Beyond being Real Madrid’s first-ever goalscorer, Irishman Arthur Johnson would also become the club’s first manager between 1910 and 1920
Tag: real madrid
How Ricardo Zamora became Spanish football’s first idol and blazed a path for future goalkeeping greats
One quote aptly covers the career of Spain’s greatest goalkeeper: “There are only two goalkeepers: Ricardo Zamora on Earth and St Peter in heaven”
The curious case of Wanderlei Luxemburgo, Real Madrid and the six minute match
Few managerial debuts at Real Madrid will ever be stranger than that of Wanderlei Luxemburgo, the man who took charge for six insane minutes
Spanish football in the Franco years
With much of Spain under the oppression of General Franco, football suffered immensely as the nationalist, brutal dictator stamped his authority
The demise of José Mourinho: a six-year journey of feuds, pragmatism and time passing him by
He was once football’s most revered manager, a master in man-management, but for six years now, the downfall of José Mourinho has taken shape
The three generations of Marcos Alonsos who played at Wembley
In a unique feat, three generations of Marcos Alonsos – all leading players in their own right at big clubs – have represented Spain at Wembley
The night Ronaldo silenced a raucous Old Trafford with a hat-trick of sublime quality
This feature is part of Virtuoso Often contrary to what is seen in the modern day, Old Trafford was once a most unforgiving experience for any away side during Manchester United’s best…
How Sergio Ramos’ unmatched determination resuscitated La Décima
This feature is part of Virtuoso The shootout was quickly becoming an unmitigated disaster. While Bayern Munich’s first two shot takers had executed their jobs to perfection, Real Madrid’s most trusted, Kaká…
Radomir Antić: the Luton defender who later managed Real Madrid, Atlético and Barcelona to distinction
Spanish rivalries transcend sport and are built on political and logistical foundations, and have been a matter of life and death in the past. As a result, many reputations are based on…
The decorated, destructive and damned career of Robert Prosinečki
In February 2002, over 12,000 fans packed themselves into Fratton Park to see former Real Madrid and Barcelona maestro Robert Prosinečki score a scintillating hat-trick against Barnsley. What should have been an easy three…
The undeniable talents of Rafael van der Vaart, a player born a decade too late
On 12 September 2000, Ajax were playing Belgian side Gent in a UEFA Cup knockout match. Eighty-two minutes had gone; the Dutch side were 4-0 up going into the final stages of…
When third-tier Alcorcón famously hammered Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey in 2009
Cup competitions can throw up the unlikeliest of footballing match-ups and, sometimes, the craziest of results. The smallest clubs can go global overnight while the superpowers of the game can be reduced…
Trouble in paradise: Jonathan Woodgate’s nightmare spell at Real Madrid
Though Real Madrid have never been afraid to cast their nets overseas in search of talent, and the number of first-rate foreigners to have been handpicked to represent the club throughout its…
Why Raúl became the symbol of Spanish football’s evolution from La Furia to La Roja
“If you want to win, play me. If not, put someone else in.” Real Madrid striker Raúl was forthright from a young age, his manager at the time Jorge Valdano remembers. The…
The damned career of Christoph Metzelder
In the end, it was a career of unfulfilled potential, one cruelly defined by injuries. Christoph Metzelder, ever the optimist, didn’t see it like that though: “I am just thankful for my…
When Real Madrid offered Alfredo Di Stéfano to Manchester United
When Manchester United and Real Madrid locked horns in the last-16 of the 2013 Champions League, it was billed as “the game that the whole world wants to see”. Forget the bluster…
Miguel Pardeza: the famed Real Madrid outcast who took Real Zaragoza to unprecedented heights
The notoriously predatory Emilio Butrageuño was the dominant figure within Real Madrid’s legendary Quinta del Buitre. The striker, who went by the nickname El Buitre (The Vulture) – was so lethal a marksman…
Bale raising his game as Real Madrid move on from Ronaldo
Gareth Bale faces a huge week as he bids to prove that there is life after Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid. He returned to the starting line-up as Madrid lost to Sevilla, with…