40 shades of white: Raul Gonzalez Blanco

The Peak Years

Those years were easily the best in his career, winning La Liga 4 times and more importantly winning the Champions League 3 times. He played the full game in 1998 as Madrid ended their 32 year wait for La Septima. In 2000, Madrid faced Valencia in the showpiece, the first time two teams from the same country had been pitted together in the final. Madrid was leading 2-0, when Raul picked up a ball cleared from a corner, ran most of the pitch, rounded the keeper and scored.

Two years later in Glasgow, Raul opened the scoring from a long throw in, becoming the first player to score in two consecutive European Cup finals. 2002 was Raul’s third Champions League medal, few at the time would have predicted it would be his last.

Playing internationally, Raul and Spain reached the 1998 World Cup in France, the performances had earned him a place on the plane. Despite Spain getting dumped out of the competition in the group stages, Raul had a good debut tournament with 2 goals in 3 games.

8 and a Half at Everything

Raul wasn’t a gifted player. He was bandy-legged, hunched and not especially fast. Fernando Hierro famously said that Raul:

"Wasn’t 10 out of 10 in anything, but an 8 and a half in everything"

The assistant coach at Real Madrid, Cappa, echoed the sentiment according to Sid Lowe’s Fear and Loathing in La Liga: 

"“Raul carries the ball badly, he dribbles badly, he cant head the ball, he strikes it badly” Cappa pauses for effect “…..and then the game starts”"

Perhaps Raul’s greatest asset was that he was limited. He knew what he could and couldn’t do and yet he still oozed confidences. He was clever and astute and was chipping goalkeepers before it was cool (yes Lionel Messi, you weren’t the first).

As Raul helped Madrid to a fourth league title following their ninth Champions League victory, he looked destined for a new level of greatness. Few could have predicted what followed.