Raúl García de Haro: The Man Who Broke Real Madrid's Unbeaten Run at El Sadar
Osasuna striker Raúl García de Haro opens up on his 90th-minute screamer against Real Madrid, mental health, and life in Pamplona's shadow.
Fifteen years of hurt, ended by one moment of ice-cold brilliance. Raúl García de Haro’s last-gasp goal against Real Madrid has become the stuff of Pamplona legend — and the man himself is remarkably grounded about the whole thing.
The Goal Everyone’s Still Talking About
If you haven’t seen it, sort that out immediately. García de Haro picked up the ball deep in the Madrid half, spotted the defender flying in, kept his nerve, and tucked it away in the 90th minute to send El Sadar absolutely mental. The kind of finish that makes you put your mug of tea down.
What made it even more dramatic was the VAR check for offside that followed. By his own account, there was total confusion — the referee looked like he was about to restart play, the bench were screaming it was fine, and García de Haro was just stood there not knowing what was going on. Thankfully, the goal stood.
- It was Osasuna’s first win over Real Madrid at home in 15 years
- The goal came in the 90th minute
- García de Haro had previously scored similar finishes in training and during his time in Segunda División
More Than Just a Football Moment
What’s proper touching about this whole story is the celebration. García de Haro touched his head — a deliberate nod to mental health awareness. It wasn’t random. He’d been working with a psychologist named Rita from Pamplona after a rough patch last season, and the match happened to fall on a day with significance around mental health.
“A day like the Madrid one makes up for a lot of difficult moments,” he said — and you get the sense he really means it. He’s been open about the fact that last season was tough mentally, and that working on that side of his game has been just as important as anything on the training pitch.
Life in Budimir’s Shadow
It hasn’t all been plain sailing at Osasuna. García de Haro arrived with a decent reputation after doing the business at Mirandés, but found himself behind Ante Budimir — a genuine club legend and their all-time top scorer in the top flight. Getting minutes was a grind.
- He’s used his Copa del Rey appearances to stay sharp, bagging seven goals in the competition this season
- He describes the experience of being kept waiting as something that’s made him a better player and person
- He’s clearly learned from Budimir too — positioning, aerial ability, movement in the box
There’s been talk of Betis having had a €6 million bid knocked back for him at some point. García de Haro’s take? Classic footballer pragmatism — when you’re scoring, any fee looks low; when you’re not, it looks steep.
Eyes on Europe?
With 33 points on the board and seven home games still to play, the question of European football is starting to bubble up around Pamplona. García de Haro is keeping his feet firmly on the ground though — the priority is securing safety first, then seeing what’s possible.
El Sadar has been a proper fortress this season, but he’s also pointed out that picking up points on the road — something that’s historically been trickier — has been a key part of their improvement. If they can keep both going, who knows.
The Dressing Room
For those who like a bit of inside info — Jon Moncayola controls the aux cord, Sergio Herrera and Moi Gómez are the jokers, and Rubén García is somehow both the best and worst dressed player in the squad. Make of that what you will.