Fernando Gómez Colomer

Fernando
Personal information
Full nameFernando Gómez Colomer
Date of birth11 September 1965
Place of birthValencia, Spain
Height1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing positionAttacking midfielder
Youth career
Colegio Salgui
Valencia
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1983Valencia B
1983–1998Valencia459(118)
1998–1999Wolves19(2)
1999–2000Castellón35(10)
National team
1983–1984Spain U1812(1)
1985Spain U191(1)
1985Spain U206(3)
1985–1990Spain U219(0)
1989–1992Spain8(2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).
This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Gómez and the second or maternal family name is Colomer.

Fernando Gómez Colomer (born 11 September 1965), simply known as Fernando, is a Spanish retired footballer who played as an attacking midfielder.

His professional career was closely connected to Valencia with which he made his La Liga debuts at the age of 18, going on to score more than 100 official goals and working with the team in directorial capacities following his retirement.

Fernando represented Spain at the 1990 World Cup.

Club career

Born in Valencia, Valencian Community, Fernando spent the vast majority of his career at hometown club Valencia CF, representing it during 15 seasons as a senior. He would garner a reputation as an outstanding playmaker who boasted an exceptional scoring record from midfield (he scored 14 league goals twice, ten three times), also being team captain; he played a club record 421 La Liga games for the Che, and also ranked as the fourth highest scorer with 142 goals in all competitions.

Fernando made his debut with the main squad on 15 January 1984 in a 1–2 away loss against Real Valladolid,[1] after moving up from the B-side CD Mestalla. He truly came to the forefront in 1986–87 as the team won promotion back from Segunda División at the first attempt;[2] aside from this campaign he spent all of his spell with Valencia in the top flight, where he twice finished runner-up in the championship, also helping to a runner-up finish in the Copa del Rey of 1995.

Fernando won the Don Balón's Best Spanish Player Award for 1988–89,[3] and broke into the Spanish national team later that year. He finally left the club in August 1998 to join English First Division side Wolverhampton Wanderers on a free transfer; however, he returned to Spain after only one year with the Wolves, signing with Segunda División B's CD Castellón, also in the Valencian Community.

After another sole season, Fernando retired in 2000 at the age of nearly 35. He remained at the club as director of football, switching afterwards to sports commentator, on both radio and television. However, in July 2008, he returned to Valencia again as sporting director,[4] leaving the post two years later.[5]

International career

Fernando earned eight caps and scored two goals for Spain, making his international debut on 15 November 1989 in a 4–0 win against Hungary for the 1990 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, closing the score in Seville.[6] He was subsequently selected for the squad that competed in the finals in Italy, where he made a substitute appearance in the 3–1 group stage win over South Korea.[7]

Fernando had earlier represented the nation at youth level in the 1985 FIFA World Youth Championship, finishing joint-top scorer with three goals en route to the final.[8]

Honours

Club

Valencia

Country

Spain U20

References

  1. ↑ "2–1: A cual peor" [2–1: Worse and worst] (in Spanish). El Mundo Deportivo. 16 January 1984. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  2. ↑ "5–1: El Valencia se despidió con una traca... de goles" [5–1: Valencia said goodbye with fireworks... of goals] (in Spanish). El Mundo Deportivo. 22 June 1987. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  3. ↑ "Spain – Footballer of the Year". RSSSF. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  4. ↑ Valencia bring in Mathieu from Toulouse; UEFA.com, 14 June 2009
  5. ↑ "Fernando Gómez, destituido como director deportivo" [Fernando Gómez, fired as sporting director] (in Spanish). El Mundo. 2 June 2010. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  6. ↑ "El remate de una gran faena" [Icing on tasty cake] (in Spanish). El Mundo Deportivo. 16 November 1989. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  7. ↑ "Victoria para la rehabilitación" [Win for rehabilitation] (in Spanish). El Mundo Deportivo. 18 June 1990. Retrieved 23 May 2014.
  8. ↑ Fernando Gómez – FIFA competition record

External links