10 Real Madrid Rejects Who Made It Big Elsewhere

8. Ze Roberto

Left wing-back Ze Roberto made 23 appearances throughout a year spent at Real Madrid having joined from Portuguesa in January 1997, before a six-month loan back in Brazil with Flamengo.

Despite his brief stay, the South American picked up a league title and Champions League gong prior to his eventual sale to Bayer Leverkusen.

The fleet-footed left-sided star made a mockery of Real’s decision to get rid of him, becoming a huge hit in Germany during four-year associations with both Leverkusen and giants Bayern Munich.

Ze Roberto picked up three Bundesliga shields with Bayern, then returned to Bavaria following 12 months at Santos in his homeland to snare another league winners’ medal.

Further stints with Hamburg, Al-Gharafa, Gremio and Palmeiras saw the versatile defender-cum-midfielder play on into his 40s.