While on international duty, David Raya has addressed recent media reports surrounding his pet dog, Goku, an XL Bully breed.
The breed is banned in the UK, however, Raya assures fans he obtained the proper exemption certificate and prioritises responsible pet ownership.
Arsenal‘s on-loan goalkeeper David Raya has hit back at media reports regarding his pet dog Goku, an XL Bully breed. The breed is banned in the UK, with a deadline in place for existing owners to register their dogs.
Raya, currently with the Spanish national team, spoke to Marca about the situation. He confirmed he obtained a ‘responsible owner’ exemption certificate for Goku, acquired a year ago.
“It’s a breed that has been outlawed in the country,” Raya explained. “I got him a year ago, I’m training him to be a good dog, a house dog and to keep us company. I wasn’t training him so that no one would want to come into the house, but you know what the media is like.”
This comes after reports in the English press suggested Raya had kept his dog to protect his home despite the ban. Raya clearly refutes those claims, emphasising his responsible pet ownership and training for Goku.
The 28-year-old has been a crucial figure for Arsenal this season, his heroics during the penalty shootout against Porto securing a Champions League quarter-final spot against Bayern Munich. Raya’s impressive form includes 13 clean sheets and conceding just 23 goals in 26 games.
During the interview, Raya also spoke about that Champions League match, saying “The match was very important. We were not at all happy with the first leg… it was decided on penalties, we had been preparing for them for a long time and I was lucky to save two. Very happy with the team’s performance and being able to advance to the quarterfinals final. My first Champions League and very proud.”
About differences between the Premier League and La Liga, he said, “I have not played in La Liga, but from what I know about the Premier [League] and from what I see in La Liga there are many differences, there is a higher pace in the Premier [League]. In La Liga there is more control of the game. Of course there are differences, such as There are between the Spanish league and the Italian or the French one.”