Magath: Raul is a team player
28.07.2010
A transfer that had long been on the cards finally became a reality on Wednesday. Former Spain star Raul is now a Schalke player. Head coach Felix Magath is looking forward to working with his new signing, who in his eyes is more than just a superb footballer. "Raul is a personality – both on and off the pitch," he said.
"He's a tremendous acquisition for the team and someone our many young players can look up to," Magath continued. "That's why I'm proud that Schalke has been able to unveil such a renowned professional. Raul is one of the world's best players. The fans have something to look forward to." Magath is also fascinated by the fact that Raul is one of that rare breed of footballers who put their own interests behind those of the team. "You don't get that very often these days," he said.
Apart from the chance to win things, Christoph Metzelder was a major factor in attracting Spain's leading goalscorer to Schalke. "Without him Raul presumably wouldn't be here," admitted Magath. "Christoph established the initial contact and made it possible for us to approach him."
Raul's signing does not mean Schalke have completed their transfer dealings for the summer, though. "We're still on the look-out for more reinforcements," Magath revealed, "because Raul obviously needs the right support for his style of play." The Schalke boss refused to be drawn on who these players might be, however. "I'm not going to get involved in speculation about names. What I can say is that a striker is right at the top of our wish list. We're also trying to get a midfielder and a defender."
Raul plays a central role in Magath's plans. "As his arrival has been in the offing for several weeks, I've been thinking about our system for quite a while," he said. "We definitely won't play the way we did last season. In our pre-season friendlies there have been signs that we have come on in footballing terms. Because one thing is certain - we want to offer our fans more attractive football than we have been doing."
