The appointment of club president Florentino Perez, who arrived on the scene in 2000, is one of the most significant moments in Real Madrid’s history.
His first spell lasted till 2007, where he introduced the ‘Galacticos’ policy, one in which they signed a big name every summer.
However, with big money signings came big responsibilities which sometimes put a lot of pressure on the player.
Let’s look at the three players who went under the rug after their move to Santiago Bernabeu.
Kaka
The Brazilian made the move to Los Blancos during one of the toughest times in the Spanish capital – their arch-rivals Barcelona had just won the treble as Los Blancos went trophyless.
Kaka arrived from AC Milan in a deal worth €67 million, but he never reached the same heights as and failed to deliver.
In his debut season, Kaka fell prey to too many injuries in December and February, and didn’t feature for five months in the subsequent season.
The unfortunate injuries and lack of form saw him return to Milan in 2013 as a free agent.
Nicolas Anelka
Only 20 years old at the time, the Frenchman arrived at Santiago Bernabeu in a deal worth €35 million, one of the most expensive signings of the summer.
During his time with Arsenal, Anelka showed great promise, although he did have a few attitude problems.
The same issues persisted at the Bernabeu as Anelka was suspended for 45 days for refusing to train, which directly affected his playing time.
He featured in a mere 19 league games in his one-year stay with the Spanish giants, scoring a couple of goals. His first-ever goal for Los Blancos came in the Clasico against Barcelona.
After an eventful season with Los Merengues, he was shipped out to Ligue 1 side PSG for a similar amount the club used to sign him.
Elvir Baljic
Baljic moved to Santiago Bernabeu from Turkish club Fenerbahce for a fee of €15.6 million on the request then of head coach John Toshack.
However, the sacking of Toshack soon after the Bosnian’s arrival, and an injury-ravaged spell, ensured the player had a fruitless time at Real Madrid.
Baljic was loaned out to his former employers after one season with Real Madrid, and was let go by the Galacticos after another loan move to fellow Spanish side Rayo Vallecano reached its conclusion.
The left-footed winger left Bernabeu for Galatasaray as a free agent, before finally retiring in the summer of 2008.
