Editorial

Champions League Debate: Real Madrid All Time XI v Milan All Time XI - Who Would Win?

Ahead of Wednesday's big Champions League clash, Goal.com selects Real Madrid's and Milan's All Time Best XIs and asks readers who would come out on top...

Oct 20, 2009 12:30:58 PM

Van Basten - Rijkaard - Gullit - Milan 1990

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Van Basten - Rijkaard - Gullit - Milan 1990

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Real Madrid All-Time XI

Ricardo Zamora (1930-36) - It might be very easy to get carried away by Iker Casillas’s heroics but Ricardo Zamora is one of football's greatest ever goalkeepers. El Divino was a huge figure for Real Madrid in the early and mid-1930s and won two Spanish championships with the Madrid giants. Noted for wearing a cloth cap and a white polo-neck jumper on the pitch, he was a brave and somewhat controversial footballer, who also played for Espanyol and FC Barcelona. The award for the best goalkeeper in La Liga, the Ricardo Zamora Trophy is named in his honour.

Fernando Hierro (1989-2003) - Fernando Hierro is one of the best ever central defenders to have emerged out of Spain. He formed a formidable partnership at the heart of the central defence with Manuel Sanchis in the 1990s. Hierro was hugely respected at the Bernabeu and won the Spanish championship five times with the Merengues and also the UEFA Champions League in 1998, 2000 and 2002. He became the captain of Real Madrid after Sanchis retired but was released by the club at the end of the 2002-03 season under unceremonious circumstances.

Hierro for Spain at Euro 2000

Jose Santamaria (1957-66) - The Real Madrid side of the 1950s and 60s is famous for scoring goals and for playing entertaining football but at the time they had a world class defender too. Jose Santamaria joined Real Madrid in 1957 and went onto marshal the backline with immense success, featuring in 226 impressive league matches. He won the Spanish league five times and also lifted the European Cup with the Merengues on four occasions.

Jose Antonio Camacho (1973-89) - Jose Antonio Camacho played for Real Madrid all his life and has earned the status of a legend with some justification. A left back, Camacho joined when he was 18 and went onto feature in 414 league matches. He is regarded as one of the most complete left backs ever and although Roberto Carlos did come close to taking his place as the best left back Real Madrid have ever had, Camacho’s loyalty and will to succeed even when a serious knee injury had disrupted his career for two years sees him edge the Brazilian.

Francisco Gento (1953-71) - Francisco “Paco” Gento Lopez joined Real Madrid in 1953 and went onto play for the Merengues for the rest of his life, becoming a legend in the No.11 shirt. Known as the 'Storm of Cantabria', Gento played mostly in the outside left position and had tremendous pace. He possessed a vast array of skills and went onto score 126 goals in 428 league matches for Real Madrid. Gento won the Spanish championship 12 times with Real Madrid and featured in eight European Cup finals and won six of them, a record.

Zinedine Zidane (2001-06) - Zinedine Yazid Zidane is arguably the most elegant footballer the world has ever witnessed. The French midfield maestro, affectionately called Zizou, joined Real Madrid from Juventus in the summer of 2001 for a record 76 million euros and was worth every bit of it. He led the Merengues to the Spanish league title in 2002-03 and also won the UEFA Champions League in 2001-02, scoring that goal against Bayer Leverkusen in the final. Zidane’s breathtaking skills and unparalleled genius entertained the Bernabeu faithful week in and week out. Zizou has left behind a massive legacy at Real Madrid.

Zizou - the best player of his generation

Luis Figo (2000-05) - Luis Figo is a Portuguese legend and is one of few players brave enough to have played for both FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. He became the most expensive footballer in the world in 2000 when he was signed by Real from Barca and went onto become one of the best and most inspirational players for the Merengues. Figo won the Spanish league with Real in his first season in the 2000-01 campaign and then lifted the Champions League a year later. He played a crucial role in Real’s league title triumph in 2003. Playing on either wing, Figo’s dribbling, stepovers, through balls, free-kicks, passes and reading of the game made him into a true legend.

Fernando Redondo (1994-2000) - Fernando Redondo is regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in modern times and was a hugely influential figure for Real Madrid in the mid and late 90s. He won La Liga twice and the Champions league in 1998 and 2000. He was named as the most valuable player in the UEFA Champions league in 2000 and mesmerized everyone both with his attacking propensity and defensive skills.

Ferenc Puskas (1958-66) - Ferenc Puskas is regarded as the greatest ever Hungarian footballer and is certainly one of the greatest to have played for Real Madrid. He was a prolific goalscorer and won the Pichichi on no fewer than four occasions and scored seven goals in two European Cup finals. Puskas’ sharp shooting and a spooky knack for goals helped Madrid win La Liga five times in a row between 1961 and 1965. He won the European Cup thrice with Real (59,60,66)

Alfredo Di Stefano (1953-64) - Alfredo Di Stefano is regarded by some as the best player ever, even better than Pele and Diego Armando Maradona and certainly the greatest to have featured for Real Madrid. Nicknamed the 'Blond Arrow', the 5ft 10 in striker was controversially signed by Real Madrid in 1953 right under the noses of FC Barcelona. Di Stefano went onto to become the most instrumental and influential player for Real Madrid in the 50s and early 60s and led the club to eight La Liga titles and five successive European Cup triumphs between 1956 and 1960. Di Stefano was a very intelligent player who could score goals as well as create them. He is Real Madrid’s highest league goalscorer of all time and the third highest scorer in Spain’s top flight. In 2000 Di Stefano was named President of Honour of Real Madrid.

Di Stefano with fellow great Raymond Kopa

Raul (1994- ) - Raul Gonzalez Blanco became a Real Madrid player only because the then Atletico Madrid late President Jesus Gil decided to abandon Atleti’s youth system. Raul, though, has since become a Real Madrid and Spanish legend. Raul is the symbol of Real Madrid and is also the captain of the club. He has won the Spanish championship on no fewer than six occasions and the UEFA Champions League thrice. Raul is currently the highest active scorer in the Spanish league.

Milan All-Time XI

Lorenzo Buffon (1949-59) – Buffon made his debut at the age of just 20 and won four Scudetti during a decade with the Rossoneri. He played an important role in Milan’s first great team, a squad that included the Gre-No-Li Swedish trio. Buffon, who is related to the current Juventus and Italy No.1 Gianluigi Buffon, won 16 caps for the Italian national team.

Franco Baresi (1977-97) – Arguably the greatest ‘libero’ in the history of the game along with Franz Beckenbauer and Gaetano Scirea, Baresi was voted Italy’s Player of the 20th Century. Like Paolo Maldini, he was a one-club man, playing for Milan for his entire career. He won six Scudetti and three European Cups, and when he hung up his boots the Rossoneri retired his iconic No. 6 shirt. Also played 81 times for his country, captaining the Azzurri to a runner-up spot at USA 94’.

Baresi clears from Pele in the 1993 CL final

Karl-Heinz Schnellinger (1965-74) – Brilliant blonde-haired defender, who is perhaps most famous for scoring the last-minute equaliser in normal time for Germany in their 4-3 ‘match of the century’ semi-final defeat to Italy in the 1970 World Cup. In nine years at Milan he won one Scudetto, one European Cup, two Cup Winners’ Cups and three Coppa Italias.

Paolo Maldini (1984-2009) – One of the game’s all-time legends, Maldini played at the top of European football for almost a quarter-of-a-century. He made his debut for the club in January 1985, and went on to become the most capped player both in the history of the club and Serie A. He won seven Scudetti and five European Cups among a host of honours, and is also the record appearance-maker for the Italian national team with 126 caps. The best left back in the history of football, Maldini was equally brilliant in the centre of defence.

A 39-year-old Maldini lifts the 2007 CL

Nils Liedholm (1949-61) – One of the most legendary of football anecdotes regards this great Swede. A magnificent passer of the ball, it is said that Liedholm went two seasons without misplacing a pass. When he finally did give the ball away he received a five-minute standing ovation from the San Siro crowd. Liedholm formed one third of Milan’s famous Gre-No-Li – the Swedish triumvirate that also included Gunnar Gren and Gunnar Nordahl. He won four Scudetti at the club and later coached them and Roma to the Serie A title.

Frank Rijkaard (1988-93) – A fantastic holding midfielder, who was just as world-class playing in defence, Rijkaard never received the recognition that his fellow Dutchman in the Milan team, Gullit and Van Basten got. He won two Scudetti and two European Cups with the Rossoneri, scoring the winner against Benfica in the 1990 final. Also had an eventful international career, winning Euro 88’, however he blotched his copybook by infamously spitting at Rudi Voller at Italia 90’.

Roberto Donadoni (1986-96 & 1997-99) – Over the years Italy have not been blessed with too many world-class wingers but Donadoni was certainly one of them. Milan beat Juventus to Donadoni’s signature in 1986 and over the next decade he won every major club honour in the game. A skilful and tricky wideman with brilliant technique, he also played 63 times for Italy, but is sadly most remembered for missing a crucial penalty in the semi-final shoot-out defeat to Argentina at Italia 90’.

Gianni Rivera (1960-79) – ‘The Golden Boy’ made his Serie A debut for hometown club Alessandria at the age of just 15. This prompted Milan to snap him up and in the next 19 years, he won three Scudetti and two European Cups among a host of other honours. His display in the 4-1 final victory over Ajax Amsterdam in 1969 is one of the best individual performances ever in a European Cup showpiece. It led to him winning that year’s Ballon d’Or, however like another ‘Golden Boy’ of today, Alessandro Del Piero, he never had the same impact at international level.

Jose Altafini (1958-65) – Many regard Altafini as the greatest Brazilian to have ever played in Serie A. He scored 168 goals in 248 matches for the club and won trophies galore during his seven seasons. The forward’s most prized moment came in the 1963 European Cup final when he scored both goals as Milan came from behind to beat Eusebio’s Benfica 2-1 at Wembley. He later moved on to Napoli and Juventus, where he also enjoyed great success. Finally left Serie A at the age of nearly 38 after 18 years in the peninsula.

Marco Van Basten (1987-93) – One of the game’s most complete forwards, Van Basten was the final piece of the famous Dutch triad. He won the Ballon d’Or and the Scudetto three times respectively, the European Cup twice and scored 108 goals in 168 matches for the club. He was also a star for Holland, scoring a memorable goal in the final of Euro 88’. Retired at the age of 29 due to injury.

Brilliant Dutch trio Van Basten, Rijkaard & Gullit

Gunnar Nordahl (1949-56) – With a quite incredible record of 210 goals in 257 games, Nordhal is not only the top goalscorer in Milan’s history, but also second highest in Serie A behind Silvio Piola. He finished Capocannonieri five times, won the Scudetti twice, while he also scored 33 goals in 43 games for the Swedish national team.

Head-To-Head

What are your views on this topic? Who do you believe would win between Real Madrid's All Time XI and Milan's All Time XI? Goal.com wants to know what YOU think...

Carlo Garganese & Subhankar Mondal, Goal.com

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