Jose Luis Chilavert
Chilavert is one of the all-time top goalkeepers in the world. He is one of the rare goalkeepers with interest in scoring goals. Chilavert is one of the eccentric characters in world football and was quite popular among football fans. Chilavert used to play for Paraguay at International level. He was a free kick specialist and he used to take crucial penalties for his team. Chilavert was the South American Player of the year in 1996. He holds the world record for scoring most number of goals among goalkeepers with 63 goals. Chilavert has won IFFHS world’s Best Goalkeeper award three times.
Jose Luis Chilavert was born at Luque in Paraguay on 27th July 1965. Chilavert started his football journey with youth team of Paraguayan second division club Sportivo Luqueno, in 1980.He made it to the Sportivo Luqueno’s senior side, in 1982.He signed up for Guarani in 1984.He won Paraguayan league with Guarani in 1984.He moved to Argentina and joined first division team San Lorenzo in 1984. Chilavert played 122 matches for San Lorenzo.
In 1988, Chilavert moved to Spain and joined Real Zaragoza. He played 79 matches and scored a goal for Zaragoza. He moved back to Argentina and joined Velez Sarsfield in 1991.In 1994 he won Copa Libertadores, Copa Interamericana, as well as Intercontinental cup with Sarsfield. He won Torneo Apertura with Sarsfield in 1995.He helped Sarsfield to win Torneo Clausura in 1993, 1996 as well as 1998.He helped Sarsfield to win Supercopa Sudamericana in 1996 as well as Recopa Sudamericana in 1997. Chilavert won Argentinean League player of the year in 1996.In 1997/1998 season, Chilavert scored 10 goals, and 8 goals in 1997/1998 and 1999/2000 seasons respectively, which is quite remarkable. Chilavert played 272 matches for Sarsfield and scored 48 goals.
After glorious stint with Sarsfield, Chilavert moved back to Europe and joined French first division club RC Strasbourg in 2000.In 2001, he helped Strasbourg to win Coupe de France. However, Strasbourg was relegated to second division in that season. Chilavert helped Strasbourg to gain promotion to Ligue 1 in 2002.He moved to Uruguay and joined Penarol in 2003.he helped Penarol to win Uruguayan Primera division title in 2003.Chilavert scored four goals for Penarol in 17 matches. Chilavert joined his old club Velez Sarsfield in 2003 and played six matches for them. He bid adieu to club football in 2004.
Chilavert made his International debut for Uruguay against Colombia in 1989.Chilavert participated in 1998 and 2002 world cup. In 1998 world cup, he helped Paraguay to enter the second round. He kept two clean sheets during the group stage. He made it to the “Team of the tournament,” along with Fabien Barthez as goalkeepers. He scored four goals during qualification campaign to help Paraguay to qualify for 2004 world cup. Even though he missed the first match, he helped Paraguay to reach the second round in 2002 world cup. He played 74 matches for Paraguay. He captained Paraguay on many occasions. His tally of eight Internationals for Paraguay is a world record among goalkeepers. He quit international football in 2003.
José Luis Félix Chilavert González (born July 27, 1965 in Luque, Departamento Central) is a Paraguayan former football player who played as a goalkeeper. He was a three-time IFFHS World’s Best Goalkeeper award winner.
Chilavert was also known for his skills as a free kick specialist, and often took penalties. He scored 62 goals in his professional career, many of them crucial, including eight in international matches. Four of his international goals were scored during Paraguay’s qualification for the 2002 FIFA World Cup. His pioneering of this expertise in his position made him the highest scoring professional goalkeeper ever until surpassed by Brazilian keeper Rogerio Ceni.
Chilavert was also known for his eccentricity and at times fiery temper, which brought him his fair share of controversies; most notorious among them was his being sent off for brawling with Colombian striker Faustino Asprilla.
Club career
Chilavert made his debut as a football player at the age of 17, with the team Sportivo Luqueño, who were a second division team at that time, he was trained by the very well knowned goalkeeper Modesto Sandoval. In 1989, he played for the Paraguayan national team for the first time. By then he had already reached division one football, with Argentina’s San Lorenzo.
He later moved to Spain, where he played for Real Zaragoza. He then returned to Argentina, where he played with Vélez Sársfield, helping them win the Argentine championship four times as well as the Copa Libertadores and the Intercontinental Cup, both in 1994. In 1999, he became the first goalkeeper to score a hat-trick in the history of football, while playing for Vélez against Ferro Carril Oeste, scoring all three goals through penalties. He also scored a memorable free-kick from behind the half-way line against River Plate.
International career
He was voted World Goalkeeper of the Year by the IFFHS in 1995, 1997, and 1998. He scored in the World Cup qualifying campaign of 1998. He had been briefly dropped before the tournament for his criticism of the recall of Romerito by the Paraguay coach. In 1998, he participated in the World Cup, where he became the first goalkeeper ever to take a direct free kick in World Cup finals (almost scoring), against Bulgaria; he received an ovation when he crossed the pitch to try to score. With two clean sheets in the first round, he helped take Paraguay to the round of sixteen, where the team lost to France on a golden goal. Chilavert had made boasts about being the Cup’s best goalkeeper before the tournament. FIFA named Chilavert on the tournament All Star Squad for his performances alongside French goalkeeper Fabien Barthez. Chilavert refused to take part in the Copa America of 1999, angering the Paraguayan government as he claimed funding should be used for education.
After a qualifying game for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, he spat on Brazil’s Roberto Carlos, an action which caused FIFA to give him a three-match suspension and forced him to watch the first game of the World Cup from the stands. Chilavert accused Roberto Carlos of racism and obscene gestures during the match. He also justified his action by saying he had been provoked by the Brazilians who had called him the weakest link of Paraguay before the match. Chilavert also claimed the match was like a war and that Brazil should return land to Paraguay lost in the 19th century.
Before the tournament, Paraguay manager Cesare Maldini had faced criticism in Paraguay but Chilavert defended Maldini respecting him for his experience. He also expressed great confidence in the ability of the Paraguayan team and downplayed his role to the whole team.
During the World Cup, Chilavert made an error against Spain as Paraguay lost 3-1. Chilavert attempted a free kick against Casillas but it was saved. Before the match, Chilavert claimed he would keep a clean sheet against Spain and score 2 free kicks against their keeper. Chilavert let a goal from Slovenia slide between his legs in the next match but Paraguay recovered to defeat Slovenia 3-1. In their second round match against Germany, despite several saves from Chilavert, Paraguay lost 1-0.
He had 74 international caps for Paraguay and a goalkeeper-record of eight international goals. Chilavert retired from international football in 2003, after a feud with team directors.
Retirement and post-career
Chilavert announced his retirement from all football in December 2003, but decided to come out of retirement to return to Vélez. Chilavert had just won the Uruguayan league with Penarol when he initially retired. He finally retired permanently in 2004, playing his last match, a farewell testimonial, on November 11 of that year (fittingly, he scored a goal).
In 2005, Chilavert was sentenced to six months in prison in France for the use of false documents about the compensation for the end of his contract with Racing Club de Strasbourg.
Chilavert was a commentator for American television network Univision during the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He is expected to commentate on future tournaments for them. Recently, he has become involved investing in renewable energy using seaweed. In a recent interview by the Argentine media, Chilavert said that he has invited European firms to come to Paraguay and invest in what he calls a very ambitious and interesting project. He keeps a close watch on Paraguayan Football Federation advising them in anything they have to do to take Paraguay back to the World Cup Finals.
Honours
Guarani
- Liga Paraguaya: 1984
Vélez Sarsfield
- Torneo Apertura: 1995
- Torneo Clausura: 1993, 1996, 1998
- Copa Libertadores: 1994
- Intercontinental Cup: 1994
- Copa Interamericana: 1994
- Supercopa Sudamericana: 1996
- Recopa Sudamericana: 1997
Strasbourg
- Coupe de France: 2001
Peňarol
- Primera División Uruguaya: 2003
Individual
- Argentine League Player of the Year: 1996
- South American Footballer of the Year: 1996
- IFFHS World’s Best Goalkeeper: 1995, 1997, 1998
Career statistics
| Club performance | League | Cup | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Argentina | League | Cup | Total | |||||
| 1985 | San Lorenzo de Almagro | Primera División | 10 | 0 | ||||
| 1985-86 | 38 | 0 | ||||||
| 1986-87 | 31 | 0 | ||||||
| 1987-88 | 43 | 0 | ||||||
| 1988-89 | 6 | 0 | ||||||
| Spain | League | Copa del Rey | Total | |||||
| 1988-89 | Real Zaragoza | La Liga | 37 | 0 | ||||
| 1989-90 | 34 | 1 | ||||||
| 1990-91 | 8 | 0 | ||||||
| Argentina | League | Cup | Total | |||||
| 1991-92 | Vélez Sársfield | Primera División | 18 | 0 | ||||
| 1992-93 | 30 | 1 | ||||||
| 1993-94 | 23 | 0 | ||||||
| 1994-95 | 34 | 1 | ||||||
| 1995-96 | 34 | 4 | ||||||
| 1996-97 | 24 | 6 | ||||||
| 1997-98 | 35 | 10 | ||||||
| 1998-99 | 26 | 4 | ||||||
| 1999-00 | 34 | 8 | ||||||
| 2000-01 | 8 | 2 | ||||||
| France | League | Coupe de France | Total | |||||
| 2000-01 | Strasbourg | Division 1 | 17 | 0 | ||||
| 2001-02 | Division 2 | 33 | 0 | |||||
| 2002-03 | Ligue 1 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| Uruguay | League | Cup | Total | |||||
| 2003 | Peñarol | Primera División | 17 | 4 | ||||
| Argentina | League | Cup | Total | |||||
| 2003-04 | Vélez Sársfield | Primera División | 6 | 0 | ||||
| Total | Argentina | 400 | 36 | |||||
| Spain | 79 | 1 | ||||||
| France | 50 | 0 | ||||||
| Uruguay | 17 | 4 | ||||||
| Career Total | 546 | 62 | ||||||