Sina Sports News - Raul, the captain of Real Madrid, was benched for the fourth time in the last five matches in the game against Racing Santander. This is an unprecedented situation for him. Before the match, Pellegrini reiterated that Raul is the "symbol of starting lineup," but in reality, the Chilean engineer has done what even a tough coach like Carlo Ancelotti wouldn't dare to do. However, all this is because there are high-ranking figures within Real Madrid supporting these decisions.
Data shows that Raul has become a regular substitute for Real Madrid. Before the match, *As* newspaper confidently claimed that Raul would return to the starting lineup for this game, but it turned out that their intelligence was incorrect. Although Raul had half an hour of playing time, his continuous appearances from the bench signal that the No. 7 of Real Madrid must start everything as a substitute. In the match against Racing Santander, Raul sat on the back row of the substitutes' bench with a tense expression, showing a hint of melancholy, which formed a stark contrast with Cristiano Ronaldo's carefree demeanor in the stands. Raul obviously has great concerns about his current situation; he has lost his once unshakable position in the starting lineup. Pellegrini trusts more in the young forward combination of Benzema and Higuain. Against Getafe, Atletico Madrid, AC Milan, and Racing Santander, the Chilean coach consistently fielded this "French-style" forward line.
Ironically, after Pellegrini stated that Raul is the "symbol of starting lineup," the Real Madrid captain only started in the Copa del Rey match against third-tier team Alcorcon. Higuain's consecutive goals have made him synonymous with scoring, while Benzema is a star personally recruited by Florentino Perez through home visits. These two young players have irrevocably pushed Raul down to the B plan of the team.
In this match against Racing Santander, Raul replaced Benzema at the 61st minute, but his performance was average. He only had one shot, which missed the target. He made 10 passes, with 7 being accurate, no key passes, lost possession twice, had no tackles, no fouls, and was not fouled. The only indication of his leadership was seen in a few instances where he waved his arms to direct his teammates, but the captain's armband was worn by Iker Casillas, who showed no intention of passing it to the "leader" in name. After the match, Raul received only 4 points from the media, with comments stating that although Raul had half an hour to utilize upon entering the game, he barely touched the ball. He could only use active running to cover up the fact that he was unable to be a part of the tactical system.
"From many perspectives, Raul is the symbol of starting lineup. He is only 32 years old, yet many people are trying to force him into retirement. In reality, Raul remains very important to Real Madrid." Pellegrini reiterated this point before the match, but it is precisely he who has placed Raul on the bench, revealing a certain hypocrisy.
In the recent five matches, Raul has been benched four times, starting only in the Copa del Rey. This Copa del Rey appearance further highlights his status as a substitute within the team. Out of 450 minutes of play, Raul has only participated in 176 minutes. He played the full 90 minutes only in the Copa del Rey match, 14 minutes against Getafe, 17 minutes against Milan, 25 minutes against Atletico Madrid, and came on as a substitute in the second half of this match. Such a situation is unprecedented in his career, making it difficult for Raul, who used to be a natural winner with countless admirers, to digest.
Raul's importance within Real Madrid has significantly diminished, clearly indicated by the marked reduction in his playing time. Currently, Raul ranks 10th in the club's playing time statistics with 609 minutes, but most of these minutes were accumulated from earlier matches. Among the forwards, Benzema has played 645 minutes over 9 matches, while Higuain has played 460 minutes over 8 matches. In 11 rounds of La Liga, Raul started 6 times, was substituted out in 3 of them, and scored 3 goals. Throughout his career, Raul faced Racing Santander 24 times, winning 15, drawing 5, and losing 4. He scored 8 goals against them, the most among Real Madrid players. However, his opportunities have greatly decreased now. With a long season ahead and still having one and a half years left on his contract, Raul must recognize the fact that he has transformed from a "starting lineup symbol" into a regular substitute.
In 17 matches this season, Raul has been a substitute 7 times, accounting for a staggering 41%, which is an exceptionally high ratio. Recently, Raul has continuously been placed on the bench. Fans have not called for Raul's retirement; they praise his spirit of sacrifice and dedication, but everyone has accepted the reality of Raul becoming a substitute. It is said that before the season began, Valdano spoke with Raul, informing him to prepare for life as a substitute. Previously, the No. 7 of Real Madrid was an unshakable starter, and no one dared to place him on the bench. An assistant of Schuster revealed that when Raul was included in the substitutes' list, the atmosphere in the Real Madrid dressing room was suffocating.
This is also why Valdano needed to speak with Raul. This Argentine is the most suitable person to place Raul on the bench, as it was he who gave Raul the opportunity to make his debut in La Liga on October 29, 1994. After hearing Valdano's words, Raul's reaction wasn't strong: "Alright, no problem." But he also stated: "I will work hard in training and matches so that the coach has to think deeply before excluding me from the starting lineup. I will make that job impossible."
But the impossible happened; Pellegrini continuously excluded him from the starting lineup. However, the Chilean publicly denies this, repeatedly emphasizing that Raul is a starter for Real Madrid, which gives some people the illusion that Raul will eventually return to the starting lineup. Before the matches against Atletico Madrid and Racing Santander, some people included Raul in the starting lineup, but they were deceived by the Chilean engineer time and again. Raul is no longer the representative of the starting lineup but rather the representative of the substitutes.
Guti recognized the reality: "Raul and I must accept the fact that we are in the final stages of our careers. Young players are powerful, and they pose a significant threat to us." Pellegrini hasn't considered letting Raul retire early, but reality and the pitch tell the No. 7 of Real Madrid that the team is more energetic and faster without him. Sacrificing himself for the benefit of the team, Raul should have no complaints. (Sergio)