Philosofooty

Real Madrid Says Good-bye to a Legend

By Elizabeth Hanchett, writing from New York. Elizabeth is an FC Barcelona, Athletic Bilbao and Spain NT supporter from the United States, although she has spent most of her life in Spain. She has been following La Liga off-and-on since 1997 (on since around 2007).

After a press conference held yesterday in Madrid announcing that Real Madrid’s Guti was leaving the team, it was announced that there would also be a press conference with Madrid and Spanish legend Raúl to discuss his future as well.

And today, Real Madrid bade him farewell, and Raúl said good-bye to the fans. It was the final moment of a career which began in 1994, of a player who made his first cap for Spain in 1996, and since then has scored 323 goals on the club level in all competitions, and who is currently the leading goalscorer for the Spanish national team, with 44 goals.

Real Madrid, and Spain, have lost two legends in the last two days. Regardless of which club you support in La Liga or in general, it cannot be denied that these two men, especially Raúl, are truly football legends. Many Barcelona fans even admit the greatness of this player who brought attention to Spanish football through his talent and class. Even though he is only leaving Madrid and not retiring from football altogether, having been rumored to have been snatched up by Schalke in the Bundesliga, it is truly the end of an era for Real Madrid as well as for Spain.

Despite the possible (and likely) move to Germany for next season, odds are he will return to his beloved club to hold a board position. As Florentino Pérez stated during the press conference, “This isn’t a good-bye, it’s merely a ‘see you later’.”

My introduction to the name and personality of Raúl came in the form of an exposé done in a Time magazine issue focusing on Spain from 1997, shortly before my family moved out there. I essentially grew up watching this man play football, and while I may have ended up choosing his club’s rival FC Barcelona to follow, I will never deny everything Raúl has done for both club and country. Raúl is the embodiment of all that is beautiful in Spanish football in general, and will be remembered for the class he’s displayed both on and off the pitch, being one of the few players to have never received a red card in fifteen seasons of play. Despite my culé sensibilities, it is impossible to not respect him or honor him for the footballer and the person he is. My only wish would have been for him to have been given an ovation by the Bernabéu instead of a press conference.

I’m going to end with a video of Raúl’s first goal in Primera División, against the club he first started playing with, Atlético de Madrid, on 5 November 1994.

Que la suerte te acompañe. — May luck be with you.