Atleti's former captain stands in the way of their another title

Veteran midfielder Raul Garcia was crowned champion of Spain in 2014 with Atletico Madrid. Seven years later, the red and whites of Madrid are top of the table and chasing the title once more, but Garcia will be playing against them.

Formed at his hometown club Osasuna, then-18-year-old Raul was given his La Liga debut by Mexican coach Javier Aguirre in 2004. A dynamic midfielder with an eye for a goal and a strong character, the youngster was considered a future star. To follow his dreams of becoming a top footballer, Garcia first followed Aguirre to Atletico Madrid in a $15 million move in 2007. It was to prove a masterstroke.

Garcia was going to become champion of Spain, but not before the arrival of Argentinean maverick coach Diego Simeone in 2011. That’s when it’s really kicked off for Atleti. Almost silent off the pitch, Garcia was anything but on the playing field. He led the team with intelligence and passion to a famous title that was won against all odds after an eleven-years-long wait. Garcia contributed with ten league goals in the La Liga-winning campaign, but to the shock of the supporters, he was gone a year later.

Garcia’s first-team involvement was starting to vane and he would request a move away from Atletico. Despite having captained the side, new additions to the team started to reduce his playing time and he realized that leaving would be best. He doesn’t hold a grudge against his former boss Simeone, he never had a problem with anyone at the club. After a total of 329 matches for the club, it was time to move on.

"Atletico has been and is very important in my life. I have spent many years there where I learned a lot as a player but also as a person. It has probably has been one of the most important times of my life. Now I am at Athletic Bilbao, in a new stage that is also important, and I am proud. Leaving Atletico was one of the hardest moments of my life. I have affection for so many people: teammates, staff, fans ... which all made the day of my goodbye difficult. Simeone is a very intelligent man, able to divide personal and footballing issues and help on both for a player. For me he was very important."

A move to another red and white club in Athletic Club was to follow. In Bilbao, Garcia was made a key man and even though the team from Basque Country wasn’t even close to winning the league, Raul revelled in his new role. This year he led the team to a remarkable Supercopa de Espana title as the Basque team beat both Barcelona and Real Madrid in a matter of days to lift the trophy. The 34-year-old claims that scoring against Real Madrid wasn’t any different to scoring against other clubs. Besides all the achievements on the football pitch, the twice-capped Spain international often speaks his mind and demands that footballers are respected as persons and not only for the things they do during matches.

"It seems that sometimes we cannot say that we are suffering, that we are having a bad time. And indeed, there are very hard times. Of course, I am not going to compare myself with a family that does not have to make ends meet, but it seems that we do not have the right to express our views. We are people and hard times exist for us too."

Tonight, Raul Garcia will face Diego Simeone and some of his former team-mates in red and white. Bilbao’s confidence is on a high, the team is fighting to get into European places and they won’t care about the home team’s title bid because Raul always wants to win, no matter what.

"It's hard for me to be happy because I always want a little more. Trying to better myself is what makes me be alive and what makes me improve. I am in a happy moment in my life, yes, but I am very demanding of myself."

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Fifteen years in red and white stripes have shaped Garcia into one of Spain’s most authentic characters in football. His professionalism and love for the sport helped Atletico to a league title seven years ago and this year he used his experience to bring Supercopa glory to the red and whites of Bilbao. Tonight, we will see whether El Cholo's red and white army can secure another title – this time with their old captain on the other side.

LA LIGA

rearranged fixture

Wednesday

21.00: Atletico de Madrid - Athletic Club