By Martin Graham | 10th Oct 2024
Raul Gonzalez, a Real Madrid legend and current manager of Real Madrid Castilla, will leave his role at the end of the season. Despite this, the club intends to retain the former striker in a different capacity. Raul, who has led the club’s reserve team since 2019, has overseen 178 games, achieving 71 wins. His closest attempt at promotion came in the 2022/23 season when Castilla narrowly missed out on Segunda Division status after losing the play-off final to Eldense.
Raul has openly expressed his long-term dedication to Real Madrid and hinted at the possibility of succeeding current first-team coach Carlo Ancelotti. In previous interviews, the former Spain international referred to himself as a “club man,” underscoring his unwavering commitment to the team he served as a player, where he racked up 741 appearances and 323 goals.
Alvaro Arbeloa set to take over as Castilla coach
According to reports from Marca, Raul’s departure decision has been finalized and communicated to the club, with Alvaro Arbeloa, another former Real Madrid first-team player, set to step into the Castilla managerial role. Arbeloa currently manages Real Madrid’s Juvenil A side and will take over after Raul’s exit.
While Raul is stepping down as Castilla’s manager, he is expected to remain at the club in a different role. Discussions are ongoing, and there is speculation that Raul might join Carlo Ancelotti’s first-team coaching staff. Another possibility is that Raul could shift to a non-coaching role, perhaps working alongside Real Madrid’s director of football, Santiago Solari, in the club’s academy structure.
Possible future in Germany for Raul
Raul has also been linked to potential managerial roles abroad, particularly in Germany, where he spent the latter part of his playing career with Schalke. He enjoyed a successful spell with the Bundesliga side, making 98 appearances and scoring 40 goals.
Currently, Schalke finds themselves in the 2. Bundesliga, having been relegated from the top tier in the 2022/23 season. Despite these links, it appears that Raul’s immediate future remains with Real Madrid, though in a yet-to-be-determined role.
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