Friday, October 19, 2007

Pay Homage To Raúl, But Not Now - Salgado

Raúl's omission from the Spain squad for the weekend's game against Denmark sparked the media into a frenzy that eventually saw coach Luis Aragonés lose his cool. The rant that ensued was caught on film as the Spanish trainer politely asked how many trophies the national team had won with the striker in the side. Madrid were furious and registered a formal complaint to the RFEF, which has led to a speeding up of the idea to pay tribute to Raúl for playing 100 matches for the national team. On the face of it, the plan is a good one, but it now appears to be a way in which to placate Madrid and Salgado thinks it is being done at the wrong time. "I thought players received a homage when they have already retired," he said. "I honestly believe Raúl still has many years ahead of him as a professional."