Raúl Bravo
Encyclopedia
Raúl Bravo Sanfélix 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
.
'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 B
, 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
.
, 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
.
Olympiacos
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
footballer who plays for Rayo Vallecano
Rayo Vallecano
Rayo Vallecano de Madrid, S.A.D., often abbreviated to Rayo, is a Spanish football team based in Madrid, in the neighbourhood of Vallecas...
. Mainly a left back, he can also play in the centre.
Having played in almost all the youth ranks at Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
, 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
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
.
Club career
After playing in his early years with two local outfits, Bravo joined Real MadridReal Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
'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
Real Madrid C
Real Madrid C is a Spanish association football team that plays in the Tercera División. It is the second reserve team of Real Madrid. They play their home games at La Ciudad del Real Madrid in Valdebebas outside the city of Madrid...
, then in the fourth division
Tercera División
Tercera División is the fourth level of the Spanish football league system. The top three are the Primera División, often referred to as "La Liga" in English, the Segunda División, and Segunda División B.-Current Format:...
, moving to Real Madrid Castilla
Real Madrid Castilla
Real Madrid Castilla is a Spanish football team that plays in the Segunda División B. It is the reserve team of Real Madrid. They play their home games at Alfredo di Stéfano Stadium....
, in Segunda División B
Segunda División B
Segunda División B is the third level of the Spanish football league system. It is administered by the RFEF. The top two levels are La Liga, also referred to as the Primera División, and the Segunda División. Immediately below Segunda División B is the Tercera Division...
, for 2001–02.
International call-ups of some players in the first team gave him the chance for a top flight
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
debut against Athletic de Bilbao
Athletic Bilbao
Athletic Club, also known as Athletic Bilbao, is an association football club from Bilbao in Biscay, Spain. The club has played in the Primera División of La Liga since its start in 1928. They have won La Liga on eight occasions...
, on 6 October 2001 at the Bernabéu
Santiago Bernabéu Stadium
The Estadio Santiago Bernabéu is an all-seater football stadium in Madrid, Spain. It was inaugurated on 14 December 1947 and is owned by Real Madrid Club de Fútbol. It has a current capacity of 85,454 spectators....
(71 minutes in a 2–0 win). Bravo ended up training with the first team, then under Vicente del Bosque
Vicente Del Bosque
Vicente del Bosque González, 1st Marquis of Del Bosque is a former Spanish footballer He is currently the manager of the Spanish national football team. After taking over from Luis Aragonés who had led Spain to European success in Euro 2008, Del Bosque went on to manage the national team to the...
'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
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
, Mick McCarthy
Mick McCarthy
Michael Joseph "Mick" McCarthy is an English-born former Irish international footballer who is currently the manager of Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers, where he has been in charge since July 2006....
, whilst commentating for the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, 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
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
status, Bravo signed a four-year contract with Olympiacos F.C. in mid-July 2007, with the transfer fee estimated in the region of €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
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
CD Numancia
Club Deportivo Numancia de Soria, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Soria, in the autonomous community of Castile and León. Founded on 9 April 1945, it plays in Segunda División, holding home games at Nuevo Estadio Los Pajaritos, with a 10,200-seat capacity.Besides football it has other...
, 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
Leonardo de Jesus Geraldo
Leonardo de Jesus Geraldo known as Leonardo or just Léo is a Brazilian footballer, usually playing as a wing-back. He currently plays for PAOK F.C. in Greek Super League.-Portuguesa:...
and Didier Domi
Didier Domi
Didier Arsène Marcel Domi is a French footballer.-Career:A former French youth and Under-21 international, Domi joined Paris Saint-Germain as a trainee in 1994, and made his debut in January 1996...
. Aged 30, he was released by the Piraeus
Piraeus
Piraeus is a city in the region of Attica, Greece. Piraeus is located within the Athens Urban Area, 12 km southwest from its city center , and lies along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf....
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
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, signing for Rayo Vallecano
Rayo Vallecano
Rayo Vallecano de Madrid, S.A.D., often abbreviated to Rayo, is a Spanish football team based in Madrid, in the neighbourhood of Vallecas...
which had just promoted to the top division
2010–11 Segunda División
-Personnel and sponsorship:-Managerial changes:-League table:||style="background-color:#F9F9F9;"|||rowspan=11 style="background-color:#F9F9F9;"|-Positions by round:Source: -Results:...
.
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-17sSpain national under-17 football team
The Spain national under-17 football team represents Spain in international football at this age level and is controlled by Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain....
, he played in the Nymburk
Nymburk
Nymburk is a city in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic, located 45 km east of Prague on the Elbe River. It is also home to the Czech men's basketball team ČEZ Basketball Nymburk...
International Tournament, scoring two goals in three matches.
Bravo's senior national team
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
debut was on 21 August 2002 against Hungary
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
, in a friendly
Exhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
. Subsequently, he was a participant at UEFA Euro 2004, playing every minute in Spain's group stage exit campaign, against Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
, Russia
Russia national football team
The Russia national football team represents Russia in association football and is controlled by the Russian Football Union , the governing body for football in Russia. Russia's home grounds are Luzhniki Stadium, Lokomotiv Stadium , and Petrovsky Stadium in St.Petersburg and their head coach is...
and eventual champions Greece
Greece national football team
The Greece national football team represents Greece in association football and is controlled by the Hellenic Football Federation, the governing body for football in Greece. Greece's home ground is Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus and their head coach is Fernando Santos...
(always as a stopper). He was not recalled since, receiving a total of 14 caps
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
.
Honours
Real Madrid- UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
: 2001–02 - Intercontinental CupIntercontinental Cup (football)The European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the World Club Championship, Intercontinental Cup or Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL, contested between the winners of the European Cup and the South American Copa Libertadores...
: 20022002 Intercontinental CupThe 2002 Intercontinental Cup was a football match played on 3 December 2002 between Real Madrid, winners of the 2001–02 UEFA Champions League, and Olimpia, winners of the 2002 Copa Libertadores. The match was played at the neutral venue of the International Stadium Yokohama in Yokohama in front of... - UEFA Super Cup: 20022002 UEFA Super CupThe 2002 UEFA Super Cup was played on August 30, 2002 between Real Madrid of Spain and Feyenoord of the Netherlands. Real Madrid qualified by beating Bayer Leverkusen in the 2002 UEFA Champions League Final. Feyenoord had made it to the Super Cup after beating Borussia Dortmund in the 2002 UEFA Cup...
- La LigaLa LigaThe Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
: 2002–03, 2006–07 - Supercopa de EspañaSupercopa de EspañaThe Supercopa de España is a Spanish football championship contested by the winners of La Liga and the Copa del Rey...
: 20012001 Supercopa de EspañaThe 2001 Supercopa de España was two-leg Spanish football matches played on 19 August and 22 August 2001. It contested by Real Zaragoza, who were Spanish Cup winners in 2000–01, and Real Madrid, who won the 2000–01 Spanish League. Real Madrid won 4–1 on aggregate.-First leg:-Second...
, 20032003 Supercopa de EspañaThe 2003 Supercopa de España was two-leg Spanish football matches played on 24 August and 27 August 2003. It contested by RCD Mallorca, who were Spanish Cup winners in 2002–03, and Real Madrid, who won the 2002–03 Spanish League. Real Madrid won 4–2 on aggregate.-First leg:-Second leg:-References:...
Olympiacos
- Superleague Greece: 2007–08, 2010–11