Best of the best: Spain's top 15 greatest players
Best of the best: Spain's top 15 greatest players
Now it’s hard to believe it, but for almost the entire history of the Spaniards were considered losers of international competitions. Every now and then, “Fury Roja” stumbled into the quarter finals of a major football forum and flew out. Apart from the victory at Euro 1964, the real success came to the Spaniards only in our time, starting in 2008, when Europe was conquered in the stadiums of Austria and Switzerland.
Let's talk about the best representatives of one of the strongest teams in recent years.
15. Sergio Ramos (2005-now; 131 games, 10 goals)
Photo: Goal.com, eurosport.com, UEFA.com, MarcaSomeone will deny Ramos’s contribution to the success of his team, but his status as one of the most prominent and outstanding defenders of recent years is beyond doubt.
As part of the “Fury of Rohi,” Ramos achieved the “gold” of the World Cup and twice became the European champion. At the club level, as part of Real Madrid, he finished three times first in the Example and twice helped the team win the Champions League.
Ramos is the third player in Spain by the number of matches played.
14. Telmo Sarra (1945-1951; 20 games, 20 goals)
Telmo Sarraonindia Montoya, better known simply as Telmo Sarra, is the record holder for the number of titles of the top scorer of the Spanish championship.
Inspired in Sarah not only his performance - his growth was much higher than that of the other strikers in Spain, 1.80 m. This, however, did not prevent him from measuring speed with faster and brisk players.
It is also interesting in Sarah that he was a rare footballer who did not play for either Real or Barcelona. He spent most of his career in Athletics from Bilbao, with whom he became a champion and won the Spanish Cup five times.
13. Amancio Amaro (1962-1974; 52 games, 11 goals)
Photo: Goal.com, eurosport.com, UEFA.com, MarcaIn 1962, Sagnago Bernabeu himself insisted that Amaro sign the “Real” - despite the price crazy at that time. The bold move was justified, and Amancio helped Real Madrid achieve incredible success, winning six league titles in the first six years at the club.
Amaro was one of the creators of the first triumph of his country in the international arena, having won gold in Euro 1964, and became the champion of Spain nine times.
12. Jose Antonio Camacho (1975-1988; 81 plays)
Very often, even the great defenders are faced with the indifference of the public, which only give great saves and wonderful goals. But Jose Antonio Camacho will not be forgotten by history.
Camacho is considered one of the best football players of the 70-80s as part of Real Madrid. For 15 years, as part of the "Royal Club" Camacho has achieved nine (!) Championship titles and won in two Champions League draws.
His ball control and vision of the field were incomparable, and in his entire career he received only one red card. Despite the fact that as part of the national team, his main achievement was silver at Euro 1984 in France, he is one of the best players in the history of Spain.
11. Carles Puyol (2000-2010; 100 games, three goals)
Photo: Goal.com, eurosport.com, UEFA.com, MarcaPerhaps the most terrible and unpleasant defender in the history of Spain. Puyol has been a loyal player to the team for 10 years, and he has accounted for nearly 400 matches for Barcelona, where he was captain.
Puyol took part in three World Championships and three European Championships, and was considered one of the best defenders of the world. Among his merits is the title of the best defender of the year in Europe, and in his trophy cabinet there are six cups of the Spanish Championship, two cups of Spain, five Super Cups of Spain and three cups of the Champions League.
10. Andoni Subisarreta (1985-1998; 126 games)
At the peak of his career, Andoni Subisarreta was rightly considered one of the best goalkeepers on the planet.
Starting his career in Athletics from Bilbao, with whom he won two league titles, Andoni moved to Barcelona, where he won literally everything, including (four times) the league title and victory in the Champions League (as captain). At the club level, his last team was Valencia, and in the national team he participated in four World Championships and two Euros - alas, to no avail.
For a long time, Subisarreta was the champion in the number of matches for the national team until he was beaten by another goalkeeper, about which a little later.
9 Fernando Hierro (1989-2002; 89 games, 29 goals).
Photo: Goal.com, eurosport.com, UEFA.com, MarcaLooking at the statistics of Hierro, one can hardly believe that he was a defense player. Yes, in the entire history of football, he was one of the most productive defenders, at one time even being considered the best scorer in his country!
Like Subisarreta, he participated in four World Cups and two Euros, and in 2002, FIFA recognized him as one of the best mundial players in South Korea and Japan.
At the club level, Hierro has made great strides with Real Madrid, where he has become Spain's champion four times and three times as a Champion League triumph. After winning the Champions League in 1998, he was recognized as the best defender of the season. Hierro ended his career at Bolton.
8. Luis Suarez (1957-1972; 32 games, 14 goals)
Luis Suarez Miramontes, known simply as Luis Suarez (but not the one you thought about), was the main star of Barcelona long before the birth of a biting Uruguayan.
The icon of Barca, Milan Inter and the Spanish national team, he became the best football player in Europe in 1960. In Italy, Suarez (bought for a record at that time amount to 142 thousand pounds) three times became the champion of Series A and twice - the winner of the Champions League. Largely thanks to Suarez, Spain triumphed at Euro 1964, which became his country's first success in the international arena.
7. Emilio Butrageno (1984-1992; 69 games, 26 goals)
Photo: Goal.com, eurosport.com, UEFA.com, MarcaButrageno, nicknamed Vulture, is considered one of the greatest center forwards in the history of Real Madrid. He, along with partners Manolo Sanchis, Martin Vazquez, Michel and Miguel Pardesa, helped his team dominate Spain in the 1980s.
In Real Madrid, he achieved six league titles and two Spanish cups. Alas, in Europe he was haunted by failure, although Emilio twice won the not so prestigious UEFA Cup.
At the World Cup in 1986, Butrageno scored five goals, winning the Silver Ball with Diego Maradona.
6. David Villa (2005-2014; 97 games, 59 goals)
Despite considerable competition, it was Villa who is the top scorer in the history of her country, and this achievement will not be beaten soon.
However, Villa was not only productive - he knew how to score at the most important moment. During Euro 2008, after which the Spaniards “burst”, he scored four goals. At the subsequent 2010 World Cup, he scored five. Alas, during Euro 2012 he was prevented from showing his capabilities by injury.
At the club level, Villa (whom they love to call El Guaje - the Child at home) won everything that is possible, including Primera as part of Barcelona and Madrid Atletico.
Now Villa stands for the American "New York City", where he wears a captain's armband.
5. Alfredo Di Stefano (1957-1961; 31 games, 23 goals)
Photo: Goal.com, eurosport.com, UEFA.com, MarcaThe legendary Alfredo Di Stefano is not only one of the greatest football players in history, but also a unique person who managed to play for three national teams - Argentine, Colombian and Spanish.
Despite the fact that Di Stefano was born in Argentina, it was in Spain that he was successful, and it was for the “Fury Roja” that he spent more matches.
Di Stefano became a citizen of Spain after his move to Real Madrid, although his goals did not help his new country break into the 1958 World Cup. Four years later, the Spaniards still made it to the mundial, but Di Stefano flew out due to an injury.
But the club career brought him the most fame: with Real Madrid he achieved seven league titles and five Champions League cups. During his career, he won the Golden Ball twice and twice became the top scorer in Europe.
4. Raul (1996-2006; 102 games, 44 goals)
Raul González Blanco, known simply as Raul, was a loyal fan of Madrid “Atletico”, but it was in the composition of their main enemies - “Real” - he achieved world fame.
For some time, Raul was both a champion in goals for the club and for the national team.
Unfortunately, Raul did not achieve success at the national team level, but his trophy cabinet is still breaking with cups: he is a three-time Champions League winner, six-time - Examples, and five times he was recognized as the best football player in Spain.
3. Iker Casillas (2000-2016 167 games)
Photo: Goal.com, eurosport.com, UEFA.com, MarcaCasillas is the record holder for the number of games for Spain. Iker has long been considered not only the best goalkeeper on the Pirinei Peninsula, but also one of the best in the world, only recently having given this title to the younger David De Gea and Manuel Neuer.
Saint Iker was a member of all the international triumphs of Spain, starting in 2008, while being a captain and an indispensable base player. However, after his shocking departure from Real Madrid, his place in the goal gradually began to move away to the talented De Gea from Manchester United.
Apart from many medals both at the club and international levels, Iker is distinguished by the fact that he won both the youth and adult world championships, and is one of only three people who won the World Cup, European Championship and Champions League as captain.
2. Andrés Iniesta (2006-present; 106 games, 13 goals)
Short Iniesta, nicknamed the Wizard, is considered a living legend of Barcelona and the Spanish national team, which won the 2010 World Cup precisely thanks to his goal in the decisive match.
Only the glory of teammate Lionel Messi prevented Iniesta from winning the Golden Ball, for which he was nominated three times.
A graduate of the illustrious La Masia, Iniesta spent his entire career in the Catalan grandee, with whom he won eight Spanish titles, four Spanish Cups, six Spanish Super Cups, four Champions League, three UEFA Super Cups, and also won the club world championship three times. It is considered the most titled footballer in the history of Spanish football.
1. Xavi (2000-2014; 133 games, 13 goals)
Photo: Goal.com, eurosport.com, UEFA.com, MarcaIn order to get around Iniesta on our list, you need to be a truly outstanding football player, and Javier Hernandez Creus, known simply as Javi, was just such a player.
Javi - The beating heart of the great Barcelona, was a technician from God, and along with Paul Scholes was considered the best player in his position over the past 20 years.
Four times, Xavi was recognized as the best playmaker in the world, and as part of Barça, where he was captain, he became the champion of Spain eight times, won the country's Cup three times and the Champions League four times. Xavi was an indispensable link both in his club and in the national team, and the success of Barcelona, as well as the Spanish squad, can not be imagined without him.
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