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Spain and Real Madrid legend Raul Gonzalez has announced that he will retire from the game at the end of the NASL season, in November. Raul currently plays for New York Cosmos, who announced the news of player’s retirement on their official website.
The 38-year-old joined the New York Cosmos of NASL, a level below Major League Soccer or simply known as the MLS, in December last year but has decided to call it a day after a single campaign.
Raul commented on club’s website, “When I signed for the New York Cosmos in December, I said I would evaluate how I felt towards the end of the year and assess whether I would continue to play.”
“My decision is to retire from playing at the end of this season. I am fully focused on finishing the season strong and helping the New York Cosmos win the NASL Championship. In the coming months, I will decide the next step in my career. Playing soccer has been part of my life for so long and the decision to retire is not an easy one but I believe it is the right time,” he said.
“I'm thankful to everyone who has supported me throughout my career and I look forward to playing my final games with the New York Cosmos over the coming weeks.”
New York Cosmo’s manager Giovanni Savarese also stated his views on Raul’s career.
He said, “Raúl is one of the world's most iconic players. I knew when we signed him what he would bring on the pitch, but his knowledge, passion, professionalism and commitment has exceeded my expectations. In less than a year, Raúl has become a big part of the team and he will always remain part of the Cosmos family”.
Raul’s career so far
Raul started his career at Real Madrid in 1994, where he became the youngest player at 17 years and 124 days to play for the senior side though the record was broken by Alberto Rivera later in the same season. The Spaniard went on to score 323 goals for Los Blancos in his 16-year long stint with the club.
He scored 228 goals in La Liga and was Real’s top goal scorer in the league for a long time, only for Cristiano Ronaldo to overtake him earlier this year. Raul’s record tally of 323 goals for Real Madrid across all competitions has also been equalled by the Portuguese.
The Spanish legend went on to win three Champions League titles and was also tournament’s record goal scorer with 71 goals, a record which was broken by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo later on. He also scored 44 goals in 102 appearances for Spain.
After he left Real Madrid in 2010, Raul went on to play for Schalke04 in Germany, where he scored 40 goals in 98 matches. His next stop was Al Sadd sports club in Qatar before his move to the New York Cosmos.
Raul still commands legendary status at the Santiago Bernabeu and is considered among the best Spanish players ever to have played the beautiful game.
