Raul signs Schalke 04 -- Good bye el capitano

Raul Gonzalez Blanco Completes Move to Schalke 04

Real Madrid idol Raul Gonzalez Blanco has been presented as a player for German side FC Schalke 04. The forward has been confirmed to wear his favoured number seven shirt for the upcoming Bundesliga season. The all-time leading scorer at the Bernebau, Raul was welcomed at the Veltins Arena after having signed a two-year contract with his new club.

Schalke midfielder Hao Junmin has reportedly passed up the number seven shirt for the upcoming season, stating it would be an honour to allow the former Madrid captain to wear the number of his choosing. According to reports, the Chinese international will now play wearing the number eight shirt.

As 33 year-old Raul was unveiled as a Schalke player, he showed his delight at moving to last season’s Bundesliga runners-up. He said: "For me this is a very special day, as I'm leaving after 16 years at (Real Madrid). Now I have the desire to take on a new challenge. I come to a very competitive club that is playing in the Champions League and that is fighting for the Bundesliga. Schalke and their coach have shown their confidence in me and from the beginning showed great interest in making this a reality. This is an important challenge. I hope that the fans enjoy the team as well as me, and that we accomplish our goals that we have set for ourselves at the beginning of the season."

The Miners’ Club

Raul posed with two miners and a block of coal, as his new side, located near the mining area of Ruhrgebiet, is known as “The Miners’ Club." He revealed to reporters that he had decided on Schalke as his destination due to the interest the club had shown in him and because they had "what I want in terms of level of competition."

The former Spain international said he is "excited to play and work very hard. I hope that these two years are a marvellous experience. I am sure that everything is going to go very well. I want to score goals, but the most important thing is the team, not the personal objectives. It has been that way for me for the past 16 years."

At Schalke, Raul has been reunited with former Madrid teammate Christoph Metzelder. The 29 year-old German central defender moved to the Bundesliga side on a free transfer earlier this summer. Raul, also known as El Siete (The Seven, after his iconic shirt number), also commented on the possibility of meeting his former club in the Champions League. While he said there “is no clause in my contract that impedes me from playing against Madrid," he conceded that such an event would be “a very special one."

‘Great news’

Schalke coach Felix Magath told the club’s official website: “It's great news for FC Schalke 04, I am pleased that we have succeeded in signing such an exceptional footballer and world-class striker switching to the Bundesliga for Schalke 04. He will be an inspiration. His qualities will help us. His commitment is a crucial step in our efforts to strengthen the squad for future tasks, and to restructure. I look forward to working with this good professional."

The player had been with Real Madrid since joining their youth set-up in 1992. His 323 goals in 741 games aided his team to three UEFA Champions League titles and six La Liga Championships. He is also his country’s all-time highest scorer with 44 goals in 102 games for Spain.

The presentation had initially been set to take place behind closed doors, but due to the enormous press attention given to the Madrid legend’s arrival, Schalke fans were allowed access to cheer the arrival of "El Angel del Madrid."

Mourinho confirms Khedira 's buyout clause

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has confirmed that the club are looking to sign Stuttgart midfielder Sami Khedira.

The 23-year-old midfielder was one of the stars of the World Cup as Germany finished third, falling at the semi-final hurdle to eventual champions Spain. Now he has been identified as a key target for Mourinho, who says he wishes to sign one midfielder and one defender to add to the current squad.

It has been suggested that Khedira's buyout clause sits at a mere €10 million, which certainly wouldn't stretch Madrid's purse. "We're not going to be kings of the [transfer] market. I'll bet on the usual philosophy of Madrid, signing players with projection, with more room for learning.

We signed [Angel] Di Maria, who it's true that he was expensive [€30 million], but he has great potential, and we go for [Sami] Khedira, with a huge room for improvement. It is a market direction that I love," the Special One is quoted as saying by AS.

"We need a defender and a midfielder, but with balance and without dramatics. There is a great base from last season and that will give competition to the group. It is complicated, because when Madrid is interested in a player prices soar so astronomically."

Madrid have also captured Pedro Leon from Getafe, which suggests that if Khedira signs, a defender will be the final signing of the summer for los Merengues.

Mourinho's first training as Real Madrid coach

Real Madrid new coach Jose Mourinho made his first training as Real Madrid coach.
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho and his players took the training pitch 20 minutes earlier than scheduled today in Los Blancos' first training session of the pre-season, marking the beginning of the Mourinho era at the Bernabeu.

The Blancos squad, consisiting of eight youth team players along with the 10 first team players who did not take part in this summer's World Cup, took to the pitch at 9:10 rather than the scheduled 9:30 training session time and after a brief chat with the new Portuguese signal caller, began a rigorous first training session of the day, which lasted for an hour and 40 minutes.

The ball was included in many of the training exercises, including those which called for a large amount of physical exertion, and Mourinho also had his players fitted with heart-rate monitors to observe their individual effort.

The second training session of the day is to take place this afternoon after the Blancos players and coaching staff dine together at the Mirasierra Suites hotel for lunch.

Mourinho efforts to buy Ashley Cole

Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho is preparing to increase his efforts to buy Chelsea star Ashley Cole, with hopes he will be able to pair him with Inter Milan defenderMaicon at the Bernabeu next season.

The former Chelsea manager believes having two of the world’s premier attacking full-backs will help bring out the best in Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka. Real's top-brass have provided the Portuguese self-proclaimed 'Special One' with £40 million to bring both defenders to Spain, according to the Daily Mail.

Mourinho brought Cole to Stamford Bridge from Arsenal in 2006 and hopes to take advantage of the left-back’s problems in England and lure him to La Liga.

The England international was condemned for his attitude after the Three Lions crashed out of World Cup 2010 and has become an unpopular figure after his split with wife Cheryl. Mourinho was also interested in Liverpool defender Glen Johnson, but prefers Maicon in the right-back position.

Chelsea interested in Kaka says Ancelotti

Ancelotti worked with the Brazilian at AC Milan and is open to the idea of signing him fromReal Madrid - who are now led by former Stamford Bridge manager Jose Mourinho.

The Italian told The People: "Kaka would do well for my cause and I speak to him on a regular basis. It would be a multi-million pound operation."

Meanwhile, Chelsea's latest signing Yossi Benayoun has singled out Rafael Benitez as the reason he left Liverpool for Stamford Bridge, accusing the Spaniard of trying to break him and treating him with a lack of respect.

Benayoun, who joined Chelsea for an undisclosed fee on July 2, blames Benitez - who has also left the club for Inter Milan - for his decision to leave Anfield.

He told the News of The World: "I made up my mind to leave a long time ago because of Benitez. He never treated me with the respect I deserved. If I played well, I never felt he gave me credit.

"When I scored, I still expected to be out of the team the next game. And when the fans wanted me to play, Benitez told me he couldn't understand why."

The 30-year-old continued: "There are many examples of him treating me badly. Last season, against Fulham and Lyon, the fans booed when I was subbed. They thought I was playing well but Benitez told me he was surprised they booed because I was not good enough.

"It was as if the fans' reaction worked against me. The situation got worse afterwards. He told me I was a better player as a substitute instead of starting in the team.

"I felt so unhappy but, out of respect to the club, I never spoke out. The players and the people at the top of the club knew how I felt.

"It is good for Liverpool he has gone, but it was too late for me."

Raul to Schalke

Raul looks set to snub a move to the Premier Leagueafter German side Schalke confirmed they were in talks with the Real Madrid striker.

The 33-year-old has been linked with Manchester United and Blackburn Rovers but could be set for a switch to the Bundesliga instead.

Schalke boss Felix Magath confirmed negotiations were taking place with Raul but insisted a deal may not be reached for a month.

"We are interested in him and are negotiating with his agent," Magath told Bild.

"The player has not decided yet and wants time until the end of July to make up his mind.

"It would be a huge signing for Schalke and the whole Bundesliga."

Raul has been at Real Madrid since since 1992, scoring 323 goals in 741 games and is regarded as a legend amongst supporters.

But the former Spain captain appears to be surplus to requirements at the Bernabeu and could be released from his contract one year early.