Royston Drenthe: Leaving Real Madrid, Playing In Russia And Ending Unhappy

JAKARTA - Former Real Madrid star Royston Drenthe reminisced about the time he was able to party with the likes of Guti and Wesley Sneijder during his time in Spain. However, then his career turned in the opposite direction after moving to a Russian club that only left an impression about drinking vodka.

Drenthe who is now 35 years old, was part of Los Blancos when they won the La Liga title in the 2008 era. However, after that he was loaned to Hercules and Everton.

After his contract at Real Madrid expired in 2012, the Dutchman then chose to sign a contract with a newly promoted Russian club, Alania Vladikavkaz.

Although Drenthe's decision at that time had a good effect on financial conditions, Drenthe quickly became disillusioned with life in Russia.

Located near the Georgian border, Vladikavkaz lacks the amenities Drenthe is looking for. In a 2020 interview with Dutch station RTV Drenthe said the city was not where he should be.

"Vladikavkaz is not an ideal place. This is a city that was completely destroyed. You can't do something fun, even if you have a lot of money," said Drenthe, as reported by The Sun.

Not only that, Drenthe also said, wanting to forget the moments of six months in Vladikavkaz and just want to remember the moment of drinking vodka.

"Vodka…. We drink it very often, it's one of the mainstays in terms of fun while living there, it's not hard to get used to. Moreover we also have vodka on the team bus and it's become a custom in Russia which I like," he said.

Drenthe's former teammate, Cicinho, revealed that Drenthe's habit of drinking vodka was not surprising. Because when he was at Real Madrid he drank ten bottles of beer a day, even showing up at training drunk.

Drenthe, who played just six games for Alania and scored three goals, then has fond memories of enjoying a night out with former friends in Madrid.

"I had so many wonderful nights with Guti. We used to go out nights with Wesley Sneijder, Robinho and Gonzalo Higuain," he recounted.

"Wesley and I were like brothers and we got through situations together from time to time. And there were times when Higuain came with us," he recalls.

Drenthe's fate has now changed drastically. He was declared bankrupt two years ago after losing his fortune of £3.2 million.