not-funny title about Raul and Schalke, since apparently the funny/creative ones are banned
Schalke move has revitalized Raúl
GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany -- Victory comes in many guises and doesn't always depend on the result. One man's success is another man's failure, always measured against expectation. A Wednesday night in May and Manchester United had just reached the Champions League final. Despite resting a number of its most important players, United had defeated Schalke 04. Hammered it, in fact. But there were no recriminations and no complaints, no anger from the players in blue, no bitterness as to what could have been. There was success in their failure. This was the German club's first semifinal and these players never expected to get this far.
For one man in particular, this was a monumental moment. Raúl González Blanco said that reaching the final would have been the leche. The leche literally means the milk: incredible, brilliant, the business. Reaching the semifinal was the leche, too. Reaching it the way that he did, even more so. After the first leg, Raúl had swapped shirts with Ryan Giggs. For him, it was an "honor," he said; for Giggs, too. When the final whistle went at the end of the second leg, Raúl had possession. It was appropriate somehow. He bowed out of the Champions League, his competition, with the football at his feet.
Raúl had lost, but Raúl had won. He never expected to even be there. He never anticipated his farewell being so fitting -- at Old Trafford, scene of one of his team's greatest nights. There could have been more and there is still a chapter to be written but, until now Raúl had been arguably the story of this season's Champions League. He had won respect. He had won back his record. And, above all, he had won back his life.
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I wanted to post this first of all cause I really liked it, but also cause I think this is something that is so little discussed in the football world, seem to me like some players won't understand the value of playing at a club where they actually enjoy themselves until faced with the opposite. And of course, an excuse to show this man some love, for he deserves all of it!
(and I love how they make Schalke fans and Germans in general seems like the most respectful people in the world compare to the Spaniards ;)