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Goal.com 50: Raul (44)
Goal.com's countdown of the top 50 footballers continues with the experienced Schalke forward, who occupies 44th position after a superb debut season in the Bundesliga
29 Jul 2011 11:18:00
Getty
Welcome to the Goal.com 50! In this special series, Goal.com editors worldwide vote for the top 50 players of 2010-11. We count down to the announcement of the winner on August 14 with profiles of each and every player who made it into the top 50...
Although then-head coach Felix Magath witnessed plenty of new arrivals in Gelsenkirchen in the summer of 2010, there was little debate that former Spain international Raul was the club’s marquee signing. Having played more than 500 official matches for Real Madrid, the strker opted to move on after losing his starting berth at Santiago Bernabeu.
Whereas expensive signings such as Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Jose Jurado failed to live up to expectations at their new club, Raul quickly became a fans’ favourite at the Royal Blues, as the veteran netted 19 goals in all competitions to end the season as his side’s top scorer.
Nevertheless, the attacker’s Schalke career did not get off to the kind of start he was hoping for. The German side lost their first four matches of the season and Raul didn’t find the net until their sixth league match. The situation looked far from promising come November, as they were battling against relegation with only one win from 10 outings.
That’s when the Real Madrid legend stepped up, and steered Schalke away from the drop zone with a string of impressive displays. Raul netted hat-tricks against Werder Bremen and Koln, and eight goals in seven games helped the Gelsenkirchen side to 16 much-needed points in the two months before the winter break.
Schalke’s domestic resurgence proved to be a brief one, though, as they were unable to keep up their good form in the second half of the season. Raul was helpless as his side suffered poor results and the club decided to replace Magath with Ralf Rangnick. They eventually had to settle for 14th spot in the Bundesliga.
The Champions League, however, saw the German club enjoy a much more successful run of form, and Raul was again one of the key men behind their remarkable European campaign. After qualifying for the knockout stages by finishing ahead of Hapoel Tel Aviv, Benfica and Lyon, Raul showed his class as he scored a crucial away goal against Valencia in the round of 16. A 3-1 home win then sent Schalke through to the quarter-finals, where they would meet holders Inter.
Against all odds, Schalke hammered the Italian side 5-2 at San Siro in the first leg, and Raul made it 3-2 shortly after the break to lead his side to victory. The return would be yet another special match for the Spaniard, as he found the net for the 71st time in his career to become the competition’s all-time top scorer ahead of AC Milan’s Filippo Inzaghi.
Manchester United ultimately outclassed Schalke in the last four, but they still had something to celebrate at the end of the season. Raul’s single strike in the DFB Pokal semi-final against Bayern Munich propelled the Royal Blues into the final of the competition, and an emphatic 5-0 win over Duisburg meant that the veteran forward was able to add yet another trophy to his impressive list of honours.
Raul has a contract with Schalke until the summer of 2012, and there has recently been talk as to whether Rangnick still needs the experienced attacker. The coach only needs to ask some of the forward’s team-mates; not only does Raul have a major role to play on the pitch, but he’s also a great source of inspiration for the youngsters at the club. The iconic attacker might be nearing the end of his career, but there’s little doubt that he’s still among Europe’s top players.
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Although then-head coach Felix Magath witnessed plenty of new arrivals in Gelsenkirchen in the summer of 2010, there was little debate that former Spain international Raul was the club’s marquee signing. Having played more than 500 official matches for Real Madrid, the strker opted to move on after losing his starting berth at Santiago Bernabeu.
Whereas expensive signings such as Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Jose Jurado failed to live up to expectations at their new club, Raul quickly became a fans’ favourite at the Royal Blues, as the veteran netted 19 goals in all competitions to end the season as his side’s top scorer.
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"I can learn an incredible amount from players such as Raul. That pushes me along in terms of my development and I can have no complaints that he is the focal point and not me." - Team-mate Julian Draxler
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Nevertheless, the attacker’s Schalke career did not get off to the kind of start he was hoping for. The German side lost their first four matches of the season and Raul didn’t find the net until their sixth league match. The situation looked far from promising come November, as they were battling against relegation with only one win from 10 outings.
| MOMENT OF THE SEASON |
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| CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUARTER-FINAL: SCHALKE 2-1 INTER |
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| Few gave Schalke even the slightest chance of eliminating Inter in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, but Raul's opener in the second leg was his 71st Champions League goal, making him the all-time tournament top scorer. |
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Schalke’s domestic resurgence proved to be a brief one, though, as they were unable to keep up their good form in the second half of the season. Raul was helpless as his side suffered poor results and the club decided to replace Magath with Ralf Rangnick. They eventually had to settle for 14th spot in the Bundesliga.
The Champions League, however, saw the German club enjoy a much more successful run of form, and Raul was again one of the key men behind their remarkable European campaign. After qualifying for the knockout stages by finishing ahead of Hapoel Tel Aviv, Benfica and Lyon, Raul showed his class as he scored a crucial away goal against Valencia in the round of 16. A 3-1 home win then sent Schalke through to the quarter-finals, where they would meet holders Inter.
Against all odds, Schalke hammered the Italian side 5-2 at San Siro in the first leg, and Raul made it 3-2 shortly after the break to lead his side to victory. The return would be yet another special match for the Spaniard, as he found the net for the 71st time in his career to become the competition’s all-time top scorer ahead of AC Milan’s Filippo Inzaghi.
Manchester United ultimately outclassed Schalke in the last four, but they still had something to celebrate at the end of the season. Raul’s single strike in the DFB Pokal semi-final against Bayern Munich propelled the Royal Blues into the final of the competition, and an emphatic 5-0 win over Duisburg meant that the veteran forward was able to add yet another trophy to his impressive list of honours.
| "Not only does Raul have a big role to play on the pitch, but he’s also a great source of inspiration for the youngsters at the club." |
Goal.com Poll
Poll runs from 29 Jul 2011 to 30 Jul 2011
Poll runs from 29 Jul 2011 to 30 Jul 2011
Do you agree with Raul's ranking?
Too low
44.59%
Just right
39.45%
Too high
15.96%
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