United Indonesia - Manchester United Indonesia Supporters Club - Raul Gonzalez Blanco, Madrid icon (was)

Raul a relic of a bygone age at Real
Soccernet, Eduardo Alvarez - October 9, 2010

Raul Gonzalez Blanco made his debut before the demanding Bernabeu crowd on a cold November night, back in 1994. Sixty minutes of sheer talent and an innate sense of the game from that skinny 17-year-old were enough for us socios to see him win a penalty, assist Ivan Zamorano and send a cracking shot into the top left-hand corner. If that was not enough, his seemingly endless bag of tricks looked stunning. As though trying to hide his rojiblanco past, Raul had just single-handedly demolished Atletico de Madrid in his first match in La Castellana.

Once the game was over, the general opinion among my neighbours in the hardly trendy Upper Deck was almost unanimous: the kid's a wonder, but needs to be handled with care to avoid jeopardising his future. I was shocked. Shouldn't this kid start every single match? "No way," replied Mateo, from his 20+ years of Bernabeu experience. "His body won't be able to take the punishment, or it'll end up shortening his career."

The rest, as you know, is football history. Raul went on to play 742 official matches for Real Madrid, scoring 325 goals, winning six La Liga titles, three Champions League finals - scoring in two of them - and two Intercontinental Cups, again scoring the winner in one of them.

He also earned 102 caps and scored 44 goals for the Spanish national team, although he painfully failed to lead his country to success in international tournaments. In fact, Spain's unprecedented winning streak since he was exiled makes one believe that 'The Ewing Theory', as defined by Bill Simmons and Dave Cirili, should indeed be renamed 'The Raul Theory'. Incidentally, this theory also explains the curious phenomena experienced by Valencia this season, after their two most renowned players left, captured by Phil Ball in his most recent article.

Going back to Raul, and despite his overwhelming statistics, I still believe that Mateo was right. During the latter half of his career, Raul's body started to show the effects of the excessive number of top-level matches played at such a tender age. The formerly ubiquitous forward lost the extra step that had previously ensured so many decisive goals for both club and country. From his mid-20s onwards, Raul started to live off his extraordinary sense of the game and his long top-flight experience.

The sharp decrease of his scoring in do-or-die matches was probably the most telling sign of his physical decline. The player who once relished finishing off Barcelona, Manchester United or Juventus saw his club exit the Champions League in the early knock-out stages for six consecutive years, while other Real Madrid players scored the key goals that took the club to two consecutive La Liga titles.

For the best part of his career, Raul embodied the dream of the Real Madrid fan of old: a home-grown player (at least since he was 13), who understood what the club meant to their supporters, killed himself on the pitch, led by example and always showed up for big matches. Those same socios who religiously followed the youth teams and wanted to avoid the early burn-out of a potential star had found their saviour - their new number '7'.

Raul's 15 seasons with Real Madrid span the radical transformation of the club from local, traditional and poorly managed sports entity to global marketing giant. When el siete joined the first team, you could buy a €10 ticket, jump over a couple of defective fences and sit in a €60 one. After years pulling the aforementioned trick match after match, this columnist became a socio at the beginning of 1994 just by purchasing season tickets, available at an amazingly low price. You could hardly find the official shirt anywhere in the city, let alone the country or the rest of the world. The stadium did not have a shop. The incredible collection of trophies carelessly sat in a completely inadequate space, much smaller than my tiny one-bedroom apartment. My neighbours in the stadium constantly joked about the most likely date for a real refurbishment of the Bernabeu; 2050 was the consensus.

While scoring goals and winning trophies, Raul witnessed the advent of a new era, in both the sporting and the business sectors, and couldn't prevent their subsequent mixture, or rather confusion. Zidanes and Pavones, Galacticos and other similar football philosophies had an umbilical relationship with the new, nonnegotiable marketing orientation of the club, an otherwise logical consequence of the new financial context worldwide.

You can't argue too much with the positives of this transformation: the stadium, after not one but several refurbishments, now looks stunning; the club learned how to profit from previously unexplored revenue sources; matches are systematically sold out, while you can't get season tickets unless you wait until ... yes, 2050; and Real Madrid own the most valuable European football brand, according to Brand Finance.

But obviously there's a price to pay, and regardless of other minor issues, that bill has come in the shape of a blatant loss of the values that characterised that Real Madrid club which Raul joined in 1994. Not to steal from Nick Hornby, but the fact is that the Mateos of old, who followed the youth teams and cared about the correct development of the younger players, have been replaced with less knowledgeable, edgy suits who demand that new signings make an immediate impact and can't entertain the idea of a player maturing over a period of time that might last more than two matches, let alone full seasons.

Now homegrown players are rarely promoted to the senior side, which apparently justifies the constant signing and firing of foreign players who don't have the chance to prove themselves over a reasonable period of time either.

As all these changes happened, Raul looked more and more like the icon of a previous era. After his move to Germany at the end of the summer, Real Madrid's No. 7 shirt had a brand new owner. CR7, an unquestionable sign of the times, has an impressive work ethic, is a global brand in himself, but spends matches frowning at team-mates who take too long to give him the ball, waving arms in disgust when his fellow forwards don't see him open or kicking the grass in frustration because the ball doesn't arrive exactly where he wants it. His impatience is a faultless reflection of the new madridistas, who demand a perfect show every single night.

Earlier this season I was watching Barcelona at my friend's place. After an impressive build-up, Messi scored with ease, which prompted my friend's six-year-old kid, already brainwashed into the new meringue way of doing things, to say: "How come we haven't bought him yet?"

And remembering about Mateo and his mates that cold night at the Bernabeu back in 1994, and comparing their views to that of my friend's son, or picturing that old, cosy, precarious stadium and looking at the current state-of-the-art version, or even taking a look at the picture of Raul tasting Champions League glory in 1998 next to a shot of CR7 after scoring at the Anoeta, I'll use a sentence from a former boss to conclude that Real Madrid are indeed moving, but they would do well to make sure it's forward.

................

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hilman-Bukan-Superman (Post 167595)

"Gracias Il Capitan"
http://i.okezone.com/content/2010/07...3JvDW2aOtP.jpg
MADRID - Kepergian Raul Gonzalez menyisakan banyak kenangan bagi publik Real Madrid. Segala puja-puji tidak segan dialamatkan para punggawa Los Blancos kepada sang kapten.

Raul dipastikan hijrah ke Schalke 04 setelah lebih hampir 15 tahun mengabdi di Santiago Bernabeu. Enam gelar la Liga dan tiga trofi Liga Champions telah disumbangkan oleh striker 33 tahun.

Keputusannya hengkang disebabkan kesempatan turun ke lapangan yang sudah semakin tipis karena banyaknya darah muda di skuad Los Merengues. Terlebih, saat ini Madrid ditukangi pelatih yang terkenal cukup keras dan tak kenal kompromi, Jose Mourinho.

Lepas dari itu, Raul tetap layak disebut legenda Madrid. Bahkan, para punggawa yang tersisa macam Iker Casillas, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ricardo Kaka, dll, tidak segan menyapaikan sanjungan buat pemain berjuluk El Angel de Madrid, seperti dikutip Goal, Selasa (27/7/2010).

Casillas: "Raul adalah simbol Madrid. Seorang kapten yang hebat pasti merasakan proses naik turun dan selalu melakukan yang terbaik di segala situasi. Raul adalah contoh profesional dan membantu saya tumbuh sebagai pemain. Sejarah sebuah klub ditulis oleh pemain hebat dan Raul salah satunya.”

Ronaldo: "Bisa bermain bersama Raul adalah sebuah kebanggaan. Saya selalu membayangkan hal itu semasa kecil. Lagi-lagi sebuah kehormatan bisa berada di ruang ganti yang sama dengannya dan saya selalu mendoakan yang terbaik.”

Xabi Alonso: "Raul telah mewakili Madrid. Dia adalah simbol dan bagian dari sejarah. Tidak mudah berada di sebuah klub selama 15 tahun, tapi dia melakukanaya sebagai pemain yang luar biasa.”

Kaka: "Raul adalah pemain yang luar biasa dan sangat penting bagi tim ini. Raul selamanya menjadi bagian Madridismo dan kepergiannya merupakan hari menyedihkan bagi fans serta rekan-rekan.”

Pepe: "16 tahun dia berada di sini dan membuktikan talenta. Dia memilik tempat spesial di hati saya karena terus mengikuti perkembangan saat saya cedera. Dia bangkit dari bench dan menemani di ruang ganti. Itu tidak akan pernah bisa saya lupakan.”

Lassana Diarra: "Saya senang bisa bermain bersamanya. Saya masih ingat ketika kanak-kanak saya terus menyaksikan dia bermain. Raul banyak mambantu saya di Madrid."

Fernando Gago: "Emblem Madrid sudah pergi. Salah satu pemain yang selalu diindentifikasi oleh fans. Sebuah kehormatan bisa berada satu ruang ganti dengan Raul. Saya juga selalu mendoakan yang terbaik buatnya.” (msy)

http://bola.okezone.com

Quote:

Originally Posted by drivemein (Post 167661)

SPESIAL : Terima Kasih & Selamat Tinggal, Raúl González Blanco
-goal.com-

http://realmadrid200708.files.wordpr...onzalez-26.jpg

Tak pernah terbayangkan, Sang Legenda mengakhiri kiprah berseragam Real Madrid...

Mungkin tak pernah terpikirkan hari perpisahan Raul Gonzalez Blanco dengan Real Madrid -- klub yang sudah dibelanya selama 16 tahun.

Sepanjang rentang waktu itu, Raul mengalami berbagai fase perubahan. Malaikat Madrid, Anak Emas Spanyol, Sang Legenda, El Capitan, El Siete, atau hanya Raul. Mulai dari ikon berwajah bayi sampai menjadi ikon tak terpisahkan Madrid di milenium baru.

http://raul.soccerstar.org/wp-conten...ul/raul_04.jpg

Legenda Raul dimulai ketika gagal masuk akademi Atletico Madrid. Remaja berusia 15 tahun itu menyeberang ke Santiago Bernabeu untuk memulai karir sebagai pemain muda. Dalam dua tahun, Raul mampu menembus tim inti Los Merengues.

Seorang Jorge Valdano lah yang mempercayakan posisi tersebut kepada Raul. Debutnya ditandai saat masih berusia 17 tahun menghadapi Real Zaragoza akibat cedera yang menimpa Martin Velasquez. Debut itu berakhir dengan kekalahan 3-2, tapi tempatnya di tim inti tetap aman. Pada pertandingan berikutnya, Raul mencetak gol dalam kemenangan 4-2 atas Atletico Madrid.

Sisanya, adalah sejarah. Sejumlah 228 gol dicetaknya dalam 549 pertandingan liga. Raul sontak menjelma tak hanya sebagai pesepakbola atau pencetak gol untuk Si Putih, tapi sebagai ikon klub. Pria yang kini berusia 33 tahun ini menyimpan rapat-rapat kehidupan pribadinya di luar lapangan. Raul seolah hanya mau memikat fans melalui congkelan sederhana atau beberapa gol saat tampil di atas lapangan.

Raul tak menyukai sebutan Los Galacticos yang disematkan media saat Florentino Perez memulai kiprah sebagai presiden klub. Secara kebetulan, Raul mulai kehilangan bentuk penampilan. Beberapa pemain terbaik dunia masuk dan mengganggu konsistensi permainannya. Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, dan David Beckham tak hanya masuk sebagai rekan setim, tapi pesaing di tim inti. Raul tetap tegar menghadapi tantangan tersebut.

Sempat menjadi saksi pergantian serangkaian pelatih, tepatnya 17 kali, Raul mengalami masa-masa kepemimpinan Valdano, mulai dari pelatih hingga sekarang menjadi direktur, dua kali dilatih Fabio Capello, Jose Antonio Camacho yang juga melatihnya di timnas, serta Vicente del Bosque.

Di atas lapangan, pasangan sempurna Raul adalah Fernando Morientes. Duet penyerang ini begitu menakutkan karena memiliki kesepahaman yang hebat. Selama enam musim, mereka bermain bersama dan menciptakan total 245 gol di semua ajang.

Masuklah Ronaldo. Bersama penyerang Brasil ini, Raul harus merelakan posisi penyerang utama. Bersama Michael Owen, Raul tak pernah mengalami perpaduan sempurna meski pasangannya tersebut mampu menyabet Ballon d'Or 2001.

Pelan-pelan sentuhan Raul kembali saat bermain dengan pemain setipe Morientes, Ruud van Nistelrooy. Begitu pula ketika berdampingan dengan Gonzalo Higuain sebelum akhirnya seperti sebuah déjà vu, Raul harus mengalah dan memberi jalan kepada Ronaldo yang lain... Cristiano Ronaldo.

Dongeng Raul bersama Madrid sebenarnya dapat berakhir 2003 silam ketika Florentino Perez berupaya menjualnya ke Chelsea dengan transfer senilai £71,4 juta plus gaji £8,4 juta per musim. Tanpa berpikir dua kali, tawaran menggiurkan tersebut ditolaknya.

Meski harus menghadapi tantangan dari banyak bintang, penampilan Raul tetap konstan dan menjadi teladan bagi para pemain muda Madrid. Namun, meski si Anak Emas telah menjadi Raja, dia tetap saja tidak abadi dan harus mengalami sebuah akhir.

Petualangan Raul di Santiago Bernabeu adalah sebuah perjalanan panjang. Fans tak pernah membayangkan Raul akan meninggalkan Madrid dan bermain untuk tim lain, baik di Spanyol maupun luar negeri. Dia seorang pemain yang identik dengan sebuah klub. Sungguh sebuah momen manis, meski sedih, ketika Raul memainkan laga kompetitif terakhirnya bersama Madrid dan menyumbangkan sebuah gol ke gawang Real Zaragoza, klub yang juga dihadapinya saat memulai debut.

Momen yang penuh warna bagi para pendukung. Sedih menyaksikannya meninggalkan klub, tapi bahagia dengan penampilannya di atas lapangan serta turut mewarnai dunia sepakbola.

Sejak bermain bersama striker yang lebih matang seperti Ivan Zamorano, Michael Laudrup, Davor Suker, dan Predrag Mijatovic, Raul banyak belajar sebagaimana teladan yang diserapnya dari Manolo Sanchis, Fernando Hierro, dan Fernando Redondo. Fase akhir kiprahnya ditandai dengan memimpin tim dengan sekumpulan pemain hebat macam Zidaen hingga Cristiano Ronaldo. Momen seperti ini akan dikenang selamanya.

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Kita takkan lagi menyaksikan Raul di atas rumput Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.

Rekor Raul bersama Raul Madrid :

16: Tahun -- dan 15 musim penuh -- bersama tim senior Real Madrid.

17: Tahun dan empat bulan. Pemain termuda yang pernah memulai debut untuk Madrid.

228 : Gol di liga. Rekor ketiga tertinggi sepanjang masa di La Liga.

323 : Gol di ajang kompetitif. Topskor Madrid sepanjang masa.

66 : Gol di Liga Champions. Topskor ajang ini sepanjang masa. Dia juga menjadi pemain pertama yang mampu menembus 50 gol.

68 : Gol di seluruh kompetisi level UEFA, menjadi topskor bersama sepanjang masa.

550 : Penampilan di La Liga. Rekor di Real Madrid dan kedua terbanyak sepanjang sejarah La Liga.

132 : Penampilan di Liga Champions, tertinggi kedua sepanjang sejarah kompetisi.

16 : Gelar juara.

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