Ranking Real Madrid’s top 5 defensive midfielders of all-time

2. Fernando Redondo (1994-2000)

Real Madrid has savored some of the finest Argentine football players, and Redondo is the best to emerge from the South American country. Redondo was dubbed ‘The Prince,’ and deservedly so, for all the love and devotion that he received from his fans.

He was literally a people’s prince. He was a great professional, but an even greater person. He was a man of ethics and codes, which he upheld throughout his career. A person who prioritized the collective before considering the individual. He was, quite literally, the hero of Madrid, loved by fans and dreaded by opponents.

Redondo was a virtuoso with the ball at his feet. He could attack as well as defend, and his man-marking skills were unrivaled. There may be poetry penned about the Argentine’s elegant movements and chiselled kicks.

Redondo was incredibly forceful while yet being generous, despite the grace and delicacy. Something about him captivated the Bernabeu fans from the moment he stepped onto the legendary theater. Redondo was swift, lively, and instinctively regal; it’s no surprise they adored him. He was meant to be admired and spoken about.

When one side of a scale pounds more, the subtly precise weight on the other side is preserved to keep the balance, and Redondo was that weight who delivered rain to the team’s arid land.

The White’s play was aimed squarely at him, and properly so. He was the solution to every defensive and offensive requirement. Madrid had been looking for the lock’s key for years when Redondo provided it. Redondo made the most of his Real Madrid tenure, winning two Champions League crowns, two LaLiga medals, and being named UEFA Best Player in Europe.