Raul Gonzalez, Real Madrid's all-time goalscorer, said farewell to the club he's served his entire professional career at for a stint at either the Bundesliga or the Premier League (initial reports suggesting Raul had signed on a two-year deal at Schalke appear untrue).
In many ways it's sad to see someone like Raul, who had such an illustrious career at Madrid, have to leave at the twilight of his career to avoid spending another season on the bench.
Just like Paolo Maldini and Ryan Giggs, Raul was one of those players you could see spending his entire career at his boyhood club, which is something of a rarity these days. Still, don't feel too sorry for him. Not many players can boast a similar trophy cabinet to the one Raul's got (except for the two other players I just mentioned...maybe it does pay to be loyal!).
As for Raul the footballer, he was the embodiment of the modern striker or at least what more strikers should aspire to be. He was both a finisher and a supplier. He had deft touches and was fast when needed and above all, he was always two steps ahead. I tried looking for some classic Raul videos and stumbled upon this one which is the Champions League quarterfinal between Real Madrid and Man Utd in 2000. Raul scores two goals in this one. The clip is a little long but worth watching (especially that piece of sublime skill from Redondo!). Enjoy.
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