Soccer
Raul for a national comeback?
2009-03-18 18:02
Spain - Real Madrid skipper Raul said on Wednesday he was not losing any sleep over his 30-month exile from the national side - though he would like to return to the fold.
"I'm not losing any sleep over it," Raul said, while adding that any decision on a return would be up to coach Vicente del Bosque, his former mentor at Real.
"If they make the call I'll be delighted. Getting called up is a big privilege - but I'll not lose any sleep over it," Raul said at a charity presentation on "professional football against hunger."
"I am calm about it. The situation has not changed," said the forward, who is his country's record scorer with 44 goals in 102 games.
Nonetheless, he had not appeared for the national side since September 2006 when former Spain coach Luis Aragones dropped him and then continued to leave him out as Spain first qualified for and then won Euro 2008 with Fernando Torres and David Villa as his strikers.
Raul observed of the current squad that "the people there are doing very well" without his services.
Del Bosque will later this week unveil his squad to face Turkey in a World Cup qualifier on March 28 and the media have loudly speculated that Raul might just sneak back into the frame.