Raul’s Moving On, Schalke To Retire His Shirt Indefinitely

A very standard situation today: with a player’s contract running out at the end of the season and with the club’s positional placement assured, he announces he’s moving on. This happens all the time. Most of the time it doesn’t even require a press conference, rather a smashing of letters into the Tweeter box.

What doesn’t happen is the club then retiring his shirt after two seasons.

Raul’s heading off to the lands of inferior football and boffer paychecks (USA or Asia, it’s said) to see out his days as a professional. As he does so, Schalke will hold onto his No. 7 shirt for awhile until someone else comes along, worthy of it on his back.

“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 manager for their patience. This decision is the right one for me,” Raul said at a press conference. “My future doesn’t lie in Europe. I will 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.

Schalke will offer the attacker a farewell match in 2013 against a yet-to-be-named Spanish opponent. Additionally, the Bundesliga side will retire Raul’s No.7 for an indefinite period.

Raul’s a great player and was a nice signing for Schalke.

He ain’t Jesus.

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Category: Bundesliga