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Raúl reflects on rich pickings

After his 100th UEFA Champions League appearance, Real Madrid CF's Raúl González has been looking back on some "magnificent moments" in the competition.

Real Madrid CF captain Raúl González has been reflecting on some "magnificent moments" in the UEFA Champions League after becoming the first player to make 100 appearances in the competition when he played as a second-half substitute against Arsenal FC last month.

Intertwined history
Still only 28, and having scored an incredible 51 goals in Europe's premier club tournament, Raúl's name is indelibly linked with the UEFA Champions League. He made his debut against AFC Ajax in 1995, and although the Spanish side lost against the holders, he did not have to wait long to savour success, registering a hat-trick in only his third game against Ferencvárosi TC. That set the tone for a fruitful relationship with the competition that brought three winners' medals in six years between 1998 and 2002.

Embarrassment of riches
"I've had some magnificent moments," Raúl said. "The hat-trick against Ferencváros and, of course, the three Champions League trophies." That haul would be an embarrassment of riches for most players, and the Madrid skipper struggles to decide which means the most. "For what it meant for the club - ending a 32-year wait for the title - the 1998 victory is very important, but on a personal level I have great fondness for the second," he continued. "I scored a lot of goals, including one in the final. And to cap it off, my first son had been born three months earlier so I dedicated it to him."

'Very nervous'
It is a far cry from that match against Ajax eleven years ago when the then 18-year-old made his bow. "I was very nervous when I made my debut, with a great sense of duty," he admitted. "Being the most successful team in the competition's history, Madrid and the Champions League have always been closely linked." And just as the forward has evolved into a more complete package in the past decade, so too has the UEFA Champions League.

Increased competition
"It gets more and more difficult to win the competition and it's getting more and more even," he continued. "You only have to look at the teams in the last 16 this season - brilliant sides with rich histories." Arsenal are certainly included in that élite band, and after Thierry Henry scored the only goal of the first knockout round first leg at the Santiago Bernabéu last month, Madrid have it all to do in Wednesday's second encounter in London.

'Crucial game'
"We have to fight hard at Highbury," said Raúl, who has just returned from three months out with a serious knee injury. "It's a crucial game and we're playing for both personal and collective pride. We have the opportunity to achieve something big, and we have the confidence to do it." A century of appearances have helped foster that self-assurance, and team-mates Roberto Carlos (98 appearances) and David Beckham (96) could join him in reaching that landmark this season - but will need a victory at Highbury to have any chance of doing so.

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