Number 11 Name Raffael de Height 1.74 m Salary 4 million EUR (2012) | Playing position Role Footballer Weight 69 kg | |
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Full name Raffael Caetano de Araujo Date of birth (1985-03-28) 28 March 1985 (age 30) Siblings Ronny Heberson Furtado de Araujo Similar People Lars Stindl, Granit Xhaka, Patrick Herrmann, Mahmoud Dahoud, Andre Hahn Profiles | ||
Raffael Caetano de Araújo (born 28 March 1985), simply Raffael, is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Bundesliga, mainly as an attacking midfielder.
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Football career
Born in Fortaleza, Ceará, Raffael moved still in his teens to Switzerland, first representing lowly FC Chiasso. At age 20, he moved to FC Zürich, being instrumental in the club's 2005–06 and 2006–07 league conquests; during both seasons, he led the competition in assists, while also adding 40 goals during his two-and-a-half-year spell.
In mid-January 2008, Raffael signed with German outfit Hertha BSC, being reunited with former Zürich teammates Lucien Favre and Steve von Bergen (respectively manager and player). His first game in the Bundesliga was on 2 February, in a 0–3 home defeat against Eintracht Frankfurt; the following matchday, at VfB Stuttgart, he netted his first goal, as Hertha won it 3–1.
Making 140 appearances over four and a half years, Raffael experienced both the high and low points of the Berlin-based club's recent history, including a fourth-place finish 2008–09 season, in which Hertha lead the table for some time, and relegations in 2009–10 and 2011–12. On 27 July 2012, Raffael left the club to sign for Dynamo Kyiv.
Borussia Mönchengladbach
On 20 June 2013, he left Dynamo Kyiv to sign for Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Personal life
Raffael's younger brother, Ronny, is also a professional footballer. A midfielder, he represented most notably Hertha BSC, for whom he has played more than 100 games. From 2010 to 2012, the brothers played together for Hertha.
Raffael is a member of Jehova's Witnesses.