By Chris Wright
Raul returned to the Bernabeu with current side Al Sadd for the Trofeo Santiago Bernabeu game last night and, after leaving for Schalke three years ago without properly saying goodbye to the Madridistas, the evening turned into a massive love-in for the Spanish club’s all-time record scorer.
The 36-year-old played a half for each side starting with 45 minutes in the famous white of Madrid, with Cristiano Ronaldo agreeing to step aside and wear the No.11 shirt (y,know, Gareth Bale’s number?) for the night so Raul would be able to don the famous No.7 shirt he wore with pride for 14 years at Los Blancos.
Then there came a touching gesture at the break when Raul, the retiring veteran, took off his old ‘7’ and handed it back to Ronaldo before moseying off into the sunset. It was a weighty, symbolic moment; like “The Circle of Life” or something…
This is after he also got the game up and running with an early goal, with Real Madrid eventually running out comfortable 5-0 winners…
The legendary striker then bid farewell to the Bernabeu for the last time with one of his ceremonial matador displays in the middle of the pitch…
What a chieftain.