Real Oviedo have appointed former Real Madrid and Spain striker Raul as their new manager on a contract running until June 2028.
The 49-year-old takes charge of a senior club side for the first time after being named as the replacement for Julian Calero, who was dismissed on Monday. Real Oviedo are ninth in Spain’s second division.
Raul spent the past six years coaching Real Madrid’s reserve team, a role he held from 2019 to 2025. He now moves to the Asturian club, who returned to La Liga in 2025 with Ghanaian midfielder Kwasi Sibo in their squad.
The former forward outlined his approach in a video published on Real Oviedo’s social media channels, saying he wanted to combine the quality within the squad with a demanding work ethic.
“My way of understanding football is with respecting the talent [in the squad] but asking for unconditional effort,” Raul said.
“The team has to fight from the first minute to the last for victory so the fans are proud of them.”
Raul is one of Real Madrid’s most celebrated players, having scored 323 goals in 741 appearances for the club during his career at the Bernabeu.
He helped Real Madrid win three Champions League crowns and six La Liga titles before ending his playing career with spells at Schalke in Germany, Al Sadd in Qatar and New York Cosmos in the United States.
At international level, Raul scored 44 goals in 102 appearances for Spain. His appointment at Real Oviedo represents his first opportunity to lead a senior club after his work with Real Madrid’s reserve side.
His immediate task will be to guide Real Oviedo following Calero’s departure and improve the team’s position in Spain’s second division. The club secured promotion to La Liga in 2025 but are now ninth in the second tier.
Raul’s deal extends until June 2028, giving him a long-term opportunity to establish his methods at a club seeking progress under a manager with extensive experience as a player and within Real Madrid’s coaching structure.
