The Times: Real Madrid's Raul ready for Liverpool

[Randy Marsh]

March 9, 2009

Real Madrid's Raul ready for Liverpool

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Guillem Balague

 

Fernando Morientes struggled to adapt to life at Liverpool during his 18-month spell on Merseyside. Yet the striker’s quiet time there made an indelible imprint on one of the greatest players in the history of Spanish football, a powerful memory that will surge again through Raúl’s mind like a bolt of electricity when Real Madrid arrive at Anfield this week for the second leg of their Champions League first knockout round tie.

 

The Real captain went to see his former teammate at Anfield – the only time he has travelled to England to watch a game from the stands – and the experience left him awe-struck and eagerly anticipating the opportunity to play at the famous stadium crammed in between those tiny terraced streets.

 

“I’m stuck for words,” Raúl said. “It’s so different: the singing in the ground and the approach to the stadium. You walk through the area with all the houses and suddenly there it is, the stadium, you can’t see it until it’s on top of you . . . crowded with all the fans, the noise, the passion. The atmosphere was incredible. It was a league game. I can’t imagine what it’s going to be like for a Champions League match . . . crazy.”

 

Real’s 1-0 defeat at the Bernabéu in the first leg a fortnight ago was a disappointment to the Spanish champions. The team were flat and players were self-critical in the dressing-room afterwards, but there is a belief that the deficit can be overcome. “We have a clear idea of what we have to do – score twice,” Raúl said. “The other day we were hit strongly by the defeat, but we know we are going to have our chances and we are not going to give up.

 

“We are capable of beating Liverpool at Anfield. Since the arrival of Juande Ramos [the head coach], we are more disciplined. At the beginning of the season we had a lot of problems – we were scoring goals, but letting them in as well and that cost us a lot of points. We are now in good shape, above all physically and mentally. The league is a real possibility now Barcelona seem to have hit a wall, but we will be 100 per cent focused on the Champions League and winning this tie.”

 

The all-time leading scorer for Real, Spain and in the Champions League has been on the bench fewer than half a dozen times since he made his first-team debut as a 17-year-old. Still only 31, still burning with ambition despite all his accomplishments, Raúl seems to have found the secret of eternal youth.

 

“Football is a game,” he said. “We played it as children. But it is also a job. The key is to strike a balance. I try to find short-term objectives at every step in order to keep motivated. I would never have imagined scoring as many as Alfredo di Stefano [the previous leading goalscorer for Real]. But it was put to me at the start of the season that I was around 15 goals short and it stayed in my mind.”

 

Was he tempted to play for an English club? “If had you asked me what football would I love to experience, I’d say England,” Raúl said. “But I feel so well here, at home. A few years ago, Chelsea spoke to my representatives, but at that time all I wanted was to stay here.

 

“I love the Premier League, it is very dynamic, very passionate. It’s more interesting now with all of the Spanish players that have gone there and enjoyed such great success.”

 

One Iberian star who has been widely tipped to make the reverse journey is Cristiano Ronaldo. Raúl thinks that he would have no trouble fitting in at the Bernabéu. “I believe that if Cristiano Ronaldo came here, he’d be accepted. People who have played with him say he’s a good lad. Those who I’ve spoken to who know him say he’s a really hard worker and a good person. In theory there’s no reason why he’d break the harmony in the dressing-room.

 

“We’ve had lots of the biggest names in the game here, Ronaldo, Zidane, Beckham, yet they all integrated, they won over their teammates, the fans, the media,” Raúl said. “I don’t know Cristiano, but I trust the people who know him well.”

 

If the Portuguese does join Real, he need look no farther than their captain to find an ideal role model.

 

Cracking quotes there from Raul. Just shows our standing in European/World football. A lot still to be proud of.

[Red Mist]

I agree with Raul, there's no finer place for his team to go out of the Champions League than Anfield. What a beautiful way to go, IMO.

[captainharris]

He thinks a league game was passionate? He's gonna shit himself on Tuesday.

[aladdinsane]

He thinks a league game was passionate? He's gonna shit himself on Tuesday.

 

Agreed. I seem to remember him coming here and it was some bog standard league match like Charlton, fuck knows how he thought that was great. Although to be fair, I've been to matches in Spain and the atmosphere was atrocious.

[Randy Marsh]

I'm sure he went to Melwood too, may be wrong though. David Villa has attended a game in the last few seasons too, as guest of Pepe I think during the Spanish winter break.

[Liverpool lad]

Imagine if he had come to one this season;

 

'I remember the roar of the Kop, people showing so much passion when Lucas on, then he hit the ball out of play and the roof nearly came off the stadium - if they can do this to one of their own, they will destroy us'.

 

If reads better if you use a Spanish accent

[coop]

Cannavaro will be able to tell him what its like on a European night as he came during 05 with Juventus and they were visibally awestruck by the atmosphere.

[WaltonRed]

they'll shit themselves on tuesday

[Jonte]

I want to go to a European Game this year, it's the best thing in the world.

[dirty_sanchez]

And then got soundly bummed off the park.

[Dave D]

Lets make sure it is a special night. This tie is far from over

[Xherdan]

You can see why Raul is held in such regard by the Madrid supoprters. Class Act.

 

Re: Tomorrow's match there is still lots to do but im pretty confident we can do it. Knowing us we will concede and make it difficult but will still go through.

[dennis tooth]

Love to have Raul here.

[philyhamann]

I want to go to a European Game this year, it's the best thing in the world.

 

I wish you would fuck off, you just do it to wind people up.

[Hermes]

Wait until they are in it when it's full:

 

http://www.realmadrid.com/cs/Satellite/en/1202765306587/noticia/Noticia/Magic_in_the_air.htm

[RobbieOR]

Love to have Raul here.

 

I remember in 05 he was rumoured to be coming.

[Code]

Cannavaro will be able to tell him what its like on a European night as he came during 05 with Juventus and they were visibally awestruck by the atmosphere.

 

I think they were just as awestruck by the fact we really went for their throat from the off, if only we could deploy such tactics a bit more often, I rate the first half in that game as the best I can remember.

 

Juve were probably the best team in the world at the time and we truly battered them because all leashes were off.

[dirty_sanchez]

Wasn't Zlatan really shite in that match too?

[philyhamann]

Zlatan is Zlatan in every match

[Jonte]

I wish you would fuck off, you just do it to wind people up.

 

Fuck off your self, don't you love to go to them games?