Introduction
Thomas Ravelli (pronounced [ˈtuːmas raˈvɛlːɪ]; born 13 August 1959) is a retired Swedish footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
His 21-year professional career was almost exclusively associated with Öster and Göteborg, for whom he appeared in 430 Allsvenskan games combined.
The most-capped player for the Sweden national team for several years, Ravelli represented the nation at two World Cups and one European Championship.
Club career
Ravelli was born in Vimmerby. At the club level he played for Östers IF and IFK Göteborg, winning three Allsvenskan championships during his ten-year tenure with the former team before signing for the latter in 1989, at the age of 29.
With Göteborg, Ravelli conquered a further six leagues and his only Swedish Cup. In 1998, already 39, he joined the Tampa Bay Mutiny of Major League Soccer, closing out his career the following year with his first club; in total, he played in nearly 600 official matches as a professional.
International career
Ravelli's international career spanned almost two decades, starting in 1981. He played in the 1990 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 1992, and the 1994 World Cup, with Sweden finishing third in the latter tournament, and appeared in a total of 143 games.
He is well known for saving two penalties during the shootout against Romania in 1994 World Cup's quarter-final clash, including one in the "sudden death" by Miodrag Belodedici (5–4 win). This feat led to him finishing second in the year's race for Goalkeeper of the Year, and he was also named by France Football as the seventh best player in Europe.
Personal life
Ravelli's twin brother, Andreas, was also a footballer. Their father was an Austrian immigrant of Italian descent, and the siblings played alongside each other at Öster and the national team.
Club statistics
| Club performance | League | Cup | League Cup | Continental | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Sweden | League | Svenska Cupen | League Cup | Europe | Total | |||||||
| 1978 | Öster | Allsvenskan | 0 | 0 | ||||||||
| 1979 | 13 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 1980 | 26 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 1981 | 26 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 1982 | 24 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 1983 | 28 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 1984 | 17 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 1985 | 19 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 1986 | 20 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 1987 | 24 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 1988 | 22 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 1989 | Göteborg | Allsvenskan | 22 | 0 | ||||||||
| 1990 | 26 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 1991 | 28 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 1992 | 24 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 1993 | 26 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 1994 | 25 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 1995 | 20 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 1996 | 17 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 1997 | 23 | 0 | ||||||||||
| USA | League | Open Cup | League Cup | North America | Total | |||||||
| 1998 | Tampa Bay Mutiny | Major League Soccer | 23 | 0 | ||||||||
| Total | Sweden | 430 | 0 | |||||||||
| USA | 23 | 0 | ||||||||||
| Career total | 453 | 0 | ||||||||||
Honours
Club
- Östers
- Allsvenskan: 1978, 1980, 1981
- Göteborg
- Allsvenskan: 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996
- Svenska Cupen: 1991; Runner-up 1982, 1985
International
- Sweden
- FIFA World Cup: Third Place 1994
Individual
- Guldbollen: 1981
- Swedish Goalkeeper of the Year: 1995, 1997
- IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper: Silver Ball 1994, Bronze Ball 1995