Real Madrid: Ranking the 5 best goalkeepers in club history

3. Juan Alonso

It is often said that Real Madrid made European Club football happen, winning the first five European Cups. And, in most of it, Juan Alonso’s contributions remain pristine. He earned 2 caps for the Spain national football team. Alonso, often called Juanito, won the Ricardo Zamora Trophy for the best keeper in the league during the 1954–55 season.

Bagging as many as four league titles and five European Cups, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that Alonso was one of those who started the passage of glory for the Royal Whites. Defending the White goal for as long as 14 seasons, he had 225 professional appearances for the club.

Like so many other Basque goalkeepers, he learned how to play the game on the beach. At the age of 18, he signed for Logrones and from there he moved to Ferrol where his fine performances did not go unnoticed by Real Madrid who signed him in 1949. Although every season new goalkeepers arrived to provide him with competition, Juanito Alonso never lost his place in the Madrid goal.

He played alongside a great company that included the likes of Alfredo Di Stefano and Puskas. A permanent between the sticks, his career ended after a mysterious collar-bone problem after 14 seasons and 18 major titles with the club.