Raul among our top five iconic Real Madrid European Cup legends

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  • Los Blancos legend: Raul.

    Real Madrid are gunning for yet more Champions League history on Saturday night.

    The record 13-time winners can make it an unprecedented three in a row if they defeat Liverpool in Kiev.

    Los Blancos are by far and away the most decorated team in the competition, and famously triumphed five times on the bounce in the 1950s.

    Here, we check out our top five Whites European legends.

    ALFREDO DI STEFANO

    The late, great footballing legend is arguably Real’s best-ever player – though Cristiano Ronaldo now has an equal grip on that throne.

    Di Stefano had everything as a footballer: pace, skill, technique and predatory instincts in front of goal. Those instincts saw him score 308 goals in 396 appearances.

    Incredibly, the Argentine-born star who later went on to play for Spain, scored in five consecutive European Cup finals (six goals in total) – in which Madrid won every single one.

    That run, from 1956 to 1960, is still unprecedented and will likely never be repeated.

    PARIS, FRANCE - JUNE 12: Portrait of Argentinian-born Spanish forward Alfredo Di Stefano taken 12 June 1956 in Paris. Born in Buenos Aires, Di Stefano became one of the greatest players of his time winning championship titles in Argentina (1947 with River Plate), Colombia (1949, 1951, 1953 with Millionarios de Bogota) and Spain (8 between 1954 and 1964 with Real Madrid). Di Stefano also won the Copa America with the Argentinian national soccer team in 1947, five European Cups with Real Madrid (1956-1960) along with one Intercontinental Cup (1960) and received the European Golden Ball award for best player of the year in 1957 and 1959. Di Stefano later turned to coaching winning two championships titles in Argentina with Boca Juniors (1969-1970), one in Spain with Valence (1971), one European Supercup and one Cup Winners' Cup in 1980. AFP PHOTO (Photo credit should read STAFF/AFP/Getty Images)

    Undisputed legend of football: Alfredo Di Stefano.

    RAUL

    The Prince of Spain but King of Madrid, Raul is an idol for Madridistas and widely considered as one of the club’s most significant stars of all time.

    And, rightly so. He made a record 741 appearances for the club, scoring 323 goals – which is only second to Ronaldo’s 450 goal haul.

    The iconic captain came alive during Champions League competition, scoring in two of the three finals in which he won with the club.

    He played a key role in the side that overcame Juventus in 1998, and two years later, secured a superb solo goal to put the gloss on another famous triumph over Valencia at the Stade de France.

    Again, two years after that, Raul notched the opener at Hampden Park in a 2-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen, remembered predominantly for Zinedine Zidane’s wonder goal.

    Raul rounds Santiago Canizares to score the third at the Stade de France.

    FERNANDO HIERRO

    Like Raul, the cultured centre-back, who was equally adept playing as a sweeper and in midfield, won three Champions League titles and captained the team to victory in 2002.

    His inclusion in this top five would indeed complete a stunning five-a-side line-up, that would not need a goalkeeper given his ability to marshal things at the back.

    Simply one of the most iconic and decorated players in Whites’ history, the fans’ favourite had a passing range and technical ability of which we have rarely seen in defenders before.

    1 May 2001: Fernando Hierro of Real Madrid looks to create an opening during the UEFA Champions League semi-finals first leg match against Bayern Munich played at the Bernabeu, in Madrid, Spain. Bayern Munich won the match 1-0. Mandatory Credit: Stu Forster /Allsport

    Whites legend: Fernando Hierro.

    ZINEDINE ZIDANE

    His goal in Glasgow will forever be remembered as one of the best in history, with that title win in 2002 being the icing on the cake of his Real Madrid career as a player.

    In the dugout, he has usurped that and is of course bidding to make it a hat-trick of Champions League titles this weekend.

    Zidane’s legendary status at the Bernabeu has been long since confirmed and is eternal, but a win on Saturday would further go to show that this trophy and the Frenchman go hand-in-hand.

    GLASGOW, UNITED KINGDOM: Real Madrid's Zinedine Zidane scores the second goal during the Champions League final opposing Real Madrid to Bayern Leverkusen, 15 May 2002 in Glasgow. AFP PHOTO ADRIAN DENNIS (Photo credit should read ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images)

    Zidane wheels away after his famous goal.

    CRISTIANO RONALDO

    As mentioned, a man who defies the game’s history books.

    Having won three Champions League titles in the past four seasons with Real Madrid, Ronaldo is gunning for a fifth overall European crown in Kiev.

    Indeed, a fourth trophy with Los Blancos would marry-up nicely to the title he won with Manchester United in 2008.

    He has scored four goals in his four finals to date and no one would bet against him adding another one.

    MILAN, ITALY - MAY 28: Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid lifts the Champions League trophy after the UEFA Champions League Final match between Real Madrid and Club Atletico de Madrid at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on May 28, 2016 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)

    Cristiano Ronaldo lifts aloft the title in Milan in 2016.

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