Spanish star Raul has confirmed that he will leave the German club Schalke 04 when his contract expires at the end of the season and that he has decided to continue his career in aleague outside Europe.
“I have made a decision about my future, and will not stay at Schalke. It has been a really tough decision. I’d like to thank the club, the president and the managerfor their patience. This decision is the right one for me,” said the 34-year-old, who before joining Schalke scored 323gaols in 741 appearances for Real Madrid. “My future doesn’t lie in Europe. Iwill get together with my agent to discuss the offers we have received. I will then announce where I will go. It will be a less competitive league.”
MLS Commissioner Don Garbertold AP that the league is interested in signing Raul.
Raul scored scored 36 goals in 86 games in all competitions for Schalke and helped it the German Cup and reach the semifinals of the Champions League in 2011. Schalke is in third place in theBundesliga and closing in on Champions League qualification.
For the past two years, MLS has been “linked” with every 35 year old former European star who is about to leave his club. Anelka, Drogba, Lampard, Ballack, Klose, and now Raul. Are any of these even remotely true, or is MLS just jumping on the free publicity? Why not spend the 5 million it will cost us to get Ballack or Raul on the MLS academies and allow free training for even a year or two? Or on intensive coaching education programs that could give coaches the exposure to understand the international game, and the skills to share that knowledge with as many as possible?