"Strongest team in the last 15-20 years" - Juve legend Leonardo Bonucci makes bold claim about Real Madrid
Former Italian defender Leonardo Bonucci has claimed that Real Madrid have been the strongest football team in the last two decades. It is a bold claim made by someone who has played for top European sides like Juventus and AC Milan.
Bonucci said via Madrid Xtra on X:
"Real Madrid has been the strongest team in the last 15-20 years."
Bonucci spent most of his career playing in Italy. He decided to retire from football after the 2023-24 season with his last stint coming for Turkish giants Fenerbahce. He was mostly known for his tenure at Juventus, a club which he represented from 2010 to 2017 and from 2018 to 2023.
The defender won eight Serie A titles and four Coppa Italia among other honors at Juventus. While representing Italy on the international stage, he won the 2020 European Championship. However, he never won the Champions League, finishing runners-up twice with Juve.
On the other hand, Real Madrid have lifted the continental accolade six times since the 2013-14 season. They have also won five LaLiga titles in the last 14 years. Los Blancos, the defending champions of both the Champions League and LaLiga, won both trophies a record-extending 15 and 36 times, respectively, last season.
Not only winning trophies, but Real Madrid have also been top-notch in terms of squad building. By signing the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema, Luka Modric, and Toni Kroos, the Spanish giants have maintained their heritage of roping in top talents from across the world.
In recent times too, Real Madrid have signed top footballers like Kylian Mbappe, Rogrygo, Vinicius Jr, Federico Valverde, and Arda Guler.
How have Real Madrid fared this season?
Real Madrid sit second in the LaLiga table with 21 points from nine games. They are three points short of table toppers Barcelona, whom they are going to meet on October 26.
Also, along with Atletico Madrid, Carlo Ancelotti's side are yet to lose a game in the league this season. They have won six games and drawn three.
On the European front, Real Madrid are 17th in the 36-team table with three points from two games. They started their Champions League campaign with a 3-1 win over Stuttgart before losing 1-0 to Lille.