Raúl Bravo
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Raúl Bravo Sanfélix | ||
Date of birth | 14 April 1981 | ||
Place of birth | Gandia, Spain | ||
Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in) | ||
Position(s) | Defender | ||
Youth career | |||
1987–1996 | Palma CF | ||
1996 | Gandía | ||
1997–2000 | Real Madrid | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1996–1997 | Gandía | 21 | (4) |
2000–2001 | Real Madrid C | 7 | (0) |
2001–2002 | Real Madrid B | 40 | (2) |
2001–2007 | Real Madrid | 77 | (4) |
2003 | → Leeds United (loan) | 5 | (0) |
2007–2011 | Olympiacos | 63 | (0) |
2009 | → Numancia (loan) | 6 | (0) |
2011–2012 | Rayo Vallecano | 6 | (0) |
2012–2013 | Beerschot | 12 | (0) |
2013–2014 | Córdoba | 31 | (1) |
2014–2015 | Veria | 23 | (1) |
2015–2017 | Aris | 25 | (1) |
2016 | → Veria (loan) | 6 | (0) |
International career | |||
1998 | Spain U16 | 10 | (1) |
1998 | Spain U17 | 3 | (2) |
2002 | Spain U21 | 3 | (0) |
2002–2004 | Spain | 14 | (0) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21 May 2017 |
Raúl Bravo Sanfélix (born 14 April 1981) is a Spanish professional footballer. 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 Spain national side, representing them at Euro 2004.[1]
Bravo also competed several years in Greece, most notably with Olympiacos where he won six major titles including three national championships.
Club career
Real Madrid
Bravo was born in Gandia, Valencian Community. After playing in his early years with two local clubs, he 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 in Tercera División, moving to Real Madrid Castilla in Segunda División B for 2001–02.
International call-ups of some players in the first team gave Bravo the chance for a La Liga debut against Athletic Bilbao at the Santiago Bernabéu, on 6 October 2001, and he played 70 minutes in a 2–0 win.[2] He ended up training with the main squad – under Vicente del Bosque's management – very often, which eventually led to his permanent stay from the 2002–03 campaign onwards.
In January 2003, Bravo started an unsuccessful six-month loan spell at Leeds United.[3] However, during Euro 2004 in which he appeared for Spain, Mick McCarthy, whilst commentating for the BBC, remarked that he looked a different player to the one in his Leeds stint; Roberto Carlos' presence, however, restricted his playing time in the Real main squad.
Olympiacos
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.[4]
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[5][6] and having almost no impact in a relegation-ending campaign. He returned to the Piraeus side in the summer.
However, 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 Didier Domi and Leonardo. He was released in May 2011 at the age of 30, after having contributed with 18 games to the national championship conquest.
Later years
On 31 August 2011, Bravo returned to his country and Madrid, signing for Rayo Vallecano which had just promoted to the top division.[7] In the following summer, after having been rarely played in his first and only season, he joined Beerschot A.C. in Belgium for one year.[8]
Aged 33, Bravo returned to the Greek top flight, moving to Veria FC.[9] His contract expired on 30 June 2015 and, two months later, he agreed to a one-year deal with Aris Thessaloniki F.C. also in the country.[10]
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 full debut was on 21 August 2002 against Hungary, in a friendly.[1][11] Subsequently, he was a participant at UEFA Euro 2004,[12] playing every minute in Spain's group stage exit campaign, against Portugal, Russia and eventual champions Greece (always as a stopper);[13][14] he was not recalled since, receiving a total of 14 caps.
Club statistics
- As of 18 March 2015
Club | Season | League | Cup | Other | Total | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Real Madrid | 2001–02[15] | La Liga | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4[a] | 0 | 14 | 0 |
2002–03[15] | La Liga | 2 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 2[a] | 0 | 10 | 1 | |
2003–04[15] | La Liga | 32 | 1 | 11[b] | 0 | 10[a] | 0 | 53 | 1 | |
2004–05[15] | La Liga | 14 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3[a] | 0 | 21 | 0 | |
2005–06[15] | La Liga | 15 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 3[a] | 0 | 22 | 2 | |
2006–07[15] | La Liga | 8 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 13 | 0 | |
Total | 77 | 4 | 33 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 133 | 4 | ||
Leeds United (loan) | 2002–03[16] | Premier League | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | |
Olympiacos | 2007–08[17] | Superleague Greece | 7 | 0 | 3[a] | 0 | 10 | 0 | ||
2008–09[17] | Superleague Greece | 6 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | ||||
2009–10[17] | Superleague Greece | 32 | 0 | 12[a] | 0 | 44 | 0 | |||
2010–11[17] | Superleague Greece | 18 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2[a] | 0 | 22 | 0 | |
Total | 63 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 82 | 0 | ||
Numancia (loan) | 2008–09[15] | La Liga | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | |
Rayo Vallecano | 2011–12[15] | La Liga | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | |
Beerschot | 2012–13[17] | Belgian Pro League | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 12 | 0 | |
Córdoba | 2013–14[15] | Segunda División | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[c] | 1 | 31 | 1 |
Veria | 2014–15[17] | Superleague Greece | 23 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 25 | 1 | |
Career total | 221 | 1 | 39 | 0 | 42 | 1 | 302 | 2 |
Honours
Real Madrid
- La Liga: 2002–03, 2006–07
- Supercopa de España: 2003
- UEFA Champions League: 2001–02
- UEFA Super Cup: 2002
Olympiacos
References
- ^ a b Bravo for Madrid youngster; UEFA, 28 August 2002
- ^ "Sólo Raúl ya fue bastante" [With only Raúl it was more than enough] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 7 October 2001. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
- ^ Leeds sign Real defender; BBC Sport, 31 January 2003
- ^ Olympiacos snare Raúl Bravo; UEFA, 13 July 2007
- ^ Numancia swoops for trio Archived 25 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine; The Sports Network, 31 January 2009
- ^ El Numancia se refuerza con Raúl Bravo, Marian Kelemen y Lago Junior (Numancia strengthen with Raúl Bravo, Marian Kelemen and Lago Junior); Marca, 31 January 2009 (in Spanish)
- ^ Raúl Bravo: "Es la situación perfecta para mí" (Raúl Bravo: "It's the perfect situation for me"); Marca, 1 September 2011 (in Spanish)
- ^ Raul Bravo tekent bij Beerschot AC (Raúl Bravo signs contract with Beerschot AC) Archived 31 December 2012 at archive.today; Beerschot AC, 28 August 2012 (in Dutch)
- ^ ΒΕΡΟΙΑ: Ενεργοποιήθηκε η "βομβα" με Ραούλ Μπράβο! (Veria: a real "bomb" with Raúl Bravo!); Kerkida Sport, 27 August 2014 (in Greek)
- ^ Άρης: Ανακοίνωσε τον Ραούλ Μπράβο! (Aris: Raúl Bravo announced!); Naftemporiki, 11 September 2015 (in Greek)
- ^ "Poca luz para tanto estreno" [Too little light for so many premieres] (in Spanish). El País. 22 August 2002. Retrieved 12 November 2015.
- ^ "Sáez selects Spain squad". UEFA. 20 May 2004. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
- ^ "Greece profit as Charisteas stops Spain surge". UEFA. 17 June 2004. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
- ^ "Portugal leave Spain in shade to light up Lisbon". UEFA. 20 June 2004. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Raúl Bravo: Raúl Bravo Sanfélix". BDFutbol. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
- ^ "Games played by Raúl Bravo in 2002/2003". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f "Raúl Bravo". Soccerway. Retrieved 29 March 2015.
External links
- Raúl Bravo at BDFutbol
- Raúl Bravo at Soccerbase
- Raúl Bravo at National-Football-Teams.com
- Spain stats at Eu-Football
- Use dmy dates from June 2013
- 1981 births
- Living people
- People from Gandía
- Spanish footballers
- Valencian footballers
- Association football defenders
- La Liga players
- Segunda División players
- Segunda División B players
- Tercera División players
- Real Madrid C footballers
- Real Madrid Castilla footballers
- Real Madrid C.F. players
- CD Numancia players
- Rayo Vallecano players
- Córdoba CF footballers
- Premier League players
- Leeds United F.C. players
- Superleague Greece players
- Football League (Greece) players
- Olympiacos F.C. players
- Veria F.C. players
- Aris Thessaloniki F.C. players
- Belgian First Division A players
- Beerschot A.C. players
- Spain youth international footballers
- Spain under-21 international footballers
- Spain international footballers
- UEFA Euro 2004 players
- Spanish expatriate footballers
- Expatriate footballers in England
- Expatriate footballers in Greece
- Expatriate footballers in Belgium
- Spanish expatriates in England
- Spanish expatriate sportspeople in Greece
- Spanish expatriates in Belgium
- UEFA Champions League winning players