Raúl Gonzalez Leaves Real Madrid, A True Champion and Legend.

One of my favourite all time strikers, that I have been able to see most of his career, Raúl, leaves his home team Real Madrid today, with Schalke rumoured to be his destination.

I only got to really follow football on a big scale from 1996, and instantly Raúl caught my imagination. He was quick, had excellent technique, and a sweet left foot that could hammer, swerve or cushion shots into the net. The way Thierry Henry popularized the curled right foot finish, Raúl did the same for the curled left foot finish. He also had supreme intelligence, able to play behind the strikers, or lead the line on his own with his lethal finishing. His ability, aligned with the transfer capability of Real Madrid, ensured he won numerous titles, 3 Champions Leagues, 6 La Liga Titles, 2 Intercontinental Titles, 1 European Super Cup, and 2 Pichichi Top Scorer Awards. The Champions League has Raúl to thank for making the competition really live in the imagination with some of his performances over the years.

There will always be the question of his ability on the international front, he was part of a collective failure for Spain despite scoring 44 times (all time leading to date, Villa will surpass this soon though), and some will say Spain began to play like champions after he was omitted, as they've won the World Cup and European Championships despite him still being available for selection. There will also be questions about his influence at the club, being able to get coaches and players to come, leave or ignored is always mooted, but as a champion, he clearly wanted high standards to be kept, and for the most part, they have been at Madrid as his trophy cabinet will show.

For my estimation, I'd rate Raúl among the top strikers in the last 15 years, I won't give him a number as that'll spring a needless debate, but to have scored 228 league goals in 550 games, 66 Champions League goals in 128 games, more than illustrates the quality of the player.

How will he do at Schalke? They've just lost Kuranyi so he should walk into the team, but this is a new league, a defensive team when he has always been in an attack minded side, and he goes from playing with the very best players, to now having to adjust to players of lower ability to work with. Good luck Raúl in your new adventure.

18 Comments

Add Comment

The content of this post was removed because of unsolicited content

By CCCPPlus

30.07.2010 08:04

Raul was a fresh young offering from Spain during a period where 1995 Ajax youth was the only challenger there was to an ageing AC Milan side, dominating Europe at the time. Juve were the alternative, as Zidane and Deschamps made further challenges to this dominance, side by side with Barcelona. Madrid tasted dry and ungalactical. Raul must be the first galactico, but more importantly, he was the first Spanish youth to reach a level beyond that of Luis Henrique or Butragueno, approaching that of Di Stefano (which was more an Argentinean wasn't he?). Guardiola and Little Buddha, Vazquez or Michel, Hierro or Nadal, Kiko Narvaez and those Basque heroes I keep forgeting, never managed to up the level. But since the arrival of Raul, the way was paved for Casillas, Puyol, Xavi, Iniesta, the two Davids... If it weren't for Raul, Spanish talents would've probably gone to be as good as a bunch of Joaquins. Exciting prospects, but not champion materials. Raul was the first. He was ahead of Spain's time. I am not a fan of his, but I think the current Spanish generation owe him a big thank you

Email:

Password:
	Login

Login

Footbo Sections

Footbo Extras

About Footbo