Former Spanish national team captain and Real Madrid striker Raul Gonzalez Blanco said he hopes to gain experience for a future of coaching as he was officially presented on Tuesday by the New York Cosmos, having signed a multi-year contract earlier this month for the club's 2015 North American Soccer League campaign.
"I had always wanted to have a family experience in the United States and I think this project has everything," Raul said at his news conference. "What I wanted to do was to keep playing. I feel like I still have more to give but I also wanted an experience where I could also help train players. This seemed like the perfect place.
"Everyone always said go to Real Madrid, go to Real Madrid, but I feel like that will come, that I need to gain experience first. You don't just go to Real Madrid to coach without experience. It is not the same playing as it is training, so I am excited to do this here," he said, singling out the efforts of Cosmos manager Giovanni Savarese. "I feel as though the level of soccer in the United States is going to improve, soccer is evolving here."
Gio did the honors of presenting Raúl with his #7 Cosmos Jersey #WelcomeRaúl pic.twitter.com/iMktagW2Ef
- New York Cosmos (@NYCosmos) December 9, 2014
Raul will serve as technical advisor for the New York Cosmos Youth Academy, which is slated to open in 2015. Upon his retirement from playing, the Cosmos have promised him a full-time role overseeing the academy. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Raul said his long-term plans include a return to Real Madrid in a coaching role, training young players.
Raul, 37, made 102 appearances for Spain, and his 44 goals leave him behind only David Villa in the country's top-scorer list.
He spent the bulk of his club career with Real Madrid, and is the club's all-time leading scorer, scoring 323 times in all competitions.
Raul said he wouldn't compare himself to Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo.
"I think this is a special time in Spanish soccer and they are great players and you can't compare them with anyone, they break records week after week and they keep breaking records," said Raul. "It is up to the fans just to enjoy them."
Raul said he hasn't set a timetable for his retirement as a player and that he has signed a two-year deal with New York.
"I may play one year, two, three, it depends on what my body says," Raul said. "I will evaluate as each year goes by to determine when to have more involvement in the academy."
Savarese said Raul will be in charge of putting structure to the club's training academy and that the team will name a director to run the daily operations.