Real Madrid: A central defender each year since 2003

Since Fernando Hierro left Real Madrid, the input of central defenders has been one of the busiest in the white club. From 2003 to summer 2011, ten players playing in this position have landed at the Bernabeu Stadium. Some of them, with stories that feed a legend of a curse. A wall that will also measure the value of Raphael Varane.

Albiol, Garay, Carvalho and Varane

On June 24, 2003, Jorge Valdano announced non-renewal of contracts with Vicente del Bosque and Fernando Hierro. Only 24 hours had passed since the conquest of the 29th League of the white team. The player of Velez-Malaga added to the Real Madrid's honours three European Cups, two Intercontinental and four National Championships, among other minutiae.

After the leaving of Hierro, team's defensive mainstay for nearly a decade, began the crawling looking for a substitute. An operation in which Real Madrid has invested tens of millions of euros; Pepe costed 30 and Sergio Ramos 27, who came to Madrid to play in the central position and has finished playing at the right side.

At least Ramos (who joined the club in 2005) and Pepe (2007) continue at the club, both pending for renewal, what can not be said of other expensive projects. With little glory left the team; Walter Samuel, Fabio Cannavaro and Christoph Metzelder. Although the worst case was undoubtedly that of Jonathan Woodgate. Signed in 2004 by 25 million euros, just got to play, haunted by all sorts of muscular aches.

Varane is the fourth central defender of the second mandate of Florentino Perez. In 2009 came to Madrid Garay and Albiol, and last year did Carvalho. Eight million costed the veteran Portuguese defender, two fewer than Varane, commitment to the future for a defense, despite everything, more and more solid. Time will tell if the Zidane's 'Blanc' ends up having an impact comparable to that of Fernando Hierro, a player whose absence is still felt in the Bernabeu.