Bernabéu was the chairman of Real Madrid from 1943 to 1978 – no other president has held that title for as long, or led the club to so many titles.
Bernabéu is considered to be one of the major forces behind the club´s successes. He was responsible for building the new stadium in Chamartín, which was finished in 1947 and renamed in his honor in 1953.
He was one of the creators of the European Cup, a competition that Real would dominate in its early years thanks to the star players he had brought to the club.
Bernabeu first joined the club as a player in 1912. After retiring in 1927, he joined the board of Real Madrid as Secretary. And in 1943, he was elected President, a job he kept until his death in 1978. He died while the World Cup was being played in Argentina, and in his honor FIFA decreed three days of mourning during the tournament. In 2002, FIFA posthumously awarded him their “Order of Merit”.
Di Stéfano is considered by many to be one of the greatest players of all time - a powerful forward with endless stamina and great tactical versatility. Born in Argentina, he played football for River Plate in Argentina, for Millionarios in Colombia and most famously, for Real Madrid in Spain.
His move to Spain was controversial. Barcelona first signed him by buying out his contract with River Plate, but Franco’s Spanish government blocked the move, as they did not approve of the Catalan nationalism associated with the team. The government then helped Real Madrid negotiate with Millionarios, the team that he was playing for. He actually played three friendly matches for Barcelona before being moved to Madrid, where he became part of one of the most successful teams of all time – winning 5 European Cups in a row and scoring in each final.
After retirement, he moved into coaching. He is the third highest scorer in the history of Spain’s top division, with 228 goals in 329 games, behind Hugo Sánchez (234 goals) and Telmo Zarra (251). He is also Real Madrid’s highest league goalscorer of all time, with 216 goals in 282 league matches.
Unbelievably skillful and still considered one of the fastest Spanish players ever, Fracisco Gento López is a legendary member of Real Madrid’s history. Born in Cantabria in 1933, Gento stole the hearts of Madrid the minute he transferred from Racing Santander during the 1952-53 season. His addition immediately brought long lasting success to Real, and in his 18 years with the club Gento was able to raise the La Liga Championship trophy 12 times. In addition, he also claimed the European Cup 6 times (5 in a row) for Real, a feat no player has ever matched for any club. Overall, he tallied 126 goals, 30 of them coming in European Cup matches and the rest helping the Menergues dominate in Spain’s Primera División. In fact, Gento’s play was so overwhelming to the rest of the league, that he quickly earned the nickname Galerna del Cantábrico, or The Storm of the Cantábrico, referring to his unbelievable speed and striking ability.
After an illustirious career, Gento would try his luck with coaching, signing as the leader Castilla, a Segunda División squad. He would then have stints with other lower-league teams such as Castellón, Palencia, and Grenada before finally accepting to work for Real Madrid again as their soccer ambassador to the rest of Europe.
It would be hard to argue that Ferenc Puskás was not one of the greatest soccer players of all time, let alone one of the best to suit up for Real Madrid. His ability to score was unmatched, and his numbers speak to his consistent dominance at the forward position. Born in Budapest, Hungary in 1927, his migration to Spain’s Primera División happened only after he’d burst onto the stage as Europe’s most prolific scorer in the Hungarian league. There, he would begin his career with Kispest AC, the team which was eventually absorbed by the Hungarian communist army and renamed Budapest Honvéd FC. A breeding ground for the national team, Honvéd dominated Hungarian league play and allowed for the country’s stars to train together on a regular basis. As a result, Puskás quickly found himself as the main offensive weapon of one of the greatest national sides ever assembled: The Mighty Magyars. To this day, that unstoppable squad holds the record for consecutive victories (32), and Puskás was far and away their leading scorer, netting 84 goals in 85 matches.
His early goal scoring did not just occur in international competition, however, as Puskás also won four Hungarian scoring titles, putting 50 balls in the back of the net during the 1947-48 campaign. His dominance with Honvéd, however, ended abruptly with the outbreak of the Hungarian Revolution in 1956, and after being ousted from the European Cup in the middle of the fighting, much of the Hungarian team refused to return home to a warring nation. Instead many of the players, including Puskás, sought to continue their career in Western Europe.
Puskás immediately received attention from many premier clubs including AC Milan and Juventus. However, when both sides tried to sign the footballer, he received a two-year ban from UEFA, as Honvéd still held his rights. At the end of his suspension, no top Italian club would sign him, fearing two years away from the game would leave him too old and out of shape. Real Madrid, however, took a chance on the Hungarian and it paid off, as he embarked on the second phase of his career with The Whites.
It didn’t take long for Puskás to find himself again, scoring four hat-tricks in his first season in Spain including one in his second game ever for Real Madrid. The goals would keep on coming, and Puskás would leave his mark in the Real/Barca rivalry a few years later, netting hat-tricks in both legs of the 1963 El Clasico. Over his career with The Menergues, Puskás would score 156 goals in 180 La Liga games, winning the Pichichi (most goals in the league) four times in five years. He would net 20 goals in each of his first six seasons in Spain, and would score an additional 35 goals in 39 European competitions. In the 1960 Euro Cup, Puskás would set records, netting ten goals in seven games included four goals in the final, leading Real Madrid to their second title in as many years.
After retiring as a player, Puskás would try his luck at coaching. He would go on to manage teams in Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa, and Australia, but the pinnacle of his career would come in 1971, when he guided Panathinaikos FC to the European Cup final against Ajax. Although they lost, he did manage to win two Greek titles in his five-year reign as manager before moving on to coach other sides across the globe. Despite his travels, his play for Real Madrid will never be forgotten and he is held in the hearts of all Madridistas as one of the best footballers to ever suit up for the Whites.
José Antonio Camacho Alfaro was arguably the biggest star defender ever to play for Real Madrid. Camacho joined Real Madrid at age 18, in 1973. He stayed with the club for 16 very successful years as left back. He played 698 (414 first division) games for Real winning 8 league titles (1975, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989), 2 UEFA Cups (1985, 1986), 5 Copas del Rey (1974, 1975, 1980, 1982, 1989), 1 Spanish Supercopa (1988) and 1 Liga-Cup (1985) with the team. Camacho also had a long career with the Spanish national team, playing 81 games with the team and competing in two World Cups (1982 and 1986) and two Euros (1984 and 1988).
Camacho finished his active career in 1989 and became part of Real Madrid’s coaching team. His coaching career led him to Rayo Vallecano, RCD Espanyol de Barcelona (both of which he lead to promotion to La Liga) and Sevilla. In 1998 he was hired as the head coach for Real Madrid but disagreements with then president Lorenzo Sanz caused him to step down after only 22 days.
Highlights of his coaching career so far have been leading the Spanish national team to the final stages in Euro 2000 and the 2002 FIFA World Cup. As well as winning the Portuguese Cup with them Benfica Lisbon in 2004.
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