Football Talk - Cristiano Ronaldo welcome at Real Madrid - Raul - 09/03/09
Real Madrid captain Raul believes Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo would be 'accepted' if he moved to the Bernabeu.
Real spent much of last summer attempting to prise the Portuguese star away from Old Trafford and despite their failure to sign the World Player of the Year, it is still strongly rumoured that the Spanish outfit will renew their interest this summer.
Real icon Raul feels that Cristiano Ronaldo possesses the correct attributes to succeed in Madrid. "I believe that if Cristiano Ronaldo came here, he'd be accepted," Raul told The Times. "People who have played with him say he's a good lad. Those who I've spoken to who know him say he's a really hard worker and a good person. In theory there's no reason why he'd break the harmony in the dressing-room.
"We've had lots of the biggest names in the game here, (former Brazil striker) Ronaldo, (Zinedine) Zidane, (David) Beckham, yet they all integrated, they won over their team-mates, the fans, the media. I don't know Cristiano, but I trust the people who know him well."
Meanwhile, Raul, 31, insists he has never been tempted to make a move to England, despite interest from Chelsea. "If had you asked me what football I would love to experience, I'd say England," he added. "But I feel so well here, at home. A few years ago, Chelsea spoke to my representatives, but at that time all I wanted was to stay here.
"I love the Premier League, it is very dynamic, very passionate. It's more interesting now with all of the Spanish players that have gone there and enjoyed such great success."
