| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 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.[citation needed] He holds the all-time appearances record for Sligo Rovers.
Cretaro is a native of Tubbercurry, Ireland. He is of Italian descent. He joined local side Real Tubber as a youth player at under-10 level. After making the Sligo/Leitrim squads at under-16 and under-18 level, Cretaro was recommended to Sligo Rovers.
Cretaro started his career in 2000 with Irish side Sligo Rovers. He made his goal-scoring debut for Sligo in a 3–0 win over Monaghan United at Gortakeegan on 3 September 2000. 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. 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.
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. Instead he signed a part-time deal with First Division team Galway United in February 2006. He started for Galway in an FAI Cup match against Athlone Town on 26 May 2006, winning a penalty for his side. He scored at home against Athlone Town on 3 September 2006. 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.
Cretaro returned to Sligo Rovers in 2007 after new manager, Rob McDonald, expressed an interest in signing him. However, McDonald was sacked during pre-season and replaced as manager by Paul Cook. 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. 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.
In 2010, he signed for defending champions Bohemians. On 13 July 2010, Cretaro appeared for Bohs in the 2010–11 UEFA Champions League. On 18 August 2010, he scored twice at home to Bray Wanderers. 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.
Cretaro returned to Sligo Rovers in January 2011 for his third stint at the club. 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. 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. In 2013, he started the FAI Cup final as Sligo beat Drogheda United 3–2 at the Aviva Stadium.
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. 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. 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.
Altogether, he spent seventeen years with Sligo Rovers and, on 20 August 2018, Cretaro surpassed Tony Fagan as the club's record all-time league appearance holder. He joined newly promoted Finn Harps in 2019. In 2021, he retired from League of Ireland football.
While still playing at Sligo Rovers, Cretaro took up coaching with their under-19s team in 2017. In June 2023, Cretaro was announced as the under-15s coach with Mayo F.C.
Cretaro made his breakthrough as a utility player and has deputised in every position bar goalkeeper. He has mainly played as a striker but can also operate as a midfielder or a full-back.
Cretaro is the brother of Irish hurler Fabio Cretaro.
| Club | Season | League | FAI Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Sligo Rovers | 2000–01 | LOI First Division | 25 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 29 | 1 | ||
| 2001–02 | LOI First Division | 28 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 4 | |||
| 2002–03 | LOI First Division | 18 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | 25 | 3 | ||
| 2003 | LOI First Division | 25 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 31 | 3 | |||
| 2004 | LOI First Division | 18 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 19 | 4 | |||
| 2005 | LOI First Division | 31 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 36 | 1 | |||
| Total | 145 | 13 | 14 | 1 | 9 | 2 | — | 5 | 0 | 173 | 16 | |||
| Galway United | 2006 | LOI First Division | 24 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 25 | 3 | ||
| Sligo Rovers | 2007 | LOI Premier Division | 30 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 32 | 1 | ||
| 2008 | LOI Premier Division | 31 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 6 | |||
| 2009 | LOI Premier Division | 31 | 15 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | 43 | 21 | ||
| Total | 92 | 22 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | 108 | 28 | |||
| Bohemians | 2010 | LOI Premier Division | 25* | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 31 | 7 |
| Sligo Rovers | 2011 | LOI Premier Division | 33 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 47 | 9 |
| 2012 | LOI Premier Division | 28 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 36 | 8 | |
| 2013 | LOI Premier Division | 21 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 32 | 6 | |
| 2014 | LOI Premier Division | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 18 | 0 | |
| 2015 | LOI Premier Division | 27 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 32 | 2 | |||
| 2016 | LOI Premier Division | 25 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 28 | 11 | |||
| 2017 | LOI Premier Division | 28 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 31 | 2 | ||
| 2018 | LOI Premier Division | 25 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 30 | 3 | ||
| Total | 200 | 31 | 20 | 4 | 15 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 254 | 41 | ||
*extratime cites 24 appearances, finalwhistle cites 25 appearances
Sligo Rovers