Bernd Schuster Accuses Real Madrid Coach Manuel Pellegrini of 'Spurning' Raul

Former Real Madrid coach Bernd Schuster has blasted current Merengues boss Manuel Pellegrini for treating club legend Raul 'inappropriately'.

The controversy stems from this past weekend's match against Almeria at the Bernabeu in which Pellegrini had Raul warm up in the second half alongside Karim Benzema, Mahamadou Diarra, and Royston Drenthe to come on as a second-half subsitute. The Chilean coach favoured the Frenchman, Malian, and Dutchman instead of 'El Siete' and the captain was forced to take a seat back on the bench after all the substitutions had been made.

"It is something that should just not be done", declared Schuster. "Telling Raul to warm up is not the same as telling Drenthe. For other players maybe, but for Raul it should not be done. If it were me, I would feel a bit spurned".

"It is enough for him to be on the bench as a substitute, which is difficult for him, but this is an even harder blow", continued the German. Raul was not in Madrid's starting line-up in Tuesday's Champions League match against Marseille but he did come on as a substitute in the second half.