Raúl Bravo

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Personal information
Raúl Bravo
Full name	Raúl Bravo Sanfélix
Date of birth	April 14, 1981 (1981-04-14) (age 27)
Place of birth	Gandia, Spain
Height	1.76 m (5 ft 9+¹⁄₂ in)
Playing position	Left/centre-back
Club information
Current club	Olympiacos
Senior clubs¹
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
2000-2001 2001-2002 2001-2007 2003 2007-	Real Madrid C Real Madrid B Real Madrid → Leeds United (loan) Olympiacos	07 (0) 28 (2) 85 (5) 05 (0) 07 (0)
National team²
2002-	Spain	14 (0)
¹ Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 20 April 2008. ² National team caps and goals correct as of 23 September 2007. * Appearances (Goals)

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

Raúl Bravo's football career began in the 1995-96 season. He joined Real Madrid's teenagers the following season and then the Junior B team. Bravo was capped for Spain on the Under-16 level in 1997-98, when the national team won the Algarve Tournament. The Under-17 national team was his next step, playing in the Nymburk International Tournament, where he scored two goals in three matches. Bravo was part of the Junior A team at Real by that time and played for them for 2 more seasons (1998-2000). Next stop was the Real Madrid's reserve team in the Third Division (2000-01) and he then moved to the Second Division B (01-02).

The international call-ups of some of the players in the first team gave him the chance of a debut against Atlético Madrid on October 6, 2001 at the Bernabéu. In his first season with Real Madrid Castilla, 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 2003 he had an unsuccessful loan spell at Leeds United. However, during Euro 2004, 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 first team. He has been capped 16 times by Spain, appearing in the aforementioned tournament.

With a chance to retain UEFA Champions League status, Bravo signed a four-year contract with Olympiacos 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.

[edit] International Career

Raul Bravo's debut was against Moldova in a friendly. Raul Bravo made his seconed cap against San Marino. Raul Bravo also played in the Euro 2004 and played against Greece, the final score ended 1-1. He also played against Russia.