Rafael Bracali

Rafael Wihby Bracali (born 5 May 1981) is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He also held Italian citizenship.

Rafael Bracali

Personal information
Full name	Rafael Wihby Bracali[1]
Date of birth	(1981-05-05) 5 May 1981 (age 43)[1]
Place of birth	Santos, Brazil
Height	1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Youth career
	Paulista
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2001–2006	Paulista	38	(0)
2005	→ Juventude (loan)	8	(0)
2006–2011	Nacional	104	(0)
2011–2013	Porto	1	(0)
2012–2013	→ Olhanense (loan)	25	(0)
2013–2015	Panetolikos	57	(0)
2015–2018	Arouca	89	(0)
2018–2023	Boavista	80	(0)
Total		402	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

Born in Santos, São Paulo, Bracali started playing professionally for local Paulista Futebol Clube.^[2] In 2006, he moved to Portugal and signed with C.D. Nacional in Madeira. After backing up Diego Benaglio in his first season and appearing in 14 Primeira Liga games in the second, he became first choice after the Swiss transferred to VfL Wolfsburg.^[3]

Bracali did not miss one single league match from 2008 to 2011.^[4][5] He was set to sign for fellow top-division side S.C. Braga in June 2011, but the deal eventually fell through.^[6]

In August 2011, Bracali replaced the departed Beto as understudy at FC Porto, behind his compatriot Helton. He made his only league appearance for the Dragons on 12 May 2012 in the last game of a victorious campaign, a 5–2 win at Rio Ave F.C. in which he was substituted late on for fellow debutant Kadú.^[7] He was then loaned to S.C. Olhanense where he played more frequently, and the team avoided relegation by one point.^[8]

On 13 July 2015, after two years in the Super League Greece with Panetolikos FC, Bracali agreed a two-year deal with F.C. Arouca.^[9] A year after the club's relegation, on 29 June 2018 he returned to the top flight and the city of Porto by signing for Boavista F.C. on a two-year contract.^[10]

Bracali agreed to an extension at the Estádio do Bessa until 30 June 2021 in August 2019, aged 38.^[11] He played second-fiddle to Léo Jardim in 2020–21,^[12] but was again a starter afterwards.^[13]

In May 2023, Bracali announced his retirement from professional football.^[14] In July, he replaced Fary Faye as his last club's sporting director.^[15]

Personal life

Bracali's father, Armando, was also a footballer and a goalkeeper.^[2] After notably representing Clube Atlético Juventus in the 1970s, he worked mainly as a goalkeeping coach at Paulista.^[16]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition^[17]

Club	Season	League			State league		National cup		League cup		Continental		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Paulista	2004	Série B	0	0	2[a]	0	—		—		—		2	0
	2005	Série B	20	0	4[a]	0	12	0	—		—		36	0
	2006	Série B	10	0	2[a]	0	—		—		6[b]	0	18	0
	Total		30	0	8	0	12	0	—		6	0	56	0
Juventude (loan)	2005	Série A	—		—		—		—		—		—
Nacional	2006–07	Primeira Liga	0	0	—		3	0	—		0	0	3	0
	2007–08	Primeira Liga	14	0	—		2	0	1	0	—		17	0
	2008–09	Primeira Liga	30	0	—		5	0	5	0	—		40	0
	2009–10	Primeira Liga	30	0	—		3	0	3	0	8[c]	0	44	0
	2010–11	Primeira Liga	30	0	—		1	0	4	0	—		35	0
	Total		104	0	—		14	0	13	0	8	0	139	0
Porto	2011–12	Primeira Liga	1	0	—		2	0	4	0	0	0	7	0
Olhanense (loan)	2012–13	Primeira Liga	25	0	—		1	0	0	0	—		26	0
Panetolikos	2013–14	Super League Greece	32	0	—		0	0	—		—		32	0
	2014–15	Super League Greece	25	0	—		0	0	—		—		25	0
	Total		57	0	—		0	0	—		—		57	0
Arouca	2015–16	Primeira Liga	33	0	—		4	0	0	0	—		37	0
	2016–17	Primeira Liga	19	0	—		0	0	0	0	4[c]	0	23	0
	2017–18	LigaPro	37	0	—		3	0	2	0	—		42	0
	Total		89	0	—		7	0	2	0	4	0	102	0
Boavista	2018–19	Primeira Liga	12	0	—		1	0	0	0	—		13	0
	2019–20	Primeira Liga	13	0	—		0	0	1	0	—		14	0
	2020–21	Primeira Liga	0	0	—		1	0	—		—		1	0
	2021–22	Primeira Liga	27	0	—		1	0	4	0	—		32	0
	2022–23	Primeira Liga	28	0	—		0	0	1	0	—		29	0
	Total		80	0	—		3	0	6	0	—		89	0
Career total			386	0	8	0	39	0	25	0	18	0	476	0

1. Appearances in Campeonato Paulista
2. Appearances in Copa Libertadores
3. Appearances in UEFA Europa League

Honours

Paulista

• Copa do Brasil: 2005^[18]

Porto

• Primeira Liga: 2011–12^[7]
• Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2011^[19]

References

1. "Rafael Bracali" (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
2. "Rafael Bracali é o entrevistado do Camisa 10 da TVE" [Rafael Bracali is the interviewed on TVE's Camisa 10] (in Portuguese). Prefeitura de Jundiaí. 30 May 2014. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
3. "Brasileiro substituiu Benaglio na baliza do Nacional" [Brazilian replaced Benaglio in the goal of Nacional]. Público (in Portuguese). 26 February 2008. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
4. "Bracalli é o guarda-redes com mais defesas" [Bracalli is the goalkeeper with most saves]. Record (in Portuguese). 28 October 2009. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
5. "Bracali é o guarda-redes mais "interventivo"" [Bracali is the "safest" goalkeeper] (in Portuguese). SAPO. 3 May 2010. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
6. "Diego é hipótese para a baliza" [Diego an option for goal]. A Bola (in Portuguese). 4 June 2011. Retrieved 4 June 2011.
7. Andrade, David (12 May 2012). "Goleada em Vila do Conde antes da consagração na Avenida dos Aliados" [Rout in Vila do Conde before victory parade on the Avenida dos Aliados]. Público (in Portuguese). Retrieved 4 March 2019.
8. Alvarenga, Vítor Hugo (16 June 2013). "F.C. Porto: após empréstimos, nove casos por resolver" [F.C. Porto: after loans, nine cases to resolve] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
9. "Rafael Bracalli reforça Arouca" [Rafael Bracalli strengthens Arouca] (in Portuguese). Rádio e Televisão de Portugal. 13 July 2015. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
10. "OFICIAL: Rafael Bracali reforça Boavista" [OFFICIAL: Rafael Bracali bolsters Boavista] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 29 June 2018. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
11. Santos, Mónica (9 August 2019). "Guarda-redes Rafael Bracali no Boavista até aos 40 anos" [Goalkeeper Rafael Bracali in Boavista until the age of 40]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). Retrieved 18 February 2020.
12. Aguiar, Cristina (24 February 2021). "A nova vida de Léo Jardim, um dos destaques do Boavista" [The new life of Léo Jardim, one of Boavista's highlights]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). Retrieved 4 May 2023.
13. "Bracali continua a jogar com 41 anos: "Desde os 35 que me preparo para deixar..."" [Bracali still plays at 41: "Ever since I'm 35 I have been preparing myself to quit..."]. O Jogo (in Portuguese). 12 July 2022. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
14. "Bracali confirma final da carreira: "Chegou o momento de parar"" [Bracali confirms end of career: "The time to stop has arrived"]. Record (in Portuguese). 18 May 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
15. "Ex-futebolista Rafael Bracali assume cargo de diretor desportivo do Boavista" [Former footballer Rafael Bracali takes over as Boavista's sporting director]. Observador (in Portuguese). 12 July 2023. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
16. Rozenberg, Marcelo. "Bracali – Que fim levou?" [Bracali – What happened to him?] (in Portuguese). Terceiro Tempo. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
17. Rafael Bracali at Soccerway
18. Florão, Eduardo (16 January 2017). "Chape aguarda liberação de goleiro campeão em 2005 com Mancini" [Chape await release of goalkeeper champion in 2005 with Mancini] (in Portuguese). Globo Esporte. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
19. ""Bis" de Rolando dá 18ª Supertaça ao FC Porto" [Rolando brace gives 18th Supercup to FC Porto] (in Portuguese). TSF. 7 August 2011. Retrieved 8 March 2021.

External links

• Rafael Bracali at Sambafoot (archive)
• Rafael Bracali at ForaDeJogo (archived)