Raul Gonzalez Blanco was born in a suburb of Madrid. His father signed him to the Atletico Madrid youth team when he was only 13 years old.
Raul made rapid progress and it seemed quite likely that he would join a professional team very soon. But then Atletico president Jesus Gily Gil dismissed the club's entire youth team in an effort to save money.
Without a team to play for, Raul turned to local rivals3 Real Madrid, where success was quickly coming: he began the 1994/5 season in Real's C team, scoring 13 goals in the first seven games.
In October 1994, coach Jorge Valdano picked the gifted teenager in his first team. At just 17 years and four months, Raul became the youngest player ever to wear a Real Madrid shirt. In doing so, he was soon well on the way to4 becoming Spain's new superstar. In his firsseason, he scored nine times in 28 appearances and won a Spanish league championship medal.
“This young man is a genius of creativity. When he is playing, he is confident and strong-willed5. He is one who makes a difference to the game. ” coach Valdano sang high praises6 of him.
Raul earned his first full international cap7 in October 1996. Althoug he did quite well in the qualifiers8 for the 1998 FIFA World Cup France, he had disappointing finals9. He played only once for the complete 90 minutes, scoring just one goal, as Spain went out in the first round.
Spain's disappointing performance in France provided the excuse for a major shake-up10 to the national team. Older players were dismissed and Raul, whose prolific11 goal scoring was helping Real Madrid to more championships as well as Champions League triumphs, became a cornerstone12 of the new, youthful team. He finished top scorer, with 11 goals, in the UEFA13 European Championship 2000 qualifiers but was again let down14 in Belgium—the Netherlands, where he missed a last-minute penalty15 to equalize16 for Spain in their quarter final clash with eventual17 winners France.
Raul's inconsistency18 at international level has puzzled the best football judges, who look at it as a reason for why the 24-year-old only came third to team-mate Luis Figo as FIFA Player of the Year in 2001.
In spite of this, he is most likely to break Spain's all-time19 goal-scoring record, currently held by team-mate Fernando Hierro. He was called upon by coach Jose Antonio Camacho to lead Spain to the FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan, where he scored 3 goals.
Raul married a beautiful former Miss Madrid in 1997. They have a son. Raul admits that he is very popular with girls, but he stresses that he keeps a normal relation with them.
Raul has a lot of hobbies. He likes painting and is also fond of architecture. He even takes a veterinary20 course in his spare time. He says he will probably become a veterinarian when he quits playing. He keeps two dogs and goes to the movies with his friends sometimes. By the way, he likes Sarah Stone21 and Demi Moore22.
劳尔(Raul Gonzalez Blanco)出生在马德里的市郊。13岁时，他的父亲就为他签约了马德里竞技俱乐部的青年队。
劳尔进步得很快，看来不久他就会成为职业队的一员，但是马德里竞技队的老板希尔(Jesus Gil y Gil)为了节省开支，将整个青年队全部解散。
失去了为之效力的球队，劳尔转到了马德里竞技队的夙敌皇家马德里队，并很快迎来了成功：1994-1995赛季，劳尔在皇家马德里C队开始了自己的辉煌，在前七场比赛中打进13球。
1994年10月，当时的主教练巴尔达诺将这个天才少年选进了他所执教的皇马一队。17岁零四个月的劳尔成了皇家马德里历史上代表一队参加正式比赛的最年轻的球员。很快他就踏上了西班牙新超级球星之路。在劳尔的第一个赛季中，他出场28次打进9球，跟随球队夺得了当年的西班牙联赛冠军。
巴尔达诺教练对劳尔称赞有加：“这个少年有惊人的创造天才，他在场上自信、坚定，是能左右比赛的决定性人物。”
劳尔1996年10月底第一次代表西班牙国家队参加国际比赛。虽然他在1998年FIFA（国际足球联合会）法国世界杯的预选赛中表现十分出色，决赛场上却令人失望。劳尔只有一次打满90分钟，仅射入一球。西班牙队第一阶段结束之后就被淘汰。
由于西班牙队在法国世界杯上的表现令人失望，国家队进行了一次大调整，一些年纪大的球员被请出了国家队。而在比赛中保持高进球率、帮助皇家马德里接连赢得联赛冠军和欧洲冠军杯冠军的劳尔成了新组建的年轻国家队的基石。2000年欧洲杯预选赛中，劳尔打进11球成为最佳射手，但是在比利时对荷兰队的比赛中，劳尔再度失意。在与后来成为冠军的法国队之间进行的四分之一决赛中，劳尔在最后一分钟罚丢点球，失去了将比分扳平的机会。
劳尔在国际赛场上的不稳定表现令很多顶尖的足球评论家感到迷惑，他们声称这就是在FIFA2001年度世界足球先生的评选中劳尔输给自己的队友菲戈(Luis Figo)、仅获得第三名的重要原因。
尽管如此，劳尔依然是打破西班牙国家队进球纪录最有希望的球员，目前的纪录由劳尔的队友耶罗(Fernando Hierro)保持。国家队主教练卡马乔(Jose Antonio Camacho)征召劳尔率领西班牙队参加了2002年FIFA韩日世界杯，劳尔打进三个球。
1997年劳尔同漂亮的前马德里小姐结婚，并育有一子。劳尔承认自己很有女人缘，但他强调同她们的关系纯属正常。
劳尔爱好很多。他喜欢绘画，也喜欢建筑学，甚至在业余时间选修兽医课程，说自己可能退役后去当兽医。他养了两只狗，有时也同朋友一起去看看电影。对了，他还喜欢沙朗·斯通和黛米·摩尔呢。
1. modesty n． 谦逊， 虚心
2． self－discipline n． 自律
3． rival n． 对手
4． be on the way (to) 快要，接近
5． strong－willed adj． 意志坚强的，固执已见的
6． sing high praises of sb．／sth 盛赞某人／某事
7． cap n． 选手帽（授予选拔出的国家队等运动员的帽子，尤指足球、橄榄球项目中）（意为选出参加比赛）
8． qualifier n． 预选赛
9． final n． 决赛
10． shake－up n． 重组
11． prolific adj． 数量多的
12． cornerstone n． 基石
13． UEFA 欧洲足球协会联盟 (Union of European Football Association)
14． let down感到失望
15． penalty ] n． 点球
16． equalize v． 打成平手
17． eventual adj． 最后的，最终的
18． inconsistency n． 不一致
19． all－time adj． 空前的，创纪录的
20． veterinary adj． 兽医的 veterinarian n．兽医
21． Sarah Stone 美国女影星沙朗·斯通
22． Demi Moore美国女影星黛米·摩尔