Raffaele Cretaro

Raffaele Cretaro
Personal information
Date of birth (1981-10-15) 15 October 1981
Place of birth Tubbercurry, Ireland
Height 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Position Striker
Team information
Current team
 Real Tubber
Youth career
1990–2000 Real Tubber
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2000–2005 Sligo Rovers 145 (13)
2006 Galway United 24 (3)
2007–2009 Sligo Rovers 92 (22)
2010 Bohemians 25 (5)
2011–2018 Sligo Rovers 200 (31)
2019–2020 Finn Harps 40 (3)
2023–2024 Ballina Town 26 (11)
2024 Real Tubber 4 (4)
2025 Conn Rangers 3 (0)
2025– Real Tubber 14 (6)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Raffaele Cretaro (born 15 October 1981) is an Irish footballer who plays as a striker for his boyhood club Real Tubber. He holds the all-time appearances record for Sligo Rovers.[1]

Early life

Cretaro is a native of Tubbercurry, Ireland.[2][1] He is of Italian descent.[3] He joined local side Real Tubber as a youth player at under-10 level.[4] After making the Sligo/Leitrim squads at under-16 and under-18 level, Cretaro was recommended to Sligo Rovers.[5]

Career

Cretaro started his career in 2000 with Irish side Sligo Rovers.[6] He made his goal-scoring debut for Sligo in a 3–0 win over Monaghan United at Gortakeegan on 3 September 2000.[7][8] Cretaro became a regular in the first team under Don O'Riordan and established himself as an attacking full-back who could be called upon to play in multiple positions.[5] In 2005, due to injuries in the squad, Cretaro played the season at right-back as Sligo Rovers secured the First Division title under manager Sean Connor.[5]

Despite being part of the Sligo team that won promotion to the Premier Division in 2005, Cretaro failed to agree terms on a full-time contract.[9][5] Instead he signed a part-time deal with First Division team Galway United in February 2006.[10][5][11] He started for Galway in an FAI Cup match against Athlone Town on 26 May 2006, winning a penalty for his side.[12] He scored at home against Athlone Town on 3 September 2006.[13] Although he missed two months due to a broken jaw, Cretaro still earned a place in the First Division Team of the Year having made 24 league appearances for the Tribesmen and scoring three times in all competitions.[14][6]

Cretaro returned to Sligo Rovers in 2007 after new manager, Rob McDonald, expressed an interest in signing him.[5][15] However, McDonald was sacked during pre-season and replaced as manager by Paul Cook.[15][16] Cretaro credits Cook for instilling a belief in the side and, in 2008, the team finished fourth in the league and qualified for the 2009–10 Europa League.[15] In 2009, Cretaro had one of his most successful seasons, scoring 21 goals in all competitions as well as playing in the FAI Cup final, which Sligo lost 1–2 to Sporting Fingal.[6]

In 2010, he signed for defending champions Bohemians.[6][17] On 13 July 2010, Cretaro appeared for Bohs in the 2010–11 UEFA Champions League.[18] On 18 August 2010, he scored twice at home to Bray Wanderers.[19] He scored five league goals in total before leaving the club at the end of the season as Bohemians entered a period of financial turmoil.[6]

Cretaro returned to Sligo Rovers in January 2011 for his third stint at the club.[6][20] In his first season back, he scored six times in 33 league appearances as Sligo finished runners-up to Shamrock Rovers in the Premier Division. Cretaro also won his first FAI Cup medal as Sligo defeated Shelbourne on penalties in the 2011 final, with Cretaro scoring the winning penalty.[6][21] The following year, under Ian Baraclough, Cretaro won the 2012 League of Ireland Premier Division and scored two goals at home to St Patrick's Athletic as Sligo secured their first league title in 35 years.[14] In 2013, he started the FAI Cup final as Sligo beat Drogheda United 3–2 at the Aviva Stadium.[22]

Cretaro's 2014 season was hampered due to injury and he was limited to 13 appearances for Rovers in the league. He returned to fitness in 2015 under new manager Owen Heary, but made 27 league appearances without scoring.[6] Instead, his goals came in cup competitions, scoring once against Cobh Wanderers in the FAI Cup and once in the EA Sports Cup against a Mayo League representative team.[6] In 2016 he was back in goal-scoring form, getting ten league goals from 25 league appearances and also scoring once in the FAI Cup.[6]

Altogether, he spent seventeen years with Sligo Rovers and, on 20 August 2018,[23] Cretaro surpassed Tony Fagan as the club's record all-time league appearance holder.[1][24] He joined newly promoted Finn Harps in 2019.[6][1][25] In 2021, he retired from League of Ireland football.[26][27]

While still playing at Sligo Rovers, Cretaro took up coaching with their under-19s team in 2017.[14] In June 2023, Cretaro was announced as the under-15s coach with Mayo F.C.[28]

Style of play

Cretaro made his breakthrough as a utility player and has deputised in every position bar goalkeeper.[5][1] He has mainly played as a striker but can also operate as a midfielder or a full-back.[29][6]

Personal life

Cretaro is the brother of Irish hurler Fabio Cretaro.[30][31]

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[32][33][34][12][35]
Club Season League FAI Cup League Cup[a] Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Sligo Rovers 2000–01 LOI First Division 2511030—— 29 1
2001–02 LOI First Division 2833120—— 33 4
2002–03 LOI First Division 1832000—5[b]0 25 3
2003 LOI First Division 2514022—— 31 3
2004 LOI First Division 1840010—— 19 4
2005 LOI First Division 3114010—— 36 1
Total 1451314192—5017316
Galway United 2006 LOI First Division 2431000—— 25 3
Sligo Rovers 2007 LOI Premier Division 3012000—— 32 1
2008 LOI Premier Division 3161010—— 33 6
2009 LOI Premier Division 311574312[c]1— 43 21
Total 92221044121—10828
Bohemians 2010 LOI Premier Division 25*[d]521101[e]02[f]1 31 7
Sligo Rovers 2011 LOI Premier Division 33661312[g]03[h]1 47 9
2012 LOI Premier Division 28610321[i]03[h]0 36 8
2013 LOI Premier Division 21451201[j]03[h]1 32 6
2014 LOI Premier Division 13010002[k]02[h]0 18 0
2015 LOI Premier Division 2703121—— 32 2
2016 LOI Premier Division 25102110—— 28 11
2017 LOI Premier Division 2821[37]010—1[l]0 31 2
2018 LOI Premier Division 2531[38]030—1[m]0 30 3
Total 200312041546013225441

*extratime cites 24 appearances, finalwhistle cites 25 appearances

Honours

Sligo Rovers

Notes

  1. ↑ Includes League of Ireland Cup
  2. ↑ Appearances in LOI First Division Cup
  3. ↑ Appearances in 2009–10 UEFA Europa League
  4. ↑ extratime.ie lists 24 appearances, finalwhistle.ie lists 25 appearances[34]
  5. ↑ Appearances in 2010–11 UEFA Champions League
  6. ↑ Appearances in Setanta Sports Cup[36]
  7. ↑ Appearance(s) in 2011–12 UEFA Europa League
  8. 1 2 3 4 Appearances in Setanta Sports Cup
  9. ↑ Appearance(s) in 2012–13 UEFA Europa League
  10. ↑ Appearance(s) in 2013–14 UEFA Champions League
  11. ↑ Appearance(s) in 2014–15 UEFA Europa League
  12. ↑ Appearance in 2017–18 Scottish Challenge Cup
  13. ↑ Appearance in 2018–19 Scottish Challenge Cup

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Fennessy, Paul (15 March 2019). "'I'm 37. I'm still hungry. I go out onto the training pitch wanting to be the best player'". the42.ie. TheJournal.ie. Archived from the original on 2019-04-07. Retrieved 2025-12-05.
  2. ↑ "Tubbercurry Tornado Raffaele off the chips". independent.ie.
  3. ↑ Crowe, Marie (26 July 2018). "Living life the right way gives Cretaro a dream career". rte.ie. RTÉ Sport.
  4. ↑ "Dreams come true in Tubber for local hero". independent.ie.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Goulden, David; Farry, Jessica (23 July 2018). "Raffaele Cretaro interview – Part One – Sligo Rovers". www.sligorovers.com. Archived from the original on 2024-07-20. Retrieved 2025-12-05.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Raffaele Cretaro | History | Career Details | Images | extratime.com - The Home of Irish Football". www.extratime.com. Archived from the original on 2020-08-03. Retrieved 2025-12-05.
  7. ↑ "Cretaro moves into all-time top 20 League of Ireland appearance list". www.leagueofireland.ie. Retrieved 2025-12-05.
  8. ↑ "Ireland 2000/01". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved 2026-01-06.
  9. ↑ Moran, Michael (2006-03-01). "Move to Galway 'had nothing to do with money' says Cretaro". Irish Independent. Retrieved 2025-12-06.
  10. ↑ "Cretaro moves to Galway United from Sligo". RTÉ Sport. 2006-02-22. Retrieved 2025-12-05.
  11. ↑ "Rafael Cretaro Interview". The Bit O'Red Blog. 2011-08-27. Retrieved 2025-12-05.
  12. 1 2 "Athlone dump Galway out of Cup". 2006-05-26.
  13. ↑ "Lavine grabs a late equaliser for Athlone". RTÉ Sport. 2006-09-03. Retrieved 2025-12-10.
  14. 1 2 3 Blake, Ben (18 August 2017). "'I was thinking 'Why did I leave?' because underneath it all I'm a Sligo man'". the42.ie. The Journal. Archived from the original on 2017-08-18. Retrieved 2026-03-23.
  15. 1 2 3 Goulden, David; Farry, Jessica (2018-07-25). "Raffaele Cretaro interview – Part Two – Sligo Rovers". Retrieved 2025-12-07.
  16. ↑ Wallace, Keith (30 January 2009). "Cook Resigns From Sligo Rovers". extratime.com. Retrieved 2025-12-08.
  17. ↑ "No question of divided loyalty for Bohs' Cretaro". independent.ie.
  18. ↑ UEFA.com (2010-07-13). "Brennan bucks up Bohemians | UEFA Champions League 2010/11". UEFA.com. Retrieved 2025-12-08.
  19. ↑ Ahern, Neil (2010-08-18). "Cretaro gets Bohs back on track". Irish Independent. Retrieved 2025-12-06.
  20. ↑ Blake, Ben (2018-12-13). "'It was a fairytale' - Club legend Cretaro leaving Sligo after 17 seasons". The 42. Retrieved 2025-12-09.
  21. 1 2 "RTÉ Sport: As It Happened: Shelbourne 1-1 Sligo (pens: 1-4)". www.rte.ie. Archived from the original on 2012-01-21. Retrieved 2025-12-09.
  22. 1 2 "As it happened: Drogheda United v Sligo Rovers, FAI Cup final". The Score. 3 November 2013. Archived from the original on 5 November 2013. Retrieved 4 November 2013.
  23. ↑ "70min. Cretaro overtakes Fagan as all time league appearances holder". Twitter. 20 August 2018. Retrieved 2025-12-05.
  24. ↑ "Cretaro leaves fond memories". independent.ie.
  25. ↑ "Cretaro leaves Sligo for Finn Harps after 17 seasons". RTE.ie. 2018-12-13. Archived from the original on 2019-01-16. Retrieved 2026-06-09.
  26. ↑ "CRETARO BRINGS THE CURTAIN DOWN ON A FAIRYTALE CAREER". westernpeople.ie.
  27. ↑ "Thanks for the memories: Cretaro hangs up boots after a 21-year career". Irish Independent. 2021-01-09. Retrieved 2025-12-05.
  28. ↑ McGovern, Oisin (2023-06-26). "Mayo FC officially launched on 'momentous day' for soccer". www.mayonews.ie. Retrieved 2026-01-10.
  29. ↑ "'Tubbercurry Tornado' is ready to roar again". independent.ie. Irish Independent. 2 November 2011. Archived from the original on 2023-06-14. Retrieved 2025-12-05.
  30. ↑ "Oh brother! Cretaro boys aim for success in soccer and hurling". Irish Independent. 2004-04-20. Retrieved 2025-12-05.
  31. ↑ "The Career of Raff Cretaro". thebigkickoff.com.
  32. ↑ "Rafael Cretaro » Statistics: Club Matches". www.worldfootball.net. Retrieved 2025-12-05.
  33. ↑ "Raffaele Cretaro | Stats | History | Career Details | extratime.com - The Home of Irish Football". www.extratime.com. Retrieved 2025-12-05.
  34. 1 2 "Raffaele Cretaro – Soccer". www.finalwhistle.ie. Archived from the original on 2026-01-06. Retrieved 2025-12-05.
  35. ↑ "Monaghan United 1 - 1 Bohemians (4-3 on penos)". extratime.com. Retrieved 2025-12-08.
  36. ↑ For Setanta Sports cup matches:
    "Bohemians 2-1 Linfield". rte.ie. 3 April 2010. Archived from the original on 2010-04-06. Retrieved 2010-04-06.
    "Linfield 0-1 Bohemians (Agg 1-3)". rte.ie. 19 April 2010. Archived from the original on 2010-07-17. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
    "Bohemians 0–1 Sligo Rovers". rte.ie. 15 May 2010. Archived from the original on 2010-05-25. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
  37. ↑ O'Flaherty, Deniese (2017-08-12). "Longford Town score a famous win over Sligo Rovers after extra-time in the FAI Cup". www.longfordleader.ie. Retrieved 2026-01-23.
  38. ↑ Goulden, David (2018-08-11). "Longford get the better of Sligo to progress in FAI Cup". RTÉ Sport. Retrieved 2026-01-21.
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