The Angel of Madrid, The Golden Boy of Spain, The Legend, El Capitan, El Siete, or just Raul, has left the Santiago Bernabeu after 16 incredible years. In that time, he has gone from being the babyface hotshot to the iconic, emblematic face of Real Madrid in the new millennium.
Raul’s rise to global superstardom has become the stuff of legend in its own right. Discarded by neighbouring rivals Atletico Madrid after they closed down their youth academy, the then 15-year-old travelled across town to the Bernabeu to continue his youth career. Within two years, he had broken into Los Merengues’ first team.Raul, was born in Madrid, he was a natural Atletico Madrid fan, because he was living in "atletico-fan Family". Then he goes to atletico junior team,and play pretty well actually, but Jesus Gil Y Gil, the president of Atletico, suppressed these junior teams because of financial difficulties… to the great displeasure of Raul who therefore slipped through his fingers…
Retrospectively, Gil, as well as many supporters of the Atlético, probably regretted it.
And therefore, it is the Real Madrid, the other city team, which picked up the gem. This is how began the love story between Raul and the Real.
It was Jorge Valdano, Madrid’s coach at the time, director-general today, who promoted Raul from the C-team and thrusted him into his first La Liga game , Raul made his debut in the Liga at the age of 17 years and 5 months, on 10/29/1994, versus Real Zaragoza…unfortunately Raul’s debut ended in a 3-2 defeat
a week after his debut in the Liga Raul scored his first goal… versus the Atlético Madrid… Nice revenge !!! a Beautiful goal...!!
During the 1994/1995 season, in the championship (let’s call it the “Liga”), Raul scored 9 goals in 28 games, which helped The Real Madrid win the Liga. Almost 18 years old, Raul becomes Spanish champion and a regular player in the Real. UNBELIEVABLE !
The following season (1995/1996), Raul first confirmed in the Liga by scoring 19 goals in 40 games… and then revealed himself on the European stage by scoring 6 goals during the Champions league, Plus a goal against the Juventus in the quarter-final, even though the Real was later eliminated in the returning game.
In 1996/1997, Raul made what is probably his most accomplished season. Indeed, under the direction of Fabio Capello, the young prodigy went back to the post of left offensive midfielder. Good choice Don Fabio !!!!… Raul scored 21 times in the Liga and offered about 15 assists to his team mates in 42 games. On 06/14/1997, 10 days before Raul’s 20th birthday, the Real Madrid becomes Spanish champion… against the Atlético Madrid. Raul scores an awesome goal during the game of the crowning.
The most telling game revealing the importance Raul had gained in the Liga was undoubtedly Atlético Madrid vs. Real Madrid on 01/19/1997. The Real, led by one goal at half-time, eventually wins 4-1… Raul makes 2 assists and scores 2 goals, one of which a true piece of art. The new star of the Real receives the ball at 35 meters from the enemy’s goal… After he has dribbled round 4 defenders, Raul outwits the Atlético goal keeper by striking in an impossible angle..
Shortly Raul became more than just another footballer or just another goalscorer for Los Blancos. he's the most important player for Real Madrid. Contrary to the club’s extravagant branding and high-flying image, the media-shy 33-year-old prefers to keep a low profile off the pitch. On it, he wasn’t the most dazzling or flamboyant, choosing instead to captivate his fans with a few simple flicks and quite a few goals.
He hated the ‘Galacticos’ term conjured up by the Spanish media to herald Florentino Perez’s first presidential stint at the club. It was incidentally during this period that the iconic No.❼ began to lose his form. Regular changes in the player and coaching roster led to the forward struggling for stability and consistency, and while the likes of Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos and David Beckham all came and went and left their mark, Raul remained to carry the torch from one era to another.
He has also seen a benchful of coaches come and go... 17 in all. Jorge Valdano has gone from being his trainer to being his boss, he has worked under Fabio Capello twice, Jose Antonio Camacho has been his coach for club and country, and he has seen Vicente del Bosque gone from winning eight titles with Madrid to one World Cup trophy with Spain.
Raul's most prolific partnership in attack was alongside Fernando Morientes. The duo struck up an instant bond and an almost telepathic understanding. In the six seasons they spent playing together, they notched up a combined total of 245 goals in all competitions.
Despite the influx of more and more attacking superstars subsequently, Raul remained the contsant, the benchmark for all in-coming or young players at the club to look up to. But even for the Golden Boy who became King, he wasn't immortal and all things must come to an end.
Raul’s adventure at the Santiago Bernabeu has been a long journey. His fans never imagined that he would leave Madrid to play for another team, either in Spain or abroad. He was the ultimate one-man club, the one-man record breaker. It’s a bittersweet moment that Raul’s final competitive game and goal for Madrid would be against Real Zaragoza, the team he made his senior debut against.
It’s a bittersweet moment for fans, too; sad to see him leave the beloved club that he made his own, but happy to see that he has chosen to carry on playing, to carry on enchanting the football world.
From his early days playing alongside already established stars such as Ivan Zamorano, Michael Laudrup, Davor Suker, and Predrag Mijatovic, to the formative years when he was groomed by Manolo Sanchis, Fernando Hierro and Fernando Redondo, to the final chapters when he would become the leader of the band, captaining greats from Zidane to Cristiano Ronaldo, the memories will be treasured forever.
Somehow, you just get the feeling that we haven’t seen the last of Raul walking around at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.
He hated the ‘Galacticos’ term conjured up by the Spanish media to herald Florentino Perez’s first presidential stint at the club. It was incidentally during this period that the iconic No.❼ began to lose his form. Regular changes in the player and coaching roster led to the forward struggling for stability and consistency, and while the likes of Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos and David Beckham all came and went and left their mark, Raul remained to carry the torch from one era to another.
He has also seen a benchful of coaches come and go... 17 in all. Jorge Valdano has gone from being his trainer to being his boss, he has worked under Fabio Capello twice, Jose Antonio Camacho has been his coach for club and country, and he has seen Vicente del Bosque gone from winning eight titles with Madrid to one World Cup trophy with Spain.
Raul's most prolific partnership in attack was alongside Fernando Morientes. The duo struck up an instant bond and an almost telepathic understanding. In the six seasons they spent playing together, they notched up a combined total of 245 goals in all competitions.
Despite the influx of more and more attacking superstars subsequently, Raul remained the contsant, the benchmark for all in-coming or young players at the club to look up to. But even for the Golden Boy who became King, he wasn't immortal and all things must come to an end.
Raul’s adventure at the Santiago Bernabeu has been a long journey. His fans never imagined that he would leave Madrid to play for another team, either in Spain or abroad. He was the ultimate one-man club, the one-man record breaker. It’s a bittersweet moment that Raul’s final competitive game and goal for Madrid would be against Real Zaragoza, the team he made his senior debut against.
It’s a bittersweet moment for fans, too; sad to see him leave the beloved club that he made his own, but happy to see that he has chosen to carry on playing, to carry on enchanting the football world.
From his early days playing alongside already established stars such as Ivan Zamorano, Michael Laudrup, Davor Suker, and Predrag Mijatovic, to the formative years when he was groomed by Manolo Sanchis, Fernando Hierro and Fernando Redondo, to the final chapters when he would become the leader of the band, captaining greats from Zidane to Cristiano Ronaldo, the memories will be treasured forever.
Somehow, you just get the feeling that we haven’t seen the last of Raul walking around at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.
Back home soon, son of Madrid ... Santiago Bernabeu is your home..!!!
