 Bravo with Chile in 2004 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Claudio Andrés Bravo Muñoz | ||
| Date of birth | 13 April 1983 | ||
| Place of birth | Viluco, Chile | ||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Real Sociedad | ||
| Number | 1 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Colo-Colo | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2002–2006 | Colo-Colo | 133 | (0) |
| 2006– | Real Sociedad | 202 | (1) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2004– | Chile | 76 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 28 October 2013.
† Appearances (Goals).
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 15 October 2013 | |||
Claudio Andrés Bravo Muñoz (born 13 April 1983) is a Chilean professional footballer who plays for Real Sociedad in La Liga, as a goalkeeper.
He spent most of his career with Real Sociedad in Spain, appearing in more than 200 official games with the club. He started playing in 2002 with Colo-Colo.
Club career
Colo-Colo
Bravo was born in Viluco, Maipo Province. His father recognized his son's emerging talent and took him toColo-Colo's youth academy, and he eventually made his professional debut in 2002. There, he was given the nickname Condor Chico, after former club goalkeeper Roberto Rojas.
After an injury to Eduardo Lobos, manager Jaime Pizarro gave Bravo his first chance, which would be however short-lived, as he too was injured, which prompted the subsequent signing of Jonny Walker.
Bravo recovered from injury in mid-2003 and with Lobos still in the sidelines, he took over the starting role which he would never lose again, with his competitor eventually being sold. In 2006 he won his first title, making an acrobatic save in the Apertura's penalty shootout final win against arch-rival C.F. Universidad de Chile.
Real Sociedad
For the 2006–07 season Bravo signed a five-year contract with Real Sociedad in Spain,[1] in a reported €1.2 million deal[2]– he and Asier Riesgo formed the youngest pair of goalkeepers that year in La Liga. He started on the bench, but eventually gained the battle for first-choice (29 games to nine) as the Basque side was relegated (despite this, he finished in fifth place for the Ricardo Zamora Trophy with a goal-against average of 1.00); his league debut came on 22 October 2006, in a 0–0 away draw against RCD Mallorca.
The following season, Riesgo reclaimed his starting position. For 2008–09 however, after a loan to the former to Recreativo de Huelva, Bravo was again the starter, but Real remained in the second division.
On 14 February 2010 Bravo scored the first goal of his career, from a direct free kick against Gimnàstic de Tarragona, the game's only in a home triumph.[3] However, shortly after, he suffered a severe knee injury during Real Sociedad's 0–2 loss at Córdoba CF, which rendered him unavailable for the remainder of the season.[4] He still featured in 25 matches to help his team finish champions and return to the top division, after three years.
International career
Bravo represented Chile at U-17, U-20 and U-23 levels. He made his debut with the main side on 11 July 2004 against Paraguay, in the 2004 Copa América, and retained his place for the rest of the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Bravo was again called for duty in the 2007 Copa América held in Venezuela, where he started all four games. He became national side captain after Marcelo Salas announced his international retirement.
In the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Bravo started in all four matches for Chile (remaining as captain), conceding five goals in an eventual round-of-16 exit (0–3 loss against Brazil)
