Rommel Fernández
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| Rommel | ||
| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Rommel Fernández Gutiérrez | |
| Date of birth | January 15, 1966 | |
| Place of birth | El Chorrillo, Panamá | |
| Date of death | May 6, 1993 (aged 27) | |
| Place of death | Albacete, Spain | |
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | |
| Playing position | Centre Forward | |
| Club information | ||
| Current club | Deceased | |
| Senior clubs1 | ||
| Years | Club | App (Gls)* |
| 1985-1987 1987-1991 1991-1992 1992-1993 |
Alianza FC CD Tenerife Valencia CF Albacete(loan) |
- (-) 124 (50) 21 (2) 18 (7) |
| National team | ||
 Panamá |
||
|
1 Senior club appearances and goals |
||
Rommel Fernández Gutiérrez (born January 15, 1966; died May 6, 1993) was a Panamanian football (soccer) player who played for the Spanish clubs CD Tenerife, Valencia CF, and Albacete, as well as for the Panama national team. He was the first Panamanian footballer ever to play in Europe. A stadium in Panama City is named after him.
Contents |
[edit] Club career
Nicknamed "Panzer", Fernández played for Atlético Panamá and Alianza Panamá in his native country. In 1986, after five years in the Panamanian soccer league with Atlético Panamá, Alianza and Macabi FC, he was called up by CD Tenerife in the Spanish second division. As the first Panamanian to ever play football in Europe, he became an idol to his fans.
After three years in the Second Division, Fernández helped Tenerife win promotion in 1989. He made his La Liga debut against Sevilla FC on September 3, 1989. In the 1989-90 season, he scored 10 goals and was named the best South American in the Spanish League. The following year, he was named the best Ibero-American player in La Liga by Spanish news agency EFE, receiving the Trofeo EFE, which is awarded yearly.[1]
He played one more season with Tenerife and after scoring 48 goals in five years, Fernández signed with Valencia in 1991. With Valencia, he was rarely given the opportunity to play and only scored two goals in his first season. After that, he landed with Albacete for the 1992-93 season, returning to form. He ended up scoring his 50th Spanish first division goal with Albacete, and notably enough it was against Tenerife, who had given him his first shot seven years earlier.
[edit] International career
Fernández represented the Panama national team numerous times. It was on a trip with the national team to Spain at the age of 20 that got him his first international recognition. In the Mundialito de la Emigración, a tournament where Tenerife played a select squad of players with Spanish ancestry, Fernández played well enough to be offered a contract by the hosts. His last match with the national team was a 1-5 World Cup qualifying defeat on August 23, 1992 in Costa Rica.
[edit] Death and legacy
Fernández died tragically on May 6, 1993 near Albacete, victim of a car accident just outside Albacete when he lost control of his car and hit a tree. The Estadio Revolución was renamed in his honor. He was so beloved by his fans and such a crucial part of Panamanian soccer, that they renamed Estadio Revolución to Estadio Rommel Fernandez. Even before Fernández' death, the stadium was associated with him as one of the most important sportsman to ever come out of Panama. He was known for his wonderful nature and kindheartedness.
[edit] References
- ^ Trofeo EFE winners - efe.com - Agencia EFE S.A., Spain. Retrieved October 17, 2006.
