Claudio Bravo Signs on at Barcelona
Chilean captain and goalkeeper Claudio Bravo has been confirmed as the latest signing for Spanish giants Barcelona.
Bravo, who was a wall against the Spanish outfit in Chile’s second World Cup clash, will move from Real Sociedad to the Catalan club, where he will join Alexis Sánchez.
The experienced captain, who will soon become Chile’s most capped player of all time, has played more than 200 games for Real Sociedad since moving to Spain from Colo Colo in 2006.
A statement from FC Barcelona noted the Chilean’s leadership skills and experience, saying, “At 1.85 metres tall, Claudio Bravo is noted for his calmness between the posts, his leadership skills, and lots of agility. Since 2008 he has been the captain of the Chilean national team, and at Real Sociedad he became one of the natural leaders of a team that in recent years have done really well in La Liga.”
Bravo will be fighting with fellow new signing Marc-Andre ter Stegen to be the replacement for veteran Victor Valdes, who finished his time at Barcelona after twelve seasons.
Barcelona were originally banned from player transfers due to irregularities in the signing of junior players, but this ban was lifted by FIFA until a final decision is made.
The question will be if Bravo and Sánchez reunite, with Arsenal and Liverpool both reported to be interested in the Tocopilla product. While the two players were at Colo Colo in 2006, Bravo moved on to Spain after a successful Apertura tournament, while Sánchez arrived on loan for the Clausura tournament.
The 2006 Cacique team also included some of the current La Roja squad including Arturo Vidal, Jorge Valdivia and Gonzalo Jara, as well as 2010 World Cup campaigners Matías Fernández, Humberto Suazo and Gonzalo Fierro.
Bravo will need to be at his best when Chile take on Brazil in their round of 16 match. He will be wanting to play a captain’s knock to overcome Chile’s terrible record against the World Cup hosts.
About the Author
Daniel Boyle Founder of @sportslashlife. Australian living in Chile. Freestyle footbag player and passionate sports fan.
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