New York Cosmos have convinced Real Madrid and Spain legend Raul Gonzales to come out of retirement and sign a multi-year contract with them.
The Spanish forward retired from professional football after two seasons with Al Sadd in the Qatari league, but will not don the colours of the club that was once made popular by Pele. He will also be taking over as the new technical advisor to the club’s brand new youth academy, a role that he will convert into full time upon retirement.
“Everyone throughout the soccer world knows the Cosmos name and the legacy of the players that played for this team previously,” Raul said. “They helped establish soccer in America and I’m honored to follow in their footsteps. I believe in this club’s vision and I’m excited to be a part of that.”
Even the Cosmos’ head coach Giovani Savarese is thrilled at the prospect of having Raul at his disposal, claiming that a world class player like him will only be beneficial to the club as a whole.
“We’re obviously thrilled to add a player of his quality to the team,” Savarese said. “Raul’s skill and ability is world renowned. He’s a world-class player and he adds a whole new dimension to our attack.
“He also brings immense passion and knowledge that he can share with our team and with the next generation of Cosmos players in our youth academy. He’ll help set the academy training curriculum, structure and establish our player development pyramid.”
Other posts by Keeshaanan Sundaresan
