Raul Gonzalez Blanco - Biography

Last Editor: Bliss1one				Raul Gonzalez Blanco Biography -   Name : Raul Gonzalez Blanco Date of Birth : June 27, 1977 Place of Birth : Madrid, Spain Nationality : Spanish Height : 180 cm Weight : 68 kg Profession : Soccer Player Club : Real Madrid CF Position : Forward [L, C]

Raul Gonzalez Blanco Trivia -

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Raul Gonzalez Blanco Detailed Biography -

Raúl González Blanco, usually referred to simply as Raúl, (born June 27, 1977 in Madrid, Spain) is a Spanish football forward. He has been playing for Real Madrid at senior level since 1994, although he started his career in Atletico de Madrid. He currently is the captain of both Real and the Spanish national team, being its all-time leading scorer. In both he wears jersey number 7. Raúl was born in the Madrid suburb of Villaverde Alto. After winning his spurs as a member of provincial team San Cristobal de Los Angeles, his father signed him to the Atletico Madrid youth team at the age of 13. Raul rose through the ranks, winning the national title with the Under-15's, and seemed destined to join the professional side when Atletico President Jesus Gil y Gil dissolved the club's entire youth scheme in an effort to save money. Deprived of a team to play for, Raul turned to local rivals Real Madrid, where success was quickly forthcoming: he began the 1994-5 season in Real's C team, scoring 13 goals in the first seven games. In October 1994, coach Jorge Valdano picked the gifted teenager in his first team. At just 17 years and four months, Raul became the youngest player ever to wear a Real Madrid shirt. In so doing, he nudged aside Emilio Butragueño, a star in his own right, and was soon well on the way to becoming Spain's new sensation. He scored nine times in his first season from 28 appearances, including one in his second game against Atletico, and won a Spanish league championship medal. Since making his debut against the Czech Republic in October 1996, Raúl's performances for Spain have very much mirrored the nation's fortunes, Spain being dubbed the "greatest underachievers" in international football. Raúl was a key player in Real Madrid's last six big titles, three European Champions Leagues (1998, 2000 and 2002) and three National Championships (1999, 2001 and 2003). After Fernando Hierro retired from the Spanish national team in 2002, Raúl became the captain for Real Madrid and Spain. Ever since, he has been under heavy criticism by the media and part of the supporters because of his poor performances in the last two years, in which Real Madrid struggled to win a title in Spain and in European Champions Leagues, with no success in either of them. Raúl is a supremely intelligent striker who is able to link attack and midfield effectively. He shines on the pitch because of his strong character and immense efforts, and by his unbreakable resolve to win every game. At 1.80m in height and just over 70 kg, Raúl is very mobile and light on his feet, and likes to switch positions or go out wide. He can put his team-mates through into great positions, and create chances for himself even against the toughest markers. Originally an out-and-out striker, thanks to his versatility he has developed excellent link-up play, allowing him to play in the hole behind the front men. For his country, Raúl scored 42 goals in 92 international matches (as of November 2005). He played in the 1998 World Cup, Euro 2000, the 2002 World Cup, and Euro 2004. On 28 September 2005 against Greek power Olympiakos, he became the first player to score 50 goals in UEFA Champions League play (in his 97th match). Raúl is also currently 11th highest goalscorer in the history of Spain's top flight, with 175 goals in 382 games. All of these goals were for Real Madrid, making Raúl the club's third highest goalscorer of all time. This will surely improve as Raúl is still playing for the club. When he led out the Spanish team against San Marino in a World Cup qualifier on 12 October 2005, he surpassed his predecessor as Spain captain, Fernando Hierro, as the most-capped outfield player (i.e., not a goalkeeper) in Spanish history. Raúl grew up in a modest neighbourhood of Madrid, in the colony Marconi de San Cristóbal de los Ángeles. His father, don Pedro, was a passionate fan of Atlético Madrid, the club where he started playing after a short period in San Cristóbal´s team. Raúl possesses one of the distinctive celebrations in the modern game, with each goal acclaimed by a kiss of his wedding ring, an acknowledgement to his wife Mamen Sanz. They have four sons: Jorge (February 25,2000), who is named after Jorge Valdano, Hugo (November 20,2002) and twins Hector & Mateo (November 17,2005). He likes reading, especially the books of Arturo Pérez Reverte, and listening to all sorts of Spanish music. He also enjoys watching bullfighting and hunting. His best moment, when jorge was born and he winning the champions trophy at 2000 (Real Madrid VS Valencia) scores the third goal and dedicated that goal and trophy to his beloved son and wife. The success was continue in 2002, hugo born and Real Madrid winning trophy no.9 in champions league.