Raúl González Blanco (born June 27, 1977 in Madrid, Spain), usually known simply as Raúl, is a Spanish football forward who plays for Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid. He is a three-time winner of the UEFA Champions League and is Real Madrid's all-time leading scorer with 316 goals, as well as being the all-time leading scorer in the UEFA Champions League, with 64 goals. Raúl is also the all-time leading scorer in official UEFA competitions with 66 goals, and has scored considerably more goals (44) than any other player for the Spanish national team.
Club career
Raúl ironically began his career with Real Madrid's cross-town rivals Atlético Madrid, the club his father supported. After then chairmain Jesús Gil decided to close down the youth set-up, and the striker moved to the Real Madrid youth academy.
Widely seen as one of the best forwards of all times, Raúl has spent his entire club career with Real Madrid, with whom he has won six Spanish league titles. He began the 1994-95 season in Madrid's C-team, but after a flurry of sixteen goals in seven games, he was promoted to first team status by coach Jorge Valdano. He became the youngest player (seventeen years and four months) ever to play for the senior side, scoring in his second senior game against Atletico Madrid. In all, Raúl registered nine goals in 28 appearances to help Real Madrid win the 1994-95 league championship in his first season. Over the next eight seasons, he won several honours, including another three La Liga titles and three Champions Leagues. For most of this time, Raúl struck up a prolific scoring partnership with Fernando Morientes (and later, Ronaldo). Raúl took over the captaincy of Real Madrid when Fernando Hierro departed in 2003, a responsibility he holds to this day. Unusually for such a successful and long-serving player, and despite appearing in two finals, 2002 (in which he scored) and 2004, Raúl has never won the Copa del Rey (Spanish Cup).
He became the first player to score fifty Champions League goals when he netted in a 2-1 group stage win over Olympiacos on 28 September 200, and continues to be the all-time leader in both Champions League goals (64) and appearances (123). He is also the only player to score in two Champions League finals, netting in the finals of both 2000 vs. Valencia in Paris, and 2002 vs. Bayer Leverkusen in Glasgow.
Raúl holds the distinction of having never received a red card throughout his 14 years at the professional level. Earlier this season, on 11 November 2008, Raúl scored his 300th goal for Real Madrid with a hat-trick against Real Union, with Real winning the game 4-3 but being eliminated on away goals after drawing 6-6 on aggregate. He has scored 316 career goals for Real Madrid, breaking the long-standing club record of Alfredo di Stéfano
with a volleyed goal vs. Sporting Gijon on 15 February 2009. He is also the top active La Liga goalscorer with 223 of his 316 goals scored in La Liga matches, and is presently 5th on the all-time list, which is headed by Telmo Zarra with 251 goals. Raúl holds the record of all-time top La Liga scorer for Real Madrid with 223, a record previously held by Alfredo di Stéfano who scored 216 out of an overall La Liga tally of 227 in a Real Madrid shirt, for whom he played between 1953 and 1964.
On 14 February 2009, Raúl and fellow long-serving teammate Iker Casillas were both awarded a 'contract for life' in 2008 - the terms of which stipulate that it will be renewed annually for as long as they play 30 games per season. On 25 February, that he may well end his professional career at Real Madrid in 2011 and may consider playing for one more year in North America.
International career
Raúl began his rise in the international scene with the youth teams and was chosen to represent Spain at the 1995 FIFA World Youth Championship, scoring 2 goals. He has scored a national record 44 goals in 102 caps for Spain. He is also second in terms of caps won for Spain, with 102. The former captain has made more international appearances for Spain than any other outfield player. Raúl was not chosen for Euro 1996 and had to wait until October 1996 to earn his first senior cap against the Czech Republic. He participated in three World Cups from 1998 to 2006, along with Euro 2000 and Euro 2004, scoring at least one goal in each of the three World Cup competitions. Raúl took over the team captaincy following the retirement of Fernando Hierro in 2002, but has not been chosen for the national team since September 2006, following a shock 3-2 defeat against Northern Ireland in Belfast (a game in which Raúl hit the post late on).
Of his 44 international goals, Raúl scored 35 goals in competitive games, 6 of which were in the finals of major tournaments. In a Euro 2000 qualifier, on 27 March 1999, Raúl scored one of only two international hat-tricks during Spain's 9-0 rout of Austria. Interestingly, his only other international hat-trick was scored 4 days later, against San Marino during the same qualifying tournament. Raúl is widely remembered, however, for a last-minute missed penalty in the quarter final of Euro 2000, when a goal would have forced ext
ra-time against the eventual champions, France.
Raúl played his last game against Northern Ireland in the Euro 2008 qualifiers, which Spain lost 3-2. However, he was not selected for the actual tournament (won by Spain), with Fernando Torres and David Villa called up instead by coach Luis Aragonés.
He is still available for a call up, since he has yet to formally announce his international retirement. In late 2008, Spanish coach Vicente del Bosque stated that there is still a chance Raúl could be called into the national side once again.
Personal life
For many years, Raúl's goal celebration has consisted of kissing his wedding ring as an acknowledgment to his wife, Spanish model Mamen Sanz, with whom he has four sons: Jorge, named after Jorge Valdano; Hugo, named after Raúl's childhood hero, another Real Madrid legend Hugo Sánchez; and twins Héctor (after Héctor Rial) and Mateo, named after German footballer Lothar Matthäus. He enjoys reading, especially the books of Arturo Pérez Reverte, listening to Spanish music, as well as hunting.
Honours
Club
* Flag of Spain Real Madrid
o 6 La Liga titles: 1994-95, 1996-97, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2006-07, 2007–08
o 4 Spanish Super Cup titles: 1997, 2001, 2003, 2008
o 3 UEFA Champions League titles: 1997–98, 1999–00, 2001–02
o 1 UEFA Super Cup title: 2002
o 2 Intercontinental Cup titles: 1998, 2002
o All time top scorer with 316 goals
Country
* Flag of Spain Spain
o All time top scorer: 44 goals
Individual
* Premio Don Balón (Young Player in La Liga): 1994-95
* IFFHS World Goalgetter: 1999
* Euro 2000 Team of the Tournament
* ESM Team of the Year: 1996-97, 1998-99, 1999-00
* Pichichi Trophy: 1999, 2001
* UEFA Champions League Top Scorer: 1999-00, 2000-01
* FIFA World Player of the Year Bronze Award: 2001
* European Footballer of the Year Silver Award: 2001
* UEFA Club Football Awards, Best Forward: 2000, 2001, 2002
* Best Spanish player in La Liga: 1996-97, 1998-99, 1999-00, 2000-01, 2001-02
* FIFA 100
* Trofeo Alfredo Di Stéfano: 2008
* Madrid Gold Medal: 2009
Orders
* Royal Order Gold Medal for Sports Merit: 2006
Source : en.wikipedia.org
Raúl ironically began his career with Real Madrid's cross-town rivals Atlético Madrid, the club his father supported. After then chairmain Jesús Gil decided to close down the youth set-up, and the striker moved to the Real Madrid youth academy.
Widely seen as one of the best forwards of all times, Raúl has spent his entire club career with Real Madrid, with whom he has won six Spanish league titles. He began the 1994-95 season in Madrid's C-team, but after a flurry of sixteen goals in seven games, he was promoted to first team status by coach Jorge Valdano. He became the youngest player (seventeen years and four months) ever to play for the senior side, scoring in his second senior game against Atletico Madrid. In all, Raúl registered nine goals in 28 appearances to help Real Madrid win the 1994-95 league championship in his first season. Over the next eight seasons, he won several honours, including another three La Liga titles and three Champions Leagues. For most of this time, Raúl struck up a prolific scoring partnership with Fernando Morientes (and later, Ronaldo). Raúl took over the captaincy of Real Madrid when Fernando Hierro departed in 2003, a responsibility he holds to this day. Unusually for such a successful and long-serving player, and despite appearing in two finals, 2002 (in which he scored) and 2004, Raúl has never won the Copa del Rey (Spanish Cup).
He became the first player to score fifty Champions League goals when he netted in a 2-1 group stage win over Olympiacos on 28 September 200, and continues to be the all-time leader in both Champions League goals (64) and appearances (123). He is also the only player to score in two Champions League finals, netting in the finals of both 2000 vs. Valencia in Paris, and 2002 vs. Bayer Leverkusen in Glasgow.
Raúl holds the distinction of having never received a red card throughout his 14 years at the professional level. Earlier this season, on 11 November 2008, Raúl scored his 300th goal for Real Madrid with a hat-trick against Real Union, with Real winning the game 4-3 but being eliminated on away goals after drawing 6-6 on aggregate. He has scored 316 career goals for Real Madrid, breaking the long-standing club record of Alfredo di Stéfano
with a volleyed goal vs. Sporting Gijon on 15 February 2009. He is also the top active La Liga goalscorer with 223 of his 316 goals scored in La Liga matches, and is presently 5th on the all-time list, which is headed by Telmo Zarra with 251 goals. Raúl holds the record of all-time top La Liga scorer for Real Madrid with 223, a record previously held by Alfredo di Stéfano who scored 216 out of an overall La Liga tally of 227 in a Real Madrid shirt, for whom he played between 1953 and 1964.On 14 February 2009, Raúl and fellow long-serving teammate Iker Casillas were both awarded a 'contract for life' in 2008 - the terms of which stipulate that it will be renewed annually for as long as they play 30 games per season. On 25 February, that he may well end his professional career at Real Madrid in 2011 and may consider playing for one more year in North America.
International career
Raúl began his rise in the international scene with the youth teams and was chosen to represent Spain at the 1995 FIFA World Youth Championship, scoring 2 goals. He has scored a national record 44 goals in 102 caps for Spain. He is also second in terms of caps won for Spain, with 102. The former captain has made more international appearances for Spain than any other outfield player. Raúl was not chosen for Euro 1996 and had to wait until October 1996 to earn his first senior cap against the Czech Republic. He participated in three World Cups from 1998 to 2006, along with Euro 2000 and Euro 2004, scoring at least one goal in each of the three World Cup competitions. Raúl took over the team captaincy following the retirement of Fernando Hierro in 2002, but has not been chosen for the national team since September 2006, following a shock 3-2 defeat against Northern Ireland in Belfast (a game in which Raúl hit the post late on).
Of his 44 international goals, Raúl scored 35 goals in competitive games, 6 of which were in the finals of major tournaments. In a Euro 2000 qualifier, on 27 March 1999, Raúl scored one of only two international hat-tricks during Spain's 9-0 rout of Austria. Interestingly, his only other international hat-trick was scored 4 days later, against San Marino during the same qualifying tournament. Raúl is widely remembered, however, for a last-minute missed penalty in the quarter final of Euro 2000, when a goal would have forced ext
ra-time against the eventual champions, France.Raúl played his last game against Northern Ireland in the Euro 2008 qualifiers, which Spain lost 3-2. However, he was not selected for the actual tournament (won by Spain), with Fernando Torres and David Villa called up instead by coach Luis Aragonés.
He is still available for a call up, since he has yet to formally announce his international retirement. In late 2008, Spanish coach Vicente del Bosque stated that there is still a chance Raúl could be called into the national side once again.
Personal life
For many years, Raúl's goal celebration has consisted of kissing his wedding ring as an acknowledgment to his wife, Spanish model Mamen Sanz, with whom he has four sons: Jorge, named after Jorge Valdano; Hugo, named after Raúl's childhood hero, another Real Madrid legend Hugo Sánchez; and twins Héctor (after Héctor Rial) and Mateo, named after German footballer Lothar Matthäus. He enjoys reading, especially the books of Arturo Pérez Reverte, listening to Spanish music, as well as hunting.
Honours
Club
* Flag of Spain Real Madrid
o 6 La Liga titles: 1994-95, 1996-97, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2006-07, 2007–08
o 4 Spanish Super Cup titles: 1997, 2001, 2003, 2008
o 3 UEFA Champions League titles: 1997–98, 1999–00, 2001–02
o 1 UEFA Super Cup title: 2002
o 2 Intercontinental Cup titles: 1998, 2002
o All time top scorer with 316 goals
Country
* Flag of Spain Spain
o All time top scorer: 44 goals
Individual
* Premio Don Balón (Young Player in La Liga): 1994-95
* IFFHS World Goalgetter: 1999
* Euro 2000 Team of the Tournament
* ESM Team of the Year: 1996-97, 1998-99, 1999-00
* Pichichi Trophy: 1999, 2001
* UEFA Champions League Top Scorer: 1999-00, 2000-01
* FIFA World Player of the Year Bronze Award: 2001
* European Footballer of the Year Silver Award: 2001
* UEFA Club Football Awards, Best Forward: 2000, 2001, 2002
* Best Spanish player in La Liga: 1996-97, 1998-99, 1999-00, 2000-01, 2001-02
* FIFA 100
* Trofeo Alfredo Di Stéfano: 2008
* Madrid Gold Medal: 2009
Orders
* Royal Order Gold Medal for Sports Merit: 2006
Source : en.wikipedia.org
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