Real Madrid legend Raul, now an executive with the club, has begin earning his coaching badges.
Real Madrid legend Raul has joined several other fellow former Spain internationals in taking the first steps towards a coaching career.
Raul, who retired in 2015 following a 20-year playing career, started a coaching course in Madrid given by the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) to acquire UEFA's A and B coaching licenses.
The 40-year-old was accompanied on the first day by former Madrid teammates Julio Cesar Baptista and Xabi Alonso, who retired last summer.
Xavi Hernandez, who is playing for Al-Sadd, missed the opening day of the course, but the former Barcelona captain is expected to attend on Tuesday.
Former Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes and ex-Villarreal pair Joan Capdevila and Marcos Senna were also among the star-studded list of students.
According to the RFEF, the players will be taught sporting ethics, club management, technology, social media, nutrition and didactical philosophy over six weeks of classes.
Raul, who won La Liga six times, the Champions League three times and the Spanish Super Cups six times in his 16 years at Madrid before spells with Schalke, Al-Sadd and the New York Cosmos, told the RFEF he's excited to finally be able to take the course.
"This is a new challenge for me and for my future," he said. "It's great to meet again with many colleagues from my profession. We are all excited about the course."