José Luis Félix Chilavert González (born July 27, 1965 in Luque, Departamento Central) is a Paraguayan former football goalkeeper and free kick specialist. 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. His pioneering of this expertise in his position made him the all-time leading scorer among professional keepers until Brazilian Rogério Ceni passed him in 2006. 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.
Chilavert was also known for his eccentricity and at times fiery temper, which brought him his fair share of controversies; most notorious among which was being sent off for brawling with ex-Newcastle player Faustino Asprilla.
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. 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 with 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.
He was voted World Goalkeeper of the Year by the IFFHS in 1995, 1997, and 1998. 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.
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.
He had 74 international caps for Paraguay and a goalkeeper-record of eight international goals.(Wikipedia)
José Luis Chilavert Picture
José Luis Chilavert Best Paraguayan Football
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