Raul has his first senior club job. The Real Madrid great has been appointed manager of Real Oviedo, who are ninth in Spain's second division, and has signed a contract that runs until June 2028.
He takes over from Julian Calero, who was sacked by the club on Monday. For a man who spent six years coaching Real Madrid's reserves, it is the first time he gets to run a professional first team of his own.
What Raul has promised
The new boss laid out his thinking in a short video on Oviedo's social media. His way of seeing football, he said, is to respect the talent in the squad while asking for unconditional effort. The team has to fight from the first minute to the last for victory, he added, so that the fans can feel proud of them.
It is a simple message, and a familiar one for supporters who remember how he played. Oviedo sit ninth, short of where a club of their size and ambition would want to be, and the board has acted quickly.
From Madrid's reserves to the second tier
Raul is 49. He coached Real Madrid's reserve side from 2019 to 2025, which makes this a step out of the academy pathway and into a league table that bites. Second-division football in Spain is a long, bruising season, and there is little room to experiment once results turn.
As a player he is among the most decorated figures in Real Madrid history. He won the Champions League three times and six La Liga titles, and scored 323 goals in 741 games for the Bernabeu club. After leaving Madrid he played for Germany's Schalke, Al Sadd in Qatar and American side New York Cosmos. For Spain he scored 44 goals in 102 appearances.
What to watch at Oviedo
The early question is how quickly a first-time senior manager can change a team that was good enough for ninth but not for much more. Calero's departure leaves the squad intact, so the first jobs are about intensity and identity, which is exactly what Raul spoke about on day one. A contract until June 2028 gives him room to build, though second-tier supporters rarely wait long when results dip.
Appointment context: Raul (49) appointed Real Oviedo manager on a contract until June 2028, replacing Julian Calero, sacked on Monday with the club ninth in the Spanish second division. Previously coached Real Madrid's reserves (2019-2025). Playing record: 323 goals in 741 games for Real Madrid, 44 goals in 102 games for Spain. Source: BBC Sport.
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