The Blancos legend, who both played for and coached the club, revealed some of his fondest memories to Goal and lauded Alfredo Di Stefano
Jose Antonio Camacho made over 400 appearances for Real Madrid, wining nine Primera Division titles and two Uefa Cup trophies in a 15-year stretch at the Santiago Bernabeu, before later going on to coach the club.
As part of Goal's 20 Greatest series, the Spaniard was named as one Real's greatest ever players, alongside the likes of Alfredo Di Stefano, Raul and Zinedine Zidane.
And in an exclusive interview with Goal, the Real legend reflected on his time at the club, indicated what it takes to be included among the greats and revealed which footballer he believes changed the game forever.
Goal: You have been named among the 20 greatest Real Madrid players of all time by Goal - your thoughts?
Camacho: "It's an honour, really, to be among the best. Especially in the case of Real Madrid, a club with a great history, it is a compliment. My whole family are fans of Madrid."
G: Why do you think you are on the list? What legacy did you leave at the club?
Camacho: "It's hard to say, really. I was there for several generations. I began in 1973-74, and stayed almost up to 1990. They were good years. At that time Real Madrid was an example to the world. Now it still is. It is not easy to stay there for so long after coming from the youth team. I joined as a child, and left as a man. Whenever you recall lists as well, or just when they talk about the history of Real Madrid and the values of the club, it is an honour for me that my name appears."
G: After a lifetime at Real, what is the memory that you cherish the most?
Camacho: "Since I joined Real Madrid, I have been friends with all my teammates, players and former players. That was the most important thing I've ever had. In my time were Raimundo Saporta, Antonio Calderon, Agustin Dominguez, president Santiago Bernabeu after Luis de Carlos ... and at that time, Real Madrid was a family.
"The dream of any player was to get to Real Madrid, and you didn't want to move away from there under any circumstances. I am one of the few players who started and finished my career there ... that's a difficult thing to do."
G: And the worst memory at Real?
Camacho: "It was definitely the year in which we played all the finals and didn't manage to win any. I think it was 1983, with Alfredo Di Stefano as coach. We played in the final of the Cup, we contested the league, the Cup Winners' Cup, the Spanish Super Cup and we lost everything. We lost La Liga on the last day of the season as well, and we were left without a trophy."
G: You said before that you were involved with many generations at Real, but which was the best?
Camacho: "In the end you have to say all of them. All were important at the time. It is very important to win a league where players have climbed from the youth ranks because of no economic resources, for example. The year after I arrived Johann Cruyff moved to Barcelona and it seemed that they would conquer the world, but we won the league and the cup. Those were also great times, some of the most beautiful, perhaps. You have to take everything into consideration."
G: If you were to make a list of Real's greatest players, who would you put in it?
Camacho: "This is what it was like when I was the Spain coach and had to make decisions at the European Championships and the World Cup. Di Stefano and Raul could never miss out on such a list. The most distinguished are the very good players who come to the end of their careers at Real Madrid, and who have been at the club for ten or fifteen years. Because you can get to a club in a beautiful moment and win five titles in a year.
"But maybe there is a player who has given four years to the club, but without winning anything because these are difficult times. We should not give more value to one or another, but analyse everything in those specific times to measure the glory achieved. In my case for example, I am very proud to beat the record of caps for Spain having played only at Real Madrid, or to have played every minute of a season. We must give more importance to trying to understand the specific circumstances.
"Winning five European Cups in a row is incredible, though. Like if you win five titles in a row now. Today, Madrid are always favourite wherever they go. I played for Real for 16 years, and in my team there was never a clear favourite to win the Ballon d'Or as there is now ... every player and every age have their moments. "
G: And finally, what do we say to colleagues who also had Santillana, Amancio Amaro, Pirri, Emilio Butragueno, Sanchis and Michel, on Goal's 20 greatest list?
Camacho: "Look, Amancio was my idol. And I came to Real Madrid to play with my idol. I played three or four years with him and then he was a coach. A football level, he could not aspire to achieve anything more. It was extraordinary.
"I didn't play with Di Stefano but he was my friend and he was my coach, and he created a new type of football. Then there was Sanchis, Butragueno or Michel, who arrived at a difficult time but managed to regain the enthusiasm for football. Everyone has been very important."
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- Goal**