Raul: Schalke will always be a part of my life

After almost two eventful years in a Schalke shirt Raul has decided not to extend his contract with the Royal Blues. At a press conference on Thursday the player issued a detailed statement on the reasons for his decision in which he looked back at his time with the club, talked about his favourite moments and revealed his plans for the future. Raul on… Raul really enjoyed his time at Schalke. |Copyright: firo sportphoto… his decision: After long and careful consideration I have decided not to play for FC Schalke 04 next season. It took me a very long time to reach this decision and it was a very difficult one for me to take. I would like to thank the club, the supervisory board chairman and the director of sport for being so patient while I made up my mind. … his future: I can assure you that I will not be continuing my career in a European league, which also includes the Bundesliga, of course. This was a very difficult decision that had to be taken. I will now sit down with my agent and take some time to consider the offers. What is certain, however, is that this league won't be as strong as the ones in Europe. … his reasons for leaving Schalke: There were several factors involved, but the most important aspect is definitely my family. In the past I haven't been able to spend that much time with them in our everyday life and I want to make up for that now. Playing at the top level in a European league really restricted the time I had for my family. I have a long career behind me and so I've decided to change that. … his time at Schalke: I've been with Schalke for nearly two years and have really enjoyed my time here. It's been a wonderful stage in my life with lots of highlights. I've always felt really comfortable here and I've been given lots of love and affection. Once again I'd like to thank the coaches, my team-mates and all the staff at the club for making sure I have always been happy here during the last two years. Obviously I'd also like to give special thanks to the fans, who have given me such incredible support all the time. What is certain is that Schalke is a part of my life and always will be. … his relationship with the Schalke fans: Schalke fans really are something special. They've shown me an incredible amount of love and affection over the last two years. It's hard for me to find the right words to describe it. To come anywhere near to paying back the fans for what they have given me, I should have scored lots more goals and won more titles. … his best moments at Schalke: I've had a great time and there have been several but winning the DFB Cup in my first year was definitely very special. I played for Real Madrid for so many years and won so many titles but strangely enough I never won the cup there so that was a special moment in my career. Another highlight came in the minutes after the win over Inter Milan in the Champions League quarter-final. It was a very emotional moment for me when I was on the fence with the fans and the megaphone.