6 Stars Who Have Played on Both Sides of the Madrid Derby as Courtois Faces Atletico for First Time

Thibaut Courtois will play his first city derby with Real Madrid this weekend when he faces former club Atletico Madrid.

The Belgian became the latest in a long line of people with ties to both team when he joined Los Blancos from Chelsea in the summer, having previously spent three years on loan with Atletico earlier in his career.

Here's a look back at six other players who have worn both kits in Madrid derbies...

6. Jose Antonio Reyes

After failing to justify his club record price tag at Arsenal, winger Jose Antonio Reyes was a surprise loan acquisition for Real Madrid in 2006. He even played semi regularly, appearing in 30 La Liga games and starting home and away against Atletico.

At the end of his Bernabeu loan, it was Atletico who then bought Reyes outright from Arsenal. The player ultimately spent four years at the old Vicente Calderon - albeit sent on loan to Benfica for one of them - and actually made his Atleti debut against Real.  

5. Juan Esnaider

Argentine striker Juan Esnaider was taken to Spain as a teenager by Real Madrid in the early 1990s, although it wasn't until his second spell at the club after prolific stint with Real Zaragoza promped Los Blancos to buy him back, that he played in a Madrid derby for the first time.

That was just a 12-minute cameo from the bench, but he played in two more derby matches after joining reigning champions Atletico in 1996. Both ended in defeat for Atleti, although Esnaider did score a consolation goal at the Bernabeu in one of them.  

4. Paco Llorente

Nephew of Real legend and six-time European Cup winner Paco Gento, winger Paco Llorente made his career breakthrough for Atletico in the mid 1980s. He only spent one season with Atleti before joining his famous uncle's old team, but it did include a derby appearance.

Having moved to Real in 1987, Llorente's first Madrid derby appearance in the iconic white kit ended in humiliation at the Bernabeu as Atletico ran out 4-0 winners. He eventually played a handful more La Liga games against the city rivals, never again ending up on the losing side.  

3. Santi Solari

Initially an Atletico player when he left his native Argentina for Spain, Santi Solari moved across the city in 2000 to play over 200 times for Real when Los Rojiblancos were relegated from La Liga. One his earliest games in Spain had actually been against Real in 1999.

Perhaps one of the reasons Real were keen to sign Solari is that he stood out against them even in a poor Atletico side. In 1999/00, the same season Real won the Champions League, the midfielder scored and assisted against them as Atleti took four points off them in La Liga.  

2. Hugo Sanchez

Mexican legend Hugo Sanchez was a prolific member of Real Madrid's famed La Quinta del Buitre side of the late 1980s and early 1990s, winning five La Liga titles and scoring over 200 goals in only 283 appearances for the club.

But before arriving at the Bernabeu in 1985, Sanchez had already been playing in Spain for four years after joining Atletico from Mexican giants Pumas. He played in numerous Madrid derbies over the years, winning only twice with Atleti and losing just twice with Real.  

1. Bernd Schuster

German legend Bernd Schuster spent most of his many years in Spain playing for Barcelona, staying for as many as eight seasons in Catalunya and winning six trophies before finding time to also play for both clubs in the Spanish capital.

Schuster left Camp Nou to join Real in a highly controversial transfer in 1988, lasting only two seasons with Los Blancos before moving on to Atletico for three years in 1990. In all, the Euro '80 winner played nine derbies in La Liga and the Copa del Rey during his time with both clubs.