José Luis Chilavert

Who is José Luis Chilavert?

José Luis Félix Chilavert González is a Paraguayan former football player who played as a goalkeeper for Sportivo Luqueño, Guaraní, San Lorenzo de Almagro, Real Zaragoza, Vélez Sarsfield, RC Strasbourg, Peñarol and the Paraguay national football team.

Chilavert was a three-time IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper award winner. Outside of his goalkeeping position, Chilavert was also known for his skills as a free kick specialist, and often took penalties. He scored 67 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 is the 2nd highest goalscoring goalkeeper of all time, surpassed only by Brazilian keeper Rogerio Ceni, and is the only goalkeeper to score a hat-trick. 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 in 1997 for brawling with Colombian striker Faustino Asprilla. He was nicknamed "El Buldog" and often wore a cartoon bulldog on his goalkeeper jersey.