Raúl, the starless captain

In its 100 years of existence, the life of the National Team is full of striking cases and situations. For example, that Alfredo di Stéfano, one of the best players in the history of football, did not get to play any game in a World Championship, or that the Quinta del Buitre disappeared from the scene in an overflowing plenitude. But his, that of Raúl González Blanco, can be considered the most unique individual process of all.

His remarkable international career spanning ten years, three World Cups, two European Cups, one Olympic Games, 102 games and 44 goals and 27 passes, took place at a time when Spain was not winning and was accumulating disappointment after disappointment. Despite this, his enormous identification with the National Team deserved another final both in substance and in form. He stayed right at the gates of glory, at the moment in which La Roja began to take shape as such.

Your room t-shirt

A t-shirt from the World Cup in Spain (1982) was the first that decorated his room in the paternal home of Colonia Marconi. Then all the others came. Compared to his dizzying career at Real Madrid, his first experience with the lower teams was rather late. He made his debut with the U-18 when he was already 17 years and five months old and only 24 days before making his debut in Primera with his club. His first coach, Andoni Goicoechea. It was in a tie against Finland and he scored two goals in every match.

He is already part of the first white team when he is summoned for the sub-21 that qualifies for the final phase of the European of the category and the pass to the Olympic Games in Atlanta. His goals help to achieve the goal. He is also called up for the U-20 World Cup in Qatar. Controversy. It is played in the month of April 95 with the season at stake. Real Madrid is not about to lose its great discovery, but in the end, the Federation gets the Raúl, Iván de la Peña, Etxeberría, Salgado, Morientes, Roger… to travel. Golea in the first two games against Burundi and Japan. In the quarters against Russia he also scores. Spain loses the semifinals and the match for third place.

At the age of 18, Raúl has the final phase of the under-21s in Montjuic, the European Championship in England and the Olympic Games ahead of him. By dates you could even go to all three appointments. The ‘people’ want to see him already in ‘A’, but Javier Clemente, who is in charge, decides to continue with the ‘sub’. He takes two consecutive disappointments: final loss to Italy in Barcelona and quick elimination in Atlanta at the feet of Argentina.

New course. His leap to the absolute is about to fall. Not in the first call, but in the second. Prague is the city chosen for its premiere. Qualifying match for the 98 World Cup. Raúl is serious. Quieter than usual. His parents, Marisa and Pedro, and their representative, then Fermín Gutiérrez, accompany him on the trip. He is the great protagonist of the day before and also of the game (10/9/96). At last headline. Blue short-sleeved T-shirt with the '7' on the back. The match ends 0-0. “I am happy. I played the 90 minutes and we achieved a good result against a powerful team. The draw is the best, more than my debut. I'm leaving Prague happy ”. In the hug with his parents at the airport he almost tears up. Clemente would never doubt him again.

The first times

His first goal comes in the third match, against Serbia-Montenegro in Valencia. Spain qualifies for the World Cup in France. In the debut against Nigeria, he scored and became the youngest player in the history of the National Team to score in a World Championship. He is 20 years and 351 days old. The defeat against the Africans is decisive for Spain to be left out in the first phase. Raúl sees how Zubizarreta, the great captain, breaks into tears. It is his first big fiasco with the National Team. It wouldn't be the last, unfortunately.

Seven goals in four days

After the debacle of Cyprus (3-2) where he scored a goal, Camacho replaced Clemente. Raúl is immovable and lives some of his best moments. In four days he signed seven goals. Four to Austria (3-27-99) and three to San Marino on the 31st. Wait for Euro 2000. Miracle against Yugoslavia and the fourth against France. He will never forget that game and the fateful moment in which he missed the penalty that would have forced extra time (2-1). His was the decision to throw it away. Mendieta, the first specialist, had been substituted and Raúl went for the ball. He was convinced to score. 89th minute. Tricks Barthez but the ball goes high. There is no consolation to relieve you. All colleagues hug him. Camacho gives him two yells. Zidane changes his shirt. Another fiasco.

Does not play against Korea

On the way to the next event, the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan, Raúl surpasses individual records. He reaches the 50th game against the Netherlands in Rotterdam at the age of 24 years and nine months. At that age Butragueño was 29; Gordillo, 25; Iribar, 19; Zubizarreta, 14 and Camacho e Hierro, 13. At the international level it also breaks barriers. Only Pelé improves his numbers (49 games and 51 goals). Cruyff (14), Maradona (41), Zidane (22)… they are far away.

He goes from wearing the '10' to the '7' that he wore at Real Madrid. Get to the big date in full. He shows it with his goals in the first phase: three. In the eighth against the Republic of Ireland he is injured. Ask for change. No one knows better than him that it is a muscle injury serious enough to miss the quarterfinal… if the team qualifies. He gets it on penalties, with two saves from Casillas.

Start the count down. The game against Korea seems mission impossible. He puts himself in the hands of Pedro Chueca, his trusted physiotherapist. Morning, afternoon and night. Secret recovery workouts and one last night test. He wants to get there, but he can't. At the last minute, between all of them, they stop him. There is confidence in beating the host and playing, finally, a semi-final. From the bench, Raúl recognizes the referee perfectly. The Egyptian Al Ghandour had whistled him at the Atlanta Games in 96 in the farewell defeat against Argentina (4-0). Bad memories that would be confirmed by everything that happened throughout the 120 minutes.

Captaincy and goal record

Life goes on. Camacho leaves it. Iñaki Sáez arrives. He opens captaincy in the tribute to Puskas at the Nepstadion in Budapest and surpasses his friend and teammate Fernando Hierro as the top scorer. He scores two goals for Khan in a friendly against Germany in Palma de Mallorca and reaches 31 goals in 59 games, an average of more than half a goal per game. From Euro 2004 he leaves without being released and with the umpteenth disappointment on his back.

For a man-Selection used to winning dressed in white it is not easy to digest what happens to him when he wears red. “It would be necessary to join the three Champions to know what it can be to win a World Cup,” he acknowledges while confirming that Luis Aragonés is going to be his fourth coach and the classification for what must be his third World Cup goes through the purgatory of a play-off against Slovakia that is overcome with solvency. A major injury (19-11 against Barcelona) compromises the appointment. You have a partial tear of your anterior cruciate ligament. He is diagnosed between three and six months off. He decides not to have an operation and is crushed in a complicated rehabilitation. The objective is to reappear with Real Madrid in the Champions League. Gets it.

Luis Aragonés, for his part, publicly confesses that he will wait for him until the last day. Raúl arrives on time. He even plays and scores in the friendly against Egypt, shortly before traveling to Germany and after a long drought with his team that he had not scored with after recovering from injury. It had been dry for 218 days. Something unusual about him. “Whoever says I'm finished is that they don't understand football. Those who say so are envious and opportunistic. It is one thing to give an opinion and quite another to lose respect as many people and many media do ”.

The World Cup starts. He is not a starter in the first game. As Villa scores two goals and Fernando Torres, one, the coach keeps them in the eleven in the second against Tunisia. As the match gets complicated, Luis turns to Raúl, in the second half. He comes out, signs the tying goal and becomes the first Spaniard to score in three consecutive World Cups. He was far from thinking that this, 44, would be his last goal with the National Team. He does not kiss the ring, as he used to do, he angrily kisses the shield of his shirt and runs to the bench to look for Cañizares and Michel Salgado, his two faithful companions, with whom he had been sharing his disappointment at not being a starter.

That detail and what happened that same night in the concentration did not go unnoticed by the coach. The relationship begins to suffer. Despite this, with the classification assured, he plays the third against Saudi Arabia and the coach confirms it against France in the second round. Spain starts as a favorite but is eliminated. One more.

The return of the summer and the following game (15-8-2006) brings Raúl a gift in the form of a centenary. In Reykjavic against Iceland (0-0) he became the first outfield player to reach 100 games. Almost ten years had passed since the first: 3,597 days specifically. He now only has Zubizarreta ahead with 126. “For me, each match with the National Team is a feeling, something very special. It is defending my country “

Nor could he imagine at that time that, although his relationship with Luis was already somewhat deteriorated, he would only have two more games left. Liechtenstein and Northern Ireland. The beginning of the end was lived in Belfast (6-9), Windsor Park. Unexpected defeat (3-2). A certain Healey, with his three goals, enters the history of Spanish football. One of the most damaging defeats in the life of the national team. Very harsh criticism and extreme situation for the coach who, in the following hours, makes a sudden decision: Raúl is already past.

The hecatomb is confirmed in the following official list. Luis does not summon him for the game against Sweden. Soccer Spain is shocked. Division of opinions. Raúl doesn't raise his voice. “I will see him at home and I will always be the number one fan of the National Team. I've never been a locker room conspirator. I have only tried that all the companions join forces ”.

Luis keeps the pulse

“In football, it has already happened that footballers are burning stages. I have to make the list and I want to get it right. I haven't talked to Raúl. I don't usually do it. Raúl is no exception. There are others who don't come and you don't tell me about them. nothing. I understand that he is very media, but I have already answered you “.

I would not return again. The pressures, or the intermediation, were of no use. Nor a public appearance before the press of both in February 2008 to sign a supposed peace. Raúl provokes the meeting. Luis does not give his arm to twist. He thanks the player for his behavior but does not enter into his future plans. Over time, out of his position, it was a little more drastic. “Things had to be done for the good of Spanish football. Some players, like Raúl, no longer performed as I would have liked. There was a moment when the National Team was big for him ”.

Raúl never answered. At the age of 29 he had to say goodbye to the National Team. The Selection of your soul.