Raúl González, 43 years old, is completing his training on the benches of La Fábrica with a very high mark. The one who was a white legend after his 16 seasons at Madrid (he scored 323 goals between 1994 and 2000), has been consolidating his position among the future for the most desired and demanding bench in world football. Raúl is prudent and cautious. You know your chance will come, but you are in no rush. His madridismo is non-negotiable. He knows that if they don't knock on his door it is a sign that his friend Zidane continues to triumph in the first team. But in his roadmap he assumes that a commandment is drawn up that Zizou already fulfilled in his day: “If the club needs you for the Bernabéu bench, be prepared”. At the moment, he continues to accumulate merits like the little ant. The results of his teams speak for him.
When he took Cadet B three seasons ago, he already left his winning stamp. Then he went up to Juvenil B when the club did without, badly and with excessive severity, by Álvaro Benito for some statements he made in El Carrusel about Casemiro. Raúl finished the season achieving the objective. In the summer of 2019 he achieved his first great goal: to coach Castilla. His first season was somewhat convulsive due to the problems he had to make a competitive squad, since the club began to raise money with the players with whom it could make money, considering that they did not give to reach the first team. Even so, in the summer Poyatos, Youth A coach, left for Greece and They asked him to take the team to play the decisive phase of the Youth League. Raúl won over the kids from day one, inoculating them with that winning gene that already led him to win three Champions as a player in his day (scoring a goal in two of them, the Eighth and the Ninth). Madrid had always failed with the sword in the Youth League, but this time they triumphed in a big way. After getting rid of Juventus, Inter and Salzburg, in the final they faced Benfica, who perhaps have the strongest quarry in Europe. The final was tremendous, but Raúl knew how to direct his boys to believe in themselves until the last minute. Y they conquered the first Youth League in the club's history.
In that team he handled now contrasted values such as Víctor Chust, Miguel Gutiérrez, Blanco, Arribas, Marvin or Latasa. Most of them have now been helping Zidane in the first team when the plague of injuries forced a few weeks ago to pull the subsidiary. Despite staying with the subsidiary in the box due to this circumstance, Raúl was accumulating successes with Castilla although COVID-19 forced him to greatly alter his work plan (numerous games were postponed). Nevertheless, Castilla has won seven of the last ten games and another tied, so by winning this Sunday at the San Sebastián de los Reyes field (12:00), he will already be assured of playing the promotion playoff to the Smart Bank League. A goal that two months ago they doubted even within the club. But this Raúl is not gifted anybody with success. His way of working, respecting the historical values of the club, is reminiscent of what was achieved in his day by other house coaches such as Del Bosque, Míchel, Lopetegui, Solari or Zidane himself. Madrid's stamp goes beyond the blackboard, not just anyone is valid.
Suffice one example. A few weeks ago, Castilla played against Navalcarnero, away from home, a game that was very tough. There was an audience in the stands of Mariano García, who logically spent the entire game supporting their own and putting pressure on the players of the white team. In the discount and with 1-1, Hugo Duro took a clear penalty behind the Naval Carnereña. The center forward, on loan from Getafe, did not forgive (1-2). The three gold points led a couple of players to make an ugly gesture to a part of the stands as they retired to the locker room with the important victory. When you get to the locker room, Raúl gave them a severe scolding, reminding them of Madrid's historical values, which have forged its legend as a club that is admired and respected by knowing how to win and lose without losing shape. The dressing room got the message, the two players apologized to their coach and since then the team has dedicated itself to putting its five senses to achieve the goal that they already touch with their hands. It is Raúl's secret. A man of the house who is ready to take the leap, whenever the time is right.