Raul, Guti leave Madrid

MADRID (AP):

Striker Raul Gonzalez is leaving Real Madrid after 15 seasons with the Spanish club.

Madrid stated on their website it would host a "farewell ceremony" today at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. Raul is reportedly set to move to German club Schalke.

Raul has spent his entire career at Madrid since his debut in 1994. He is the all-time leading scorer for Madrid and Spain, and is also the top scorer in UEFA competitions.

Raul helped Madrid win three Champions League and six Spanish league titles as well as two Intercontinental Cups. But the 33-year-old forward was mostly confined to the bench last season.

The move comes shortly after José Maria 'Guti' Gutierrez, who has been with Madrid since the 1994-95 season, said he was leaving the club.

Guti, who had another year to run on his contract, said he was considering an offer from Turkish club Besiktas.

"I have a good offer from them, an interesting one, now we'll see," Guti said. "It wasn't an easy decision" to leave Madrid.

Only Raul has been at Madrid longer than Guti, who made his debut for the team in 1995. The 33-year-old Guti helped Madrid win three Champions League and five Spanish league titles, as well as two Intercontinental Cups.

Guti was signed to Madrid at the age of eight and came up through Madrid's academy before making his debut in a 4-1 victory over Sevilla in 1995. He scored 86 goals in 542 games for Madrid.

Unforgettable stage

"They're a lot of years and many (were) com-plicated, but in the end I managed to achieve the most important things," said Guti. "So many years here ... an unforgettable stage (of my life)."

Guti mostly started on the bench over the last two seasons due to injuries and inconsistent form.

Like Raul, Guti never played for any other club and was considered a symbol of Madrid, identified by his blond locks and direct manner, which occasionally caused friction with some of the 15 coaches he played under.

Guti would join former Madrid coach Bernd Schuster at Besiktas.

"I hope people miss me, it will mean I did my job well," said Guti, who also scored three goals in 13 appearances for Spain.