Not a day goes past in Spain without one of the sports papers, radio or TV programmes holding a debate about whether Raul should be recalled to the national side.
A former national team captain, winner of over 100 caps and his country’s record goalscorer, Raul was dropped from the squad after last year’s Euro 2008 qualifying defeat to Northern Ireland.
For some the decision to drop the striker had come not a day too soon. He had struggled for form for close to three seasons and was a mere shadow of the player that had helped lead Real Madrid to three European Cups between 1998 and 2002.
But while many chose to write him off, Raul has made a good recovery this season. He tops the Primera Liga scoring charts together with Lionel Messi and Luis Fabiano, looks to have rediscovered some of his old sharpness around the area and is enjoying the plaudits of the media.
The pressure is now on Luis Aragones to recall the striker for Euro 2008, but should the Spain boss turn the clock back and give the 30-year-old another chance or should he stick with the young and talented team that secured their passage to Austria and Switzerland?
“The door is always open to Raul,” Aragones said this week when quizzed yet again about the player’s international future. “But the question is who would I drop?”
What do you reckon? If there is an extra slot in the squad would it be better to opt for the experience of Raul or, perhaps, the youth and audacity of Barcelona’s latest prodigy Bojan Krkic? As always, we’d welcome your views in the comments below.
PHOTO: Raul controls the ball in front of Racing Santander’s Luis Fernandez during their match at the Bernabeu, December 1, 2007. REUTERS/Sergio Perez
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19 comments so far
I understand he could prove quite a distraction but I still think he deserves a place in the squad.
- Posted by kevBojan yes, Raul no. I thought Spain had moved on from this quesiton. However well Raul is playing I don’t think he has a place in the new generation team that got Spain to the finals. Torres, Villa, Iniesta, Xavi, Ramos, etc etc should have the responsibility now.
- Posted by LondonI hope Aragones isnt stubborn as a mule..Prince of Madrid deserve one place on the squad, even just warmer the bench. Other strikers are Villa, Torres ,Silva and Llorente
- Posted by Andy GultomIf Raul is scoring goals then they should take him to Euro 2008. Never hurts to have a tried and true striking lying around. Torres Villa Morientes Raul?
http://www.futbolink.wordpress.com
- Posted by wrcAndy, I like the idea of trying out Llorente too before Euro 2008 because the problem with a lot of Spain’s forwards are that they are too similar. Llorente might give them the option to play a different style and use his power in the air to open up stubborn defences. But I’d also like to see Bojan get a chance as he is such an exciting player.
- Posted by Simon[...] Champs League prowess. (Uefa.com) If Raul is scoring goals take him to Euro 2008. (Reuters Blog) Iran’s Sepahan advance to the quarterfinals in the Club World Cup. (IHT) Good idea [...]
- Posted by Euro Ink: 12/7 « Futbol InkWhen it comes to the Raul issue, there was a time when debate was unwarranted. He will be in the first XI and god bless the coach who dares to put him on the bench.
But since his miserable Euro and World Cup campaigns, he is no longer indispensable. Even though he has recaptured some of his form, his place in the first team is still in doubt, given that Torres is in a rich vein of form.
The best option is to put him as a backup striker and if he is sharp, then restore him as the main striker.
John
- Posted by JohnSThttp://www.soccernetlive.com
[...] Does Raul belong in Spain’s squad for the Euros? (Reuters Soccer Blog) [...]
- Posted by Daily Dose 12.8.2007 - Asia - The Offside - Soccer News and Opinion from leagues around the world@ Simon :
Yeah, you’re right…Llorente is giving new environment for Spain attacking play, he will cover the airness, while Bojan will fill the need for speed…
Bojan (like a child) also got nothing to lose, he’s still young, and will play every game without pressure on his shoulder……
- Posted by Andy GultomInterestingly I see that Fabio Capello said in his column in Marca on Sunday that Real tried to loan Raul out to another club at the start of last season, but he would not let them.
Capello said that Raul proved Real wrong with the way he played as Real took the title for the first time in four years.
- Posted by Simon BaskettIt would be difficult to choose between Raul and Bojan while also trying to include the other four.
I suppose Aragones needs to wait and see if Raul keeps his form up for the remainder of the season. Bojan on the other hand looks like he is going to be a real superstar and will probably have improved massively from his current level of ability when the Championships come around.
Raul would be great for his experience even if he was only going to be brought off the bench for a while, though Bojan’s pace would terrify defences.
- Posted by Betfair Hammerif there’s enough space for torres, villa, bojan, morientes and raul then yeah, why not. If there’s not enough space, drop morientes for raul.
Because if it’s morientes vs raul, for now, it would be Raul.
- Posted by Five TimesSounds like you still have bad memories of Morientes, Five Times…
- Posted by Kevin Fylanyes sigh, Morientes was the classic textbook case of not being able to adapt.
- Posted by Five Timesbojan? i don’t think he’s ready. at his age, he has a lot to learn before ready for top flight. let’s be honest, he’s not the first choice for rijkaard and that means he’s not ready yet for the national team. raul, with this experience, really deserves one place on the team.
- Posted by cahyo wijaa[...] Will we be seeing Raul at Euro 2008? (Reuters Blog) [...]
- Posted by Daily Dose 12.11.07 - World Cup BlogYes. obviously. He’s a class player and I don’t really get why there’s any debate about it.
- Posted by davexthe bojan sitation aounds a lot like theo walcott goin to the previous world cup. i think experience should prevail because to say bojan is not under any pressure is a bit naive, even more so considering he’s not a guaranteed first teamer at the nou camp.
- Posted by shandy[...] has become accustomed to fielding a barrage of questions from the Madrid-based press about Raul’s absence from the squad, but this time, and barring a last-minute change of heart, he will have to explain the omission of [...]
- Posted by Bojan tops list of questions for Spain coach Aragones - Reuters Soccer Blog