Champions League Win More Feasible Than La Liga Success For Real Madrid

Real Madrid captain, Raúl, has said today that it will be easier for his side to win the Champions League than La Liga but he also warned that the image of the club must be repaired.

According to Real Madrid skipper, Raúl, it will be easier for his side to win the Champions League this season rather than the league, because it is in their hands.

The Spaniard said that winning the league is not impossible, but that if Barcelona continue with the way they are going then Real Madrid cannot reach them.

"The season is long and they can make mistakes," he told Marca.

"They are the best team - the league shows their standard of play - and they seem to be unstoppable. But in football many things can happen and we will keep working because of that."

The skipper, who scored the only goal of the last game to give Madrid a 1-0 win over Deportivo La Coruña, was also critical of the side, stating that they need to play better.

"We would like to play better, to score more goals and to let the fans enjoy it more. We know the onus is on us and we know that we can give a lot more," he explained.

"People have always been critical and we have to remember that victories have been secured, but we have to improve."

Aside from the play on the pitch, the captain also spoke incidents off it, especially those recently with president Ramón Calderón resigning and Vicente Boluda stepping in.

The Spaniard knows that after weeks of front page news, the club needs to build up a stable image again.

"There are situations that one cannot control. The most damaged things are the image and the history of the club. It is clear that we are not happy and the club has to present another image to the outside world," he declared.

"We want to improve that in the next few months, achieve an institutional stability and take Real Madrid back where it deserves to be."

"We are completely separate from it all, but is difficult to be away from everything that surrounds to the club because is important."

"We prepare each game to reach our objectives. In the league we are second and we want to move away from the ones behind and we hope to catch Barcelona. What is important at club level is that stability is obtained - that is what all we want. We hope that in the next elections everything will be solved. Now, we work to give happiness to the fans as they are worried about this situation."

Despite the upcoming elections though, Raúl refused to give any appraisal of any candidate or offer his support, however, he did talk about the possibility of Lionel Messi coming, and didn't rule it out.

"It is a possibility, because there will be elections and they are going to speak over six months about signings - and Messi is a very big player.  At the moment he is the best, the one who causes the most trouble. I enjoy seeing the things he does on the pitch," admitted the Madrid captain.

Raúl also spoke about his goal on Sunday at the Bernabéu, which moved him to within one of equalling the record set by Alfredo Di Stéfano.

The striker admitted that it will be special, and that he has thought about this since the start of the season.

"It is going to be very special; it will not be a record anymore. Being the top-scorer in the history of Real Madrid will be a moment to enjoy but, as with all these records, I will enjoy them a lot more when I retire," he acknowledged.

"When I began to play I would have never imagined it, it seemed impossible. At the beginning of this season I was told that I needed fifteen goals to surpass Mr. Alfredo and I saw that as a challenge. When I arrived I remembered a lot about him because he is a symbol, an institution of Real Madrid, who has been one of the best in the world. I hope to continue scoring more goals for the good of the club."

Whilst Raúl might be adored by the Bernabéu faithful, others aren't, and he spoke briefly about two in particular today; Royston Drenthe and Marcelo.

Both players have been whistled in recent matches, and the captain called on the fans to give them time.

"They have our total confidence and they are going to be important to the club. Personally, I speak with them often, they are training well and little by little they are going to show their quality," he concluded.