Raúl Bravo

Raúl Bravo

Personal information
Full name	Raúl Bravo Sanfélix
Date of birth	14 April 1981 (1981-04-14)
Place of birth	Gandia, Spain
Height	1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)
Playing position	Defender
Club information
Current club	Rayo Vallecano
Number	15
Youth career
1987–1996	Palma CF
1996–1997	Gandía
1997–2000	Real Madrid
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2000–2001	Real Madrid C	7	(0)
2001–2002	Real Madrid B	28	(2)
2001–2007	Real Madrid	77	(4)
2003	→ Leeds United (loan)	5	(0)
2007–2011	Olympiacos	83	(0)
2009	→ Numancia (loan)	6	(0)
2011–	Rayo Vallecano	1	(0)
National team
1998	Spain U16	10	(1)
1998	Spain U17	3	(2)
2002	Spain U21	3	(0)
2002–2004	Spain	14	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 20 November 2011. † Appearances (Goals).

This name uses Spanish naming customs; the first or paternal family name is Bravo and the second or maternal family name is Sanfélix.

Raúl Bravo Sanfélix (born 14 April 1981 in Gandia, Valencia) is a Spanish footballer who plays for Rayo Vallecano. Mainly a left back, he can also play in the centre.

Having played in almost all the youth ranks at Real Madrid, he went on to have a six-year spell in the first team, where he almost always served as a backup; however, it was during that period that he reached the Spanish national team.

Club career

After playing in his early years with two local outfits, Bravo joined Real Madrid's youth system at 16. He was subsequently part of the Junior A side, and played for them two more seasons before arriving at the C team, then in the fourth division, moving to Real Madrid Castilla, in Segunda División c, for 2001–02.

International call-ups of some players in the first team gave him the chance for a top flight debut against Athletic de Bilbao, on 6 October 2001 at the Bernabéu (71 minutes in a 2–0 win). Bravo ended up training with the first team, then under Vicente del Bosque's management, very often. That eventually led to his permanent stay with the main side, starting in 2002–03.

In January 2003, Bravo started an unsuccessful six-month loan spell at Leeds United. However, during Euro 2004 in which he appeared for Spain, Mick McCarthy, whilst commentating for the BBC, remarked that Bravo looked a different player to the one in his Leeds stint. Roberto Carlos' presence, however, restricted his playing time in the Real first team.

With a chance to retain UEFA Champions League status, Bravo signed a four-year contract with Olympiacos F.C. in mid-July 2007, with the transfer fee estimated in the region of €2.3 million, while the player received an annual salary of €1.3 million.

After having appeared rarely for Olympiakos due to injuries, Bravo had a short return to Spain in the 2009 January transfer window, moving on loan to top level strugglers CD Numancia, having almost no impact in a relegation-ending campaign, and returned to Olympiacos in the summer of 2009.

However, after his return, Bravo showed a much higher commitment than in the previous season and, thanks to his performances in pre-season, earned the starting left-back position, over Leonardo and Didier Domi. Aged 30, he was released by the Piraeus outfit in May 2011, after having contributed with 18 games to the national championship conquest.

On 31 August 2011, Bravo returned to Spain and Madrid, signing for Rayo Vallecano which had just promoted to the top division.

International career

Bravo was capped for Spain on the under-16 level in 1997–98, when the national team won the Algarve Tournament. With the under-17s, he played in the Nymburk International Tournament, scoring two goals in three matches.

Bravo's senior national team debut was on 21 August 2002 against Hungary, in a friendly. Subsequently, he was a participant at UEFA Euro 2004, playing every minute in Spain's group stage exit campaign, against Portugal, Russia and eventual champions Greece (always as a stopper). He was not recalled since, receiving a total of 14 caps.

Honours

Real Madrid

• UEFA Champions League: 2001–02
• Intercontinental Cup: 2002
• UEFA Super Cup: 2002
• La Liga: 2002–03, 2006–07
• Supercopa de España: 2001, 2003

Olympiacos

• Superleague Greece: 2007–08, 2010–11

External links

• Rayo Vallecano official profile (Spanish)
• BDFutbol profile
• National team data (Spanish)
• Raúl Bravo career stats at Soccerbase
• Raúl Bravo at National-Football-Teams.com
• Transfermarkt profile