10 Players You Didn't Know Real Madrid Almost Signed
4. David Villa
David Villa is not a name that likes to be uttered much around the Santiago Bernabeu. Much like their plethora of revolving-door managers, Madridistas have grown accustomed to the finest talent, and acquiring exactly what they want. They are not used to rejection, so when it happens it hurts. When Real Madrid entered the fray to acquire the services of the Valencia hotshot in 2008, David Villa was possibly the most lethal striker on the planet. Having ousted Raul from the national side, it was to be the Real Madrid icon who protested to his signature, according to former Madrid boss Bernd Schuster. With Schuster intent on bringing more Spanish into the club following the countrys glorious triumph in the European Championships, he was left baffled when the club were told no by Villa and Villareal midfielder Santi Cazorla. Not accustomed to tasting the bitter cold pill of rejection, he subsequently threw his toys out of the pram, and questioned the duos lack of ambition.
''Footballing ambition is not about your mouth, it is about your feet. You can accuse me of lots of things of having a bad day, of missing chances, of many things but I have always had ambition and always will have. I think I have proved that on the pitch. David Villa, 2008.
In the end, David Villa stuck up the proverbial two fingers to the Bernabeu hierarchy by signing for bitter rivals Barcelona two years later, scoring in a triumphant Champions League final, before winding down his La Liga mainstay with a league title at Reals cross-city counterparts Athletico Madrid. Hows that for no ambition?
Recent Journalism & New Media graduate. Insatiable thirst for all things football, and hopes to break into the field of sports journalism in the near future.
Have made a significantly insignificant playing career out of receiving several slaps around the head for not passing the ball.
