Life after Los Blancos: 7 players who found success following Real Madrid exit
Posted Wednesday, June 10, 2015 by squawka.com
One thing you are almost guaranteed at Real Madrid is winners’ medals. At Los Blancos silverware is in their DNA, and rarely does a campaign go by without them lifting a trophy of some sort.
Although last season was hardly a vintage campaign for the Spanish giants, the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup are not to be sniffed at.
Whilst the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos, Karim Benzema and James Rodriguez lap up all the praise, a departure from one of the club’s less lauded stars always seems to be just around the corner.
The most recent victim on the Bernabeu’s revolving door system is German World Cup winner Sami Khedira.
Despite winning the World Cup last summer, Khedira made just 11 league appearances for Real last season.
The 28-year-old midfielder has today joined Italian champions Juventus on a free transfer, as reported by the Guardian, and will officially arrive in Turin on July 1st.
This is a big coup for the Old Lady, as Khedira had been linked with a number of high-profile European clubs, but also presents itself as a sensible opportunity for the player.
Juve’s dominance in Serie A almost guarantees him a league title next season, and he will get much more game time than he received at Madrid, where he played only 17 times last term in all competitions.
Should he lift the Scudetto in 2016, Khedira will join a long and prestigious list of players who found life was just as easy away from the Spanish capital.
Don’t ask Jose Mourinho how old Eto’o was during his spell in Spain…
Samuel Eto’o played just six times for Real between 1998 and 2000, but has gone on to win the Champions League three times, plus numerous titles in Spain and Italy. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar endured a torrid time at the club in the 2008/09 season, but has since found his feet at Schalke in Germany.
Meanwhile Antonio Cassano’s move to Madrid in 2005 was arguably a bit unwise, but he probably didn’t care when he lifted the Serie A title in 2011 with AC Milan.
Those are just a few of the names that have found success beyond Florentino Perez’s empire, but if Khedira can match the achievements of any of the following seven he will be a very happy man.
Esteban Cambiasso
Cambiasso; a legend in the Italian capital…and Leicester.
Oh Esteban…how beloved you currently are in the East Midlands. The Argentine’s performances for Leicester City last season were instrumental to the Foxes’ survival in the Premier League, and it proved to be a crafty bit of business by Nigel Pearson.
His spell at Los Blancos between 2002 and 2004 wasn’t exactly awful, but it was nothing compared to what he managed at Inter, where he won five league titles, four Coppa Italia’s and the Champions League. Give it another few years and Leicester could very well have such honours to their name…
Mesut Ozil
Ozil’s unwavering focus on display here.
It is easy to forget that Clarence Seedorf played for Real Madrid for four seasons in the 1990s, but he only won one La Liga title and the 1998 Champions League in that time. In Italy though he became a highly respected and cultured midfielder for Inter.
However he finally found his calling at their rivals AC Milan, where he won two Serie A titles, two Champions Leagues, the Coppa Italia, two UEFA Super Cups and the Club World Cup. He also added the Brazilian Campeonato Carioca whilst at Botafogo in 2013. Not bad Clarence. Not bad at all.
Claude Makelele
Makelele mastered the “Makelele role”.
When Roman Abramovich brought his billions to Chelsea back in 2003, the fans of the West London club were probably most excited to see Hernan Crespo, Juan Sebastian Veron and er…Wayne Bridge pull on that famous blue shirt. Those chaps didn’t last, but Claude Makelele proved to be the best of the bunch.
The French midfielder reinvented the defensive midfield role, and was the most important player at Stamford Bridge right up until he left in 2008. In that time the club won two Premier Leagues, two League Cups and the FA Cup.
Luis Figo
Not a pig’s head in sight…
Of all the Galacticos to play for Real at the beginning of the last decade, Luis Figo was the only one that continued to reach new heights following his departure. Zidane retired in 2006. Roberto Carlos faded into obscurity in Russia and David Beckham lived the Hollywood lifestyle in Los Angeles.
Figo though continued to pick up a plethora of trophies with Inter, where he won four Serie A’s and the Coppa Italia. He also considered running for the FIFA presidency for a bit. You probably dodged a bullet there Luis.
Clarence Seedorf
Seedorf further cementing his Italian legacy.
It is easy to forget that Clarence Seedorf played for Real Madrid for four seasons in the 1990s, but he only won one La Liga title and the 1998 Champions League in that time. In Italy though he became a highly respected and cultured midfielder for Inter.
However he finally found his calling at their rivals AC Milan, where he won two Serie A titles, two Champions Leagues, the Coppa Italia, two UEFA Super Cups and the Club World Cup. He also added the Brazilian Campeonato Carioca whilst at Botafogo in 2013. Not bad Clarence. Not bad at all.
Wesley Sneijder
''You watching Real? You watching?''
Many Dutch stars failed to live up to expectations during their influx to Madrid in the mid 2000s. Ruud van Nistelrooy, Royston Drenthe and Rafael van der Vaart never really recovered from their adventure in Spain.
Thankfully, Sneijder managed to turn his fortunes around just one season after leaving, when he won the domestic and European treble with Inter in 2009/10. The midfielder has since moved to Galatasaray in Turkey, where to be honest, success isn’t too hard to come by.
Arjen Robben
Robben continues to cause havoc around Europe.
Much like Sneijder, Arjen Robben’s spell at Los Blancos included nothing of note, but it wasn’t an unmitigated disaster. After the acquisition of Ronaldo and Kaka in 2009, certain players had to go, and if anything it helped Robben become a genuinely world-class player at Bayern Munich.
To date, the 31-year-old has won three Bundesliga titles, three DFB-Pokal’s and the Champions League with the Bavarians. We suppose a second and third place finish at the last two World Cups with Holland isn’t exactly rubbish either.
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