke, who surpassed Adelardo Rodriguez with his 554th match to take the all-time record. During his career, Atletico has won La Liga twice and the Copa del Rey once. Though he doesn’t have a long list of individual trophies, Koke is very much a staple of the club and one of the first people you think of when you hear Atletico Madrid.

Diego Godin

The only member of the list to be born outside of Spain is Diego Godin, an Uruguay native who had several stints before joining Atletico. He made his professional debut with Cerro in 2003, then spent time with Nacional and Villareal. Godin spent nine years with Atletico from 2010 to 2019 before heading to Inter Milan.

When he retired, Godin was ninth all-time in club appearances with 389, which at the time was the most for any player born outside of Spain before being surpassed by Slovenia’s Jan Oblak. Godin was able to win La Liga once (2013-14) while with Atletico, as well as the Copa del Rey the previous year. Twice he was named to La Liga’s Team of the Season and in 2015-16 won the honor of the league’s best defender.

Fernando Torres

Known as El Nino to many, Fernando Torres was born in Fuenlabrada in 1984, then came up with the Atletico Madrid youth program during the late 1990s. In 2001, he made his professional debut with the senior squad and remained with the club for six years. While a member of AC Milan, Torres made his triumphant return in 2015 and stayed around for another three years.

Torres finds himself toward the top for a lot of career records with Atletico. Upon his retirement, he was eighth all-time in club appearances with 404. Torres is also high up on the career goals leaderboard with 129. Torres is the first member of the list to not win La Liga with Atletico, but he was able to secure the Segunda Division in 2002 while also winning the UEFA Europa League in 2018. In 2008, Torres was recognized as one of the world’s top players, finishing third in the Ballon d’Or voting.

Gabi

Though his full name is Gabriel Luis Fernandez Arenas, many know him simply as Gabi, or one of the finest Spanish midfielders of all-time. Gabi was born in Madrid and was a product of the Atletico youth program, making his professional debut on the top squad in 2004. He spent three seasons with the club in his first stint, then returned in 2011 to play another seven years before retiring with Al Sadd in 2020.

With his 417 club appearances, Gabi ranks seventh in club history. He helped Atletico win the 2013-14 La Liga title a year after the club won the Copa del Rey. He was named to the Squad of the Season for both La Liga and the UEFA Champions League and was often considered to be one of the best midfielders in Europe during his long and illustrious career.

Luis Aragones

The top player on the list is Luis Aragones, a Madrid native who started his professional career with Getafe Deportivo. He then became a member of Real Madrid in 1958 but didn’t make any appearances as he was loaned out to three other clubs. After brief runs with Plus Ultra, Oviedo, and Betis, Aragones spent the final decade of his career with Atletico, finally settling down before becoming the club’s manager upon retirement in 1974.

Despite the fact that he doesn’t come in the top 10 of matches played in Atletic history, he has the most goals out of any player. Aragones scored 172 times as a member of Atletico Madrid, with 123 of those goals coming in league play. Aragones won La Liga three times as a player while also adding two Copa del Rey titles.

Atletico Madrid has seen a long list of managers make their way to the club, all of which have had varying success. Some lasted for just a few months before they were sacked while others had years of sustained success. When talking about the latter category, there are a few names that really stand out above the rest. Here are our selections for the five best managers in Atletico Madrid history.

Helenio Herrera

Argentinian Helenio Herrera had an extensive playing career that lasted from 1931 to 1945, and he had stints with several teams including Stade Francais, Red Star Olympique, and Charleville. At the end of his playing career, Herrera also managed Puteaux, then returned to Stade Francais as a manager when his playing days ended. Herrera then had a short stay with Real Valladolid for a year, becoming the manager of Atletico Madrid from 1949 to 1952.

Herrera won the Copa Eva Duarte in 1950 while also winning La Liga in back-to-back years in 1950 and 1951. The Italian Football Hall of Fame inductee is named one of the greatest managers in football history, and he would go on to lead other clubs that included Barcelona, Inter Milan, and Roma until his retirement in 1981.

Quique Sanchez Flores

Quique Sanchez Flores was born in Madrid, though he never spent any of his playing days with Atletico. Instead, he started his professional career with a decade as a member of Valencia, then during the mid-1990s ended his career with Real Madrid and Zaragoza. Upon retiring in 1997, Flores became a manager and led Getafe, Valencia, and Benfica during the 2000s. In 2009, he became the manager of Atletico Madrid where he remained until heading to Al-Ahli in 2011.

Though his time was brief and league play was less than ideal, there was still a lot of success for Flores. Under Flores, Atletico Madrid won the 2009-10 UEFA Europa League title and the 2010 Super Cup. He nearly won the 2009-10 Copa del Rey as well. Flores continued his managerial career for many other clubs after Atletico Madrid, as well, including multiple runs with Watford. And one with Espanyol.

Luis Aragones

Another native of Madrid, Luis Aragones was born in 1938 and spent the first seven years of his playing career with eight different clubs. This includes Betis, where he spent the most matches outside of his run with Atletico Madrid. Aragones became a prolific scorer for Atletico when he joined the squad in 1964, spending a decade with the team before retiring in 1974 and taking over as the club’s manager.

Aragones had seven different stints as Atletico Madrid’s manager, with the last one coming between 2001 and 2003. During those stints, Aragones won La Liga once while also winning three Copa del Rey titles. He added a Supercopa de Espana, Intercontinental Cup, and Segunda Division to his trophy case, too.

Radomir Antic

The second spot on the list belongs to the late Radomir Antic, the only member of the list to not come from Argentina or Spain. Antic was born in Yugoslavia and spent his playing days with Sloboda Uzice, Partizan, Fenerbahce, Real Zaragoza, and Luton Town. Antic retired in 1984 after a 17-year career, taking over as an assistant for Partizan before his first managerial job with Zaragoza from 1988 to 1990.

After managing Real Madrid and Real Oviedo between 1991 and 1995, Antic had three stints as Atletico Madrid’s manager between 1995 and 2000. Antic won the Copa del Rey and La Liga early on in his managerial run with the club while also winning the Don Balon Award. Antic then returned to Real Oviedo before managing Barcelona and several other squads before his 2015 retirement.

Diego Simeone

Without a doubt, the top spot on the list has to belong to the man who has spent more time as Atletico Madrid’s manager than anybody else. In March 2023, Argentinian Diego Simeone passed Luis Aragones for the record. Simeone had a playing career that lasted from 1987 until 2006, making appearances for the likes of Inter Milan and Lazio, but of course, Atletico Madrid.

Simeone then managed six different clubs between 2006 and 2011 before taking over at Atletico Madrid and cementing his status as the club’s greatest-ever manager. Simeone has won multiple La Liga titles as well as the Copa del Rey. Other honours include the UEFA Super Cup and UEFA Europa League multiple times on his way to becoming the winningest manager Atletico has seen.

Bayern Munich has been one of the most successful clubs in German football history with some of the best players around the world. However, that doesn’t mean that the club has been immune from making some pretty bad signings over the years. Today we’ll take a look at the five worst signings in club history, costing Bayern millions of wasted Euros. Before we begin the list, some of the “dishonorable” mentions include Marcell Jansen, Breno, Xherdan Shaqiri, Andri Herzog, and Ciriaco Sforza.

Lukas Podolski

Polish native Lukas Podolski had been a fantastic player in his home country. The forward began his professional career with 1. FC Koln, making his debut in 2003. Over the next three years, Podolski shined as he netted 46 goals in 81 league matches, making him a hot commodity throughout Europe. Several major clubs put in offers to acquire Podolski, including Real Madrid and Liverpool.

Bayern Munich, however, won the bidding war as it was reported that the club sent €10 million to Koln for the transfer. Unfortunately, times in Munich weren’t as great for Podolski. His scoring dropped tremendously and he suffered a serious injury while training that derailed his development. At one point, Podolski couldn’t crack the lineup for Bayern and was part of the second squad. In 2009, the experiment was over and Podolski returned to his former club.

Landon Donovan

Being the greatest all-time American in most sports would easily translate to European success. For instance, LeBron James or Tom Brady would dominate in basketball and gridiron, but it doesn’t typically translate into football. Many thought Landon Donovan would be the one that proved everyone wrong and show that American players deserve to be on the biggest stages in European football.

As a member of Major League Soccer’s LA Galaxy, Donovan was sent away to Everton twice on loan. Prior to that, though, Donovan was loaned to Bayern Munich but made just six appearances without a goal. He did score four times in five friendly matches, but that wasn’t enough to justify the cost, which was estimated to be over €4 million, and didn’t extend the loan any further.

Corentin Tolisso

Midfielder Corentin Tolisso was one of the biggest up-and-comers in France when he was part of Lyon’s youth program. Tolisso started with the second squad in 2012, then the following year made his top squad debut. In 116 league matches, Tolisso netted 21 goals. There were plenty of teams that wanted to throw millions at Lyon to obtain Tolisso, and Bayern Munich spent €41.5 million plus bonuses for his talents.

Over the course of five years, however, Tolisso would appear in just 72 league matches and scored only 11 times. Tolisso suffered a serious injury in Bundesliga play during the 2018-19 season and never really recovered fully and his contract was seen as a massive overspend. In 2022, Tolisso’s contract wasn’t extended and he returned to Lyon. While he wasn’t bad, he didn’t live up to the hype.

Mario Gotze

Mario Gotze was considered to be one of those amazingly versatile players that would thrive with Bayern Munich for a very long time. Gotze, a Memmingen native, came up with Borussia Dortmund and made his professional debut in 2009. Over the course of 83 league matches, Gotze scored 22 times for his original club. In 2013, Gotze became the most expensive player in German history (at the time), costing Bayern Munich €37 million.

Like Tolisso, Gotze wasn’t downright terrible, but his contract proved to be worth more than what he was being paid to do. He matched his goal total of 22 with Bayern but tapered off in each passing year. The two sides became more frustrated with one another and Gotze returned to his original team. Gotze said that he regretted leaving Borussia Dortmund in the end while Bayern continued its success without him.

Renato Sanches

The final contract that really ended up disappointing Bayern fans was that of Renato Sanches, a Portuguese midfielder who dazzled while with Benfica. He made his top squad debut in 2015, and after just two dozen league matches had impressed enough people to make clubs want to pay his €45 million release with Benfica. Bayern Munich signed Sanches to a five-year deal worth a total of €80 million in bonuses, fees, and salary.

Bayern only got 35 league matches, one goal, and three years out of that massive five-year contract, though. Sanches became frustrated with how he was being used and couldn’t quite develop into the Bayern system. With that, Sanches joined Lille in the summer of 2019 with the French club breaking a club record for highest-paid salary. 

Bayern Munich has more trophies and Hall of Fame players in its history than any other team in Germany, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that there have been some very memorable matches throughout the club’s history. While there are memorable matches where Bayern was defeated, we want to focus on the ones where they came out on top. Here are our picks for five classic games in Bayern Munich history that all supporters should go back and watch from time to time.

Beatdown of Barca (2012-13 Champions League)

For the 2012-13 Champions League, Bayern Munich was placed into a group with Valencia, BATE Borisov, and Lille. After securing 13 points, Bayern won the group on a tiebreaker and advanced to take on Arsenal in the round of 16, winning because of three away goals. They then shutout Juventus 2-0 in back-to-back matches, setting up a showdown with Barcelona with a trip to the finals on the line.

Bayern came out on fire, winning the first match 4-0. Some thought that maybe Barca could bounce back and answer with a victory of their own, but the clean sheet streak continued for Bayern as they defeated Barcelona 3-0 in the second leg, giving them a 7-0 win overall. Bayern then advanced to take on Borussia Dortmund in the finals, winning 2-1.

Entry to the Bundesliga (1965)

1963 saw the first year of play in the newly-formed Bundesliga, but Bayern Munich was not part of it. Instead, Bayern was part of the Regionalliga Sud as a member of the second division in football but was able to advance into promotion easily. In the South, Bayern Munich collected 55 points in 36 games and had an insane goal differential of 114 as they scored 146 against just 32 given up.

In the promotion round, Bayern Munich was placed against Alemannia Aachen, 1. FC Saarbrucken, and Tennis Borussia Berlin. Instead of sneaking their way into the Bundesliga, Bayern Munich kicked the doors down, defeating Tennis Borussia Berlin by a score of 8-0 to secure their spot, and they’d never look back.

Dismantling of Borussia Dortmund (1971-72 Bundesliga)

Bayern Munich had very few problems throughout the 1971-72 Bundesliga season. The club would end up winning the championship thanks to 55 points, losing just three times throughout the season and securing a +63 goal differential. The biggest one of their 24 victories came against one of their biggest rivals, Borussia Dortmund.

The match took place In November 1971, and Gerd Muller got the party started with a goal in the 11th minute. He would score three more times while several other players scored multiple goals en route to an 11-1 victory. For Borussia, Dieter Weinkauff would net the only goal as the team began their path toward a rare relegation season.

The 2001 Champions League Final

There wasn’t really a clear-cut favorite for the 2001 UEFA Champions League, but Bayern Munich had one of the best chances. The club was placed into a group stage with Paris Saint-Germain, Rosenborg, and Helsingborg, and Bayern wound up winning with 11 points in six matches.

In the quarterfinals, Bayern defeated Manchester United 3-1 on aggregate, including a 1-0 away win in the first leg. The club had an identical result in the semifinals against Real Madrid, setting the stage for the finals against Spain’s Valencia. Seeking their fourth Champions League title (and first since 1976), Bayern didn’t disappoint, sending the match to penalties. In fact, all goals were scored via penalty kicks, with Stefan Effenberg scoring in the 50th minute. Bayern won 5-4 on the penalties, with Thomas Linke netting the winner.

The 1974 European League Final

Prior to being known as the UEFA Champions League, it was called the European Cup. Bayern Munich was searching for its first-ever European League Championship at the time and advanced past Atvidaberg in the preliminary stage. They then defeated Dynamo Dresden, CSKA, and Ujpesti on their way to the final. Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid had stormed through the bracket, defeating Celtic in the semifinals.

Just like in 2001, the match’s scheduled time would end with a 1-1 score. Instead of penalty kicks to determine a winner back then, though, a replay was set for two days later. In front of a crowd at nearly half the capacity of the first match in Brussels, Bayern Munich didn’t hold back in the scoring department. Uli Hoeneß scored in the 28th and 82nd minutes while Gerd Muller scored in the 56th and 69th minutes, giving Bayern Munich the 4-0 victory and its first European League title.