Raúl González Blanco
Raúl González Blanco (born June 27, 1977 in Madrid, Spain), known simply as Raúl, is a Spanish association football (soccer) striker. In the 2011/2012 season Raúl plays for German Bundesliga club FC Schalke 04.[1]
Until August 2010 he was the first captain for the famous European football club Real Madrid, and had been playing there professionally since the start of the 1992/1993 season. He has also played 102 games with Spain, and is the all-time top goal scorer on the national side, having attained 44 goals. Raúl is considered by both critics and sympathizers alike as one of the most successful Spanish footballers of all time.
Raúl has performed with the Spanish national team in the 1998 FIFA World Cup, the UEFA Euro 2000, the 2002 FIFA World Cup, the UEFA Euro 2004 and the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. "El Angel del Madrid," (The Angel of Madrid) as he has been nicknamed by his fans and the media alike, is presently the second best goal marker in Spain's association football history, with 228 goals[2] and 550 appearances[3]. Having composed all these goals for his club, Raúl is Real Madrid's all-time top goal scorer.
He is oftentimes also nicknamed "El Siete" (The Number Seven) and "El Capitán" (The Captain). He has been wearing the #7 jersey for first team duty since he was only 17 year old. His current contract with FC Schalke 04 runs until the end of the 2011/2012 season.
Biography
Titles and Accolades
La Liga: 1994/95, 1996/97, 2000/01, 2002/03, 2006/07
UEFA Champions League: 1997/98, 1999/00, 2001/02
Intercontinental Cup: 1998, 2002
European Super Cup: 2002
Spanish Super Cup: 1997, 2001, 2003
Spanish Sportsman of the Year: 2007
Royal Order’s Gold Medal for Sports Merit: 2006
FIFA 100 Greatest Living Footballers: 2004
King’s Cup Top Scorer: 2003/04
UEFA Club Football Best Forward: 2000, 2001, 2002
UEFA Champions League Top Scorer: 1999/00, 2000/01
FIFA World Player, Bronze: 2001
European Footballer of the Year, Silver: 2001
Pichichi Trophy: 1998/99, 2000/01
Bronze Boot of Europe: 1999, 2001
Spanish Player of Year: 1996/97
Spanish Outstanding Sportsman: 2000
IFFHS World Goalgetter: 1999
Intercontinental Cup Man of the Match: 1998
Notes
- ↑ Raúls profile on the FC Schalke 04 website
- ↑ List of top scorers of the Primera División at weltfussball.de
- ↑ List of top appearances by player in the Primera División at weltfussball.de