Madrid - Spanish striker Raul was torn off a strip by coach Luis Aragones when the country's World Cup squad gathered to begin preparations for next month's finals after arriving in a yellow surfer-style T-shirt, a colour his manager deems unlucky.
"Raul, with the forbidden colour," noted El Pais newspaper on Tuesday, showing Real Madrid striker Raul arriving at Las Rozas in the Madrid suburbs for the squad get-together on Tuesday.
"Apparently Raul does not know, or else is not worried, about the fact that the colour yellow is an object of vexation to his coach.
"Luis Aragones, who practises kabbalah, considers it a colour which brings bad luck," according to El Pais.
The paper claimed such is Aragones's' aversion to the colour that he even once asked for dribbling exercise cones to be replaced as they were the offending colour. Instead, he asked for red ones.
On seeing Raul arrive, according to El Pais, Aragones barked:
"Raul, take it off, take it off!"
Fortunately for Aragones, Spain traditionally do not play in the red and yellow of their national flag but red and blue.
But if Spain get past opening round opponents Ukraine, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia in Group H and reach the quarterfinals, Aragones may have to close his eyes or suffer on the touchline as they could be facing canary-yellow-clad holders Brazil. - Sapa-AFP