On Wednesday, CONMEBOL clarified the origin of an enigmatic message posted on its social media channels to celebrate Claudio Bravo's 43rd birthday. The governing body of South American football sparked confusion when it included the name 'Johnny' alongside a video of one of the former Chilean goalkeeper's most iconic saves.
The official post featured footage of the goalkeeper's historic save against Sergio Agüero during the 2016 Copa América Centenario final. However, the inclusion of the name 'Johnny' alongside glove and Chilean flag emojis led many followers to link the message to former goalkeeper Johnny Herrera.
The source of the confusion
From its headquarters in Luque, CONMEBOL specified that the reference had no connection to the Chilean footballer. The organization confirmed that the allusion was a direct nod to Johnny Bravo, the Cartoon Network animated character.
The confusion arose due to the coincidence of names and the tone of the post. Nevertheless, the entity dismissed any link to Bravo's longtime teammate on the Chilean national team, Johnny Herrera, who was also part of the championship-winning squads in 2015 and 2016.
The video used by CONMEBOL captures the moment Bravo denied Agüero's goal, a save that allowed 'La Roja' to reach the penalty shootout and ultimately claim the continental title. The post was intended to honor the goalkeeper's legacy in South American football on his special day.