Raúl Bravo Sanfélix (born April 14, 1981 in Gandia, Valencia) is a Spanish football defender who currently plays for Olympiacos FC.

Mainly a left back, he can also play in the centre.

[edit] 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 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 October 6, 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 served an unsuccessful 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 FC on August 2007, with the transfer fee estimated in the region of €2.3 million, while the player received an annual salary of €1.3 million.^[1]

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 league 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.

[edit] 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 against Hungary in an August 21, 2002 friendly.^[2] 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.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• BDFutbol profile
• National team data (Spanish)

v • d • e Spain squad – UEFA Euro 2004 1 Cañizares • 2 Capdevila • 3 Marchena • 4 Albelda • 5 Puyol • 6 Helguera • 7 Raúl (c) • 8 Baraja • 9 F. Torres • 10 Morientes • 11 A. Luque • 12 Gabri • 13 Aranzubia • 14 Vicente • 15 R. Bravo • 16 Xabi Alonso • 17 Etxeberria • 18 César Martín • 19 Joaquín • 20 Xavi • 21 Valerón • 22 Juanito • 23 Casillas • Coach: Iñaki Sáez