PHOTO: Bildbyrån
The odds are not high that Thomas Ravelli was the role model of many young goalkeepers when they were growing up.
Now Ravelli reveals who was his idol as a youngster.
And no, it wasn’t Ronnie Hellström.
Thomas Ravelli, 64, had a long and successful football career. 143 matches in Sweden’s A national team and games in Östers IF, IFK Göteborg and one year in MLS. After the World Cup in 1994, Ravelli was basically declared a cult after his penalty saves and fantastic performances.
The era of great goalkeepers
On the merit list there are two SC golds with Öster and six with Blåvitt, as well as a WC bronze.
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Ravelli grew up during the 60s and 70s. During that time was Long live Yashin active, and he is still seen today as one of the best goalkeepers in history. Hailing from the then Soviet Union, Yashin played 73 games and four World Cups for his country, and throughout his career belonged to Dynamo Moscow where he won the league five times.
Here at home in Sweden was developed Ronnie Hellstrom to a kind of Swedish equivalent to Lev Yashin, around the same time that the Moscow goalkeeper’s career began to come to an end. Hellström played in Hammarby and German Kaiserslautern, and in the national team he made 77 appearances. In 1971 and 1978, Ronnie was awarded the Ballon d’Or.
Thomas Ravelli’s idol
When asked who was Thomas Ravelli’s idol growing up, however, the answer is none of them.
– You can say that the Brazilian national team, in 1970 in Mexico, there you had everyone as an idol, more or less it felt like, he says.
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But the former goalkeeper can also name his great goalkeeper idol from growing up.
– Back then I had a goalkeeper, when it was still called West Germany, and he played in Bayern Munich and the West German national team, and his name was Sep Maier. That was my goalkeeper idol, says Ravelli.
READ MORE: The absolute best goalkeepers in football history have been named – a Swede takes his place on the mighty list
READ MORE: That’s why Thomas Ravelli has left football for good – the icon reveals why he never became a coach: “Isn’t a normal life”
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