Quotes from Raul

It's important to get match rhythm.

I know a lot of marathon runners who are at their best when they are close to 40. You say to yourself, 'It's 42 kilometres and they are 37 or 38 years old,' but the body can. What you have to make sure you don't lose is your head. That is the most important thing.

Seasons are 10 months long and what matters is to get to the last two to three months in your best form.

Every season has its bad patches.

I believe that patience is fundamental in football. It is difficult as sometimes patience is not there. You must have a clear idea and a path you want to take.

If you are lucky enough to avoid serious injuries then the body goes on; it's the mind that gives in. And it's the mind that you need to enable you to suffer pre-season every year.

Beckham has enough charisma to win over the fans quickly. All he needs to do is to show his class on the pitch. He's one of the world's best and I've always been a fan.

In my head the word surrender has never existed, because that is what Real Madrid is about.

I love playing games, but also training.

At clubs with constant media attention it is harder.

I was at Madrid for 17 years and, save for Vicente del Bosque and Jose Mourinho, I never saw any coaches stay for many years.

I speak with a lot of players who have stopped playing and they go to the gym for two hours a day and say 'now I run 10km a day.' When they were still playing they would complain about running for 10 minutes!

Having a successful career as a player does not ensure that you will be a good coach, I have to prepare myself.

I think Ancelotti is a great coach who has a great relationship with the players, but is also very demanding of them.

I've devoted my life to doing what I love: playing football.

I have always been there to help the team, sometimes coming off the bench, other times as a starter.

I was runner-up for the Ballon d'Or once and came third on another occasion. Could I have won it? Maybe. But I don't care. Football is a team sport.

It's not for me to give anybody advice about their private life.

I don't really understand what 'Galacticos' is supposed to mean. It's a term I dislike. I like football, pure and simple, and that concept isn't part of football. It's something else entirely.

All kids have the dream of becoming a professional soccer player, but to become that you need so many things. You have to have talent, be hard working, have support, have discipline. You also have to have ability, physical and technical, and understand the game.

The European leagues and teams are more competitive, very technical. It was good to work in Qatar - a good experience for me for the future. In the U.S.A., the teams and the players are improving every season.

What brought me here was a desire to keep playing and the exciting project the Cosmos proposed to me. As well as being able to play, which is my passion and what I like doing, they also gave me the chance to help develop a youth academy, where I can bring my experience and knowledge to bear.

My decision to pursue my career at Schalke 04 is in no way a mistake.

I like to work in a team. And for that you must have a structure that covers everything and that there is fluid communication.