The Godfather of Football

Santiago Segurola sat in front of the computer screen in his office, preparing a long-awaited exclusive commentary on the Spanish national team after winning the World Cup. Although half a month had passed, it seemed a bit late. The newspaper had urged him to submit his manuscript again and again, but he had dragged it on until now.

Of course, he didn't have to worry about anyone embarrassing him with delays, unless he was willing to make trouble for himself.

He was the deputy editor-in-chief of Marca. Although in name, Eduardo Inda was the editor-in-chief of Marca and the top power holder, everyone familiar with Marca knew that Eduardo Inda was not familiar with football. So after he became the editor-in-chief of Marca in 2007, he immediately paid a large sum of money to dig Santiago Segurola, who was the head of sports news at El País at the time, to Marca. So he was the top of the Marca football business power list.

With more than 20 years of rich experience in football media, Santiago Segurola has always had a keen sense of news. He is not very old, only in his early 50s, and is good friends with many active football stars. He has a very wide range of news channels, which makes him considered by many people to be the best football commentator in Spain.

But just after Spain won the World Cup, almost all the media in the world, especially the Spanish media, rushed to report the Spanish national team's every move, but Santiago Segurola did not do so, but chose to postpone it. He waited until half a month had passed before he decided to start.

But his entry point was obviously different from that of all other media reporters. When everyone was singing praises to Casillas, Iniesta, Fabregas and others, he chose to enter this event from a perspective that others could hardly understand, Raul Gonzalez.

A very interesting person, because he was completely forgotten by everyone in this event!

This would never have happened in the past, because Raul is almost a symbol of the country's football. His elegant and spiritual football style has conquered all Spanish fans, and even the picky Catalan fans have to admit Raul's strength and style.

But I don't know when Spanish fans began to doubt Raul. This has always happened in the past. Fans in this country always try to doubt their best players. If it was because Spain never won in major competitions and lacked confidence in the past, then now, on the one hand, it is because of Raul's so-called degeneration, and on the other hand, it is because of the strong rise of Barcelona players, as well as the European Cup and World Cup champions.

When celebrating, when everyone is in high spirits, people always don't like to mention those things and people that spoil the mood.

Santiago Segurola gave this comment a very controversial name, "Raul's spirit gave birth to the Spanish champion!", and the subtitle is, "The greatest and most precious player in the football world!"

Obviously, once such a comment is published, it will cause an uproar. Many fans will classify Segurola as a member of the Raul Party and the Real Madrid faction. Marca has always been a staunch supporter of the Real Madrid faction, and Segurola is also one of Raul's best friends, so these will become evidence for others to attack and doubt his comment.

The beginning of the page on the computer screen is completely inconsistent with the title.

"Raul may not be a good professional player."

"He does not have the lightning speed that a modern attacker should have, nor does he have amazing physical fitness. He also does not have the flexibility of some small players to move around in the narrow area of ​​the penalty area, and he is not a small penalty area killer like Van Nistelrooy who is famous for his efficiency."

"There are many, many flaws in him, and there are quite a lot of shortcomings. Even if it were not for his name Raul, I believe no one would believe that he had been on par with Ronaldo, Shevchenko, Henry, Van Nistelrooy and other top strikers in Europe, and no one would believe that he could enter the pantheon of Real Madrid with Real Madrid legends such as Di Stefano, Puskas, Gento, Piri, Butragueno, Sanchis, Hierro and others."

"In the past few years, people have always been discussing Raul's overestimation, always I am desperately looking for all the evidence, hoping to bring Raul, who has been overrated by the media and some fans in the past, back to his position, such as the captain with the least temperament and the weakest in Real Madrid's history. "

"For many years, I always refused to comment on Raul and refused to answer questions about evaluating Raul. This is not because Raul and I are very good friends, but also because I know that if I tell the truth, I will be booed and scolded. But if I lie, I will be sorry for my friend, sorry for a person who has dedicated his career to Real Madrid and Spanish football. "

"But now, after Spain won the European Cup, it won the World Cup, but everyone chose to forget Raul. I must stand up and say something for him. "

"He is the most specific, most meaningful and most precious professional player in the history of Spanish football! "

Obviously, when writing this, Santiago Segurola stopped because he was smoking, but at the same time, he closed his eyes and searched for all the memories about Raul in his mind.

For example, when did Raul come into the world’s eyes?

Oh, yes, he was on Saturday, November 5, 1994. Yes, Saturday, in the tenth round of La Liga, Real Madrid led by Valdano faced the local rival Atletico Madrid at the Bernabeu Stadium. Raul scored the first goal in the game. Three goals, which was also the first goal of the 17-year-old Raul in his second game at Real Madrid.

That was a powerful volley from outside the penalty area!

Thinking of this, Segurola stretched out his finger, lit the cigarette between his fingers, and smiled. If those people see Raul's goal again, they will never doubt Raul's power again. , because that goal was full of a young man's persistence and pursuit of goals, the game, and the future.

Another volley that impressed Segurola was on May 1, 2002. Real Madrid relied on goals from Zidane and McManaman to defeat Barcelona 2:0 away from home in the first round. After arriving at the Bernabeu, facing Barcelona who was aiming for a counterattack, Raul scored a powerful volley in the 43rd minute of the first half, suppressing Barcelona's momentum.

There is also the goal against Valencia in the 2000 Champions League final that ran 60 meters and passed the goalkeeper into the goal, as well as the goal against Vasco da Gama in the Toyota Cup, and …

Strangely, more and more thoughts came to Segurola's mind, and they finally settled on last season, February 27, 2010, when Real Madrid visited Tenerife in the Canary Islands. Erdogan scored a goal in Tenerife in stoppage time, adding to Real Madrid's 5:1 away victory.

After that, Raul never played for Real Madrid again.

I don't know why, when this goal came to mind, Segurola couldn't help but think that it would be really interesting if this was Raul's last goal for Real Madrid.

You know, in the years before Raul made his debut, the team that Real Madrid hated most was probably not Atletico Madrid or Barcelona, ​​but Tenerife, because it was Tenerife who played in the last round of the league for two consecutive seasons. Having an absolute advantage and being able to win the championship as long as they didn't lose, they just defeated Real Madrid in the last round of the two seasons and gave Barcelona the two La Liga championships.

Afterwards, Real Madrid learned from the pain and President Mendoza decided to reorganize the team. He spent a lot of money to recruit Tenerife's head coach Valdano and the main midfielder Redondo. In addition, Raul emerged from nowhere and replaced the veteran Bute. Lagno, Real Madrid has ushered in a period of renaissance, so Raul and Tenerife may seem to have no connection, but in fact they have a deep connection.

Segurola thought more and more, and his thoughts became more and more complicated. He thought of Raul, Hierro, Morientes, Guti, and many, many people.

Sometimes, having such a good memory is really a very troublesome thing!

Just when Segurola was stuck and didn't know how to continue writing, and his inspiration was a little dry, his mobile phone on his desk suddenly rang, and a picture of Raul appeared on the screen of Zeus's mobile phone, making a disgusting sign. A human’s eggplant gesture, Segurola can’t help but laugh every time she sees this photo.

He even felt that this should be the photo that Raul wanted to delete most in his life, and it was also the photo that he was most proud of.

"Hello, I'm Santiago. I'm very busy right now. Please leave a message if you need anything!" Although Segurola is middle-aged, he has a lively personality. He often boasts that he has the mentality of a twenty-year-old and gets along well with everyone. .

And his personality makes him very popular in Spanish and even European football circles. Even the Barcelona players opposed by Marca have a good relationship with him.

"Santiago!" Raul's voice came over the phone, but it was different from the past.

In Santiago Segurola's memory, Raul's voice has undergone tremendous changes. If we want to divide it by time, 2003 is the dividing point. Before 2003, Raul's voice was very lively and hearty, always in the air. Laughing, whether he is making a joke on himself or others, he likes to laugh.

But after 2003, the smile seemed to have disappeared from Raul's face. When he spoke, did things, and even talked to friends like them on the phone, he was serious, using a very serious tone, as if he was talking to Reporters read press releases.

Everyone can appreciate the change in Raul and understand why Raul has undergone such a change, but no one says anything, because in the eyes of many of Raul's friends, talking too much will only make him lose his temper in the end. Raul is the captain of Real Madrid.

Raul used to be very serious and serious, but now he is not only serious and serious, but also a little...sentimental.

"Hey, man, what's the matter?" Segurola asked strangely.

There was a bit of silence on the other side of the phone, but only for a few seconds. "I'll give you a scoop, one last time!"

Segurola on the other side of the phone suddenly had a sore nose. He felt that something was wrong, "Don't... don't joke with me. Tell me, what is going on? Why are you giving me exclusive news?"

There was another silence, but this time it was longer, and then Raul said slowly: "I have decided to leave the Bernabeu. You can publish it in tomorrow's Marca. I have already reached an agreement with the management. , they agreed to let me leave the team for free, you know, this is what they have been wanting to do for the past year!”

Segurola heard Raul's laughter, but there were only a few dry laughs. It seemed more like a mockery and sarcasm of himself. Maybe Raul wanted to express a meaning, others always want to drive you away. But you stayed shamelessly and didn't you want to leave in the end? And in the end, he failed to go to the World Cup in South Africa!

"Man, don't kid me, today is not April Fool's Day, okay?" Segurola thought this would be big news.

But no one knows what attitude the Spanish fans will take. Maybe they will be indifferent, just like when Morientes left Real Madrid. After all, fans are always forgetful!

"You know, I haven't joked for a long time!" Raul said something that made Segurola's nose sore again.

Yeah, he hasn't made a joke in years.

So, this thing is true!

"When was it decided?" Segurola was used to seeing this kind of separation and reunification, so he was a little numb.

When Guardiola was about to leave Barcelona, ​​he also called him. It's very interesting to talk about. How similar is his current situation to Raul? Sometimes he even wonders, does the Spanish have such a gene in their bones and DNA?

"The night they won the Hercules Cup!" Raul said calmly, maybe he was no longer sad when he said this.

"Have you decided where to go?" Segurola asked with concern.

Raul on the other side of the phone hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded and said, "We haven't reached a final agreement yet, but Tottenham Hotspur contacted me and my agent through Malolo, and Ye Qiu also called me personally. After a phone call, I felt their sincerity, and... Tottenham Hotspur’s jersey is also white!”

Segurola on the other side of the phone was speechless. He didn't cry or shed tears because he was numb to this kind of thing. But he didn't know why. He felt that he was deeply moved when he heard the news. Deeply touched and sad.

Why does it have to be this way?

Barcelona forced Guardiola away, and Florentino forced Del Bosque and Hierro away. Now, it's Raul's turn. Will it be Puyol's turn or Casillas' turn in the future?

Is this necessary? Is this the only way to continue to succeed?

No one has an answer to this question, just like no one can ever know what will happen tomorrow.

"Malolo is discussing some salary details with Tottenham Hotspur on my behalf. This matter must be kept secret for the time being!" Raul warned again on the phone. He was willing to confess to Segurola. It shows enough trust.

Malolo is a well-known agent in Spain, and it is really interesting and funny to talk about it.

When fans talk about agents now, the first thing that comes to mind is the extremely famous Jorge Mendes, but how do they know that Malolo’s influence and power are not lost to Mendes at all? The only difference is that Portuguese people often appear in newspapers.

Sometimes, although Segurola is a media person, he also feels pitiful and sad for the fans, because they are always controlled by the media and newspapers, and they always lack their own independent judgment and thinking ability. It is always difficult to get the truth and results of things, and we always live in fog.

After hanging up the phone with Raul, Segurola suddenly felt a burst of inspiration and a flood of ideas. He quickly rushed to the computer, put his hands on the keyboard, and started typing the idea he had been brewing for a long time. Exclusive review.

Raul is leaving. As Raul's friend and at least a media person with some conscience in Spain, he feels that it is necessary and must say a few words for Raul, even if these words are published, It would bring him a lot of trouble, but he felt he had to do it.

It's strange to say that just now, I was stuck in a Calvin state, but now Segurola has quickly completed a concise and exclusive review, and the words are very sharp, the evidence provided is sufficient, and it is very convincing. Comment.

After finishing this comment, Segurola pressed the internal phone on his desk and dialed the secretarial desk code, "Let Castillo come in!" The latter is a well-known reporter from Marca.

Castillo quickly knocked on the door and entered the deputy editor's office with a respectful attitude, because everyone knew that the young deputy editor was a veteran in this field and the most powerful figure in the newspaper.

"I have a headline for tomorrow, but I need you to interview a few people. Remember, keep it confidential!" Segurola solemnly reminded Castillo, who nodded in agreement.

So soon, Segurola mentioned Malolo's office in Madrid, including the Real Madrid management and head coach, and Raul's agent. These were some supporting evidence, but he did not mention Todt. Naham Hotspur.

"Help me submit this article. Remember, don't change a single word except for typos!" Segurola's last warning was very severe, which surprised Castillo. He promised to convey it to the editor again and again. He must have been thinking in his heart, what kind of article made the deputy editor-in-chief so serious.

In fact, this article and the front-page headline of Marca caused an uproar in the whole of Spain and even the whole European football the next day, and also caused huge controversy.

The controversy was about whether Raul was so valuable to Spain and Real Madrid?

The sensation was their news, which was also confirmed by Real Madrid officials, that is, Raul would leave the team!

But no one revealed who Raul's new club was!

This immediately became the explosive news that all media and reporters wanted to get.