Julio Salinas

Julio Salinas

Salinas training with Spain in 1994
Personal information
Full nameJulio Salinas Fernández
Date of birth11 September 1962
Place of birthBilbao, Spain
Height1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing positionCentre forward
Youth career
1980–1981Athletic Bilbao
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1981–1984Bilbao Athletic93(60)
1982–1986Athletic Bilbao68(13)
1986–1988Atlético Madrid75(31)
1988–1994Barcelona146(60)
1994–1995Deportivo La Coruña24(12)
1995–1996Sporting Gijón54(24)
1997–1998Yokohama Marinos47(34)
1998–2000Alavés50(12)
Total557(246)
National team
1983–1984Spain U217(3)
1986–1996Spain56(22)
* 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 Salinas and the second or maternal family name is Fernández.

Julio Salinas Fernández (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈxuljo saˈlinas ferˈnandeθ]; born 11 September 1962) is a Spanish retired footballer who played during the 1980s and 1990s.

A tall, lanky centre forward with skills, Salinas is best remembered for his spell at Barcelona – having started his career with Athletic Bilbao – while he was also a prolific goalscorer for club and country.

Salinas gained 56 caps for Spain, and represented the nation in three World Cups and two European Championships.

Club career

Athletic Bilbao / Atlético Madrid

Salinas was born in Bilbao. In 1983–84 he won the second division's Pichichi Trophy award, as he helped Bilbao Athletic finish runners-up to Castilla CF.[1] During two seasons he also played 13 games for the main side, scoring his first La Liga goal on 26 March 1983 in a 4–0 home win over Celta de Vigo,[2] as the Basque captured back-to-back league titles and added the 1984 Copa del Rey.

After two more seasons with Bilbao, netting 12 goals combined for two-third-place finishes, Salinas moved to Atlético Madrid, where he scored an impressive 31 from 1988 to 1990 (including two on 7 February 1988, in a 7–0 home thrashing of RCD Mallorca[3]).

The Barcelona years

Salinas signed for FC Barcelona for the 1988–89 campaign, linking up with several other Basque players, including veteran José Ramón Alexanko, José Mari Bakero, Txiki Begiristain and Ion Andoni Goikoetxea – these would help form the backbone of the legendary Dream Team. He scored 20 league goals in his debut season, as Barça finished second to Real Madrid, and he also netted in both the 1989 Cup Winners' Cup final against U.C. Sampdoria and in the following year's domestic cup 2–0 win against Real Madrid.[4]

In the subsequent seasons Salinas appeared sparingly for the club, due to his age and the emergence of attacking players as Hristo Stoichkov. He would still manage to grab some important goals in spite of limited playing time. On 30 January 1994, after coming in as a second-half substitute against Albacete Balompié, he scored both goals in a 2–1 home win, as he only played in another six games during the season,[5] with Barcelona eventually achieving four league titles in a row.

Late career

Upon leaving Barcelona Salinas played for Deportivo de La Coruña, helping it finish second in his only season. Although not a regular in the starting lineups he finished with 12 league goals, only surpassed by club great Bebeto; as a late replacement at the Camp Nou on 3 December, he netted in a 1–1 draw – only months after leaving his former club – after a header from José Luis Ribera.[6]

After the signing of, among others, Russian Dmitry Radchenko, Salinas was deemed surplus to requirements, joining Sporting de Gijón where he scored 18 goals in the 1995–96 campaign, crucial in helping the Asturians avoid relegation. He was held in high regards in the city during his one 1/2-year spell, with the fans often singing: "Bota de oro, Salinas bota de oro!" ("Golden boot, Salinas, golden boot!").[7][8][9]

Salinas then had an abroad stint with Yokohama F. Marinos in Japan, where he again showcased his scoring skills, teaming up with former Barcelona teammate Goikoetxea. He then returned close to home, having played his last two seasons with Deportivo Alavés, where he scored in 1999–2000's opener, a 2–1 home win against Málaga CF. Alavés finished sixth and would go on to reach the following year's UEFA Cup final.

On 19 May 2000 Salinas played his last professional match, scoring in a 2–1 loss at his first team Athletic Bilbao.[10] He retired at nearly 38 with 417 games and 152 goals, in the Spanish top flight alone.

International career

Salinas represented the Spanish national team during a decade, scoring 22 goals. His debut was on 22 January 1986 as he netted in a 2–0 friendly win against the Soviet Union, in Las Palmas.

Salinas went on to represent the country at three FIFA World Cups: 1986 (where he scored against Northern Ireland), 1990 (netting in the second-round loss against Yugoslavia) and 1994, as well as two UEFA European Championships, 1988 and 1996.

In the 1994 World Cup quarter-final against Italy, after he had found the net in a 2–2 draw against South Korea, Salinas missed the chance to put Spain into the last four: with 1–1 and less than ten minutes to go, he marred a fast-break, with only goalkeeper Gianluca Pagliuca to beat. Roberto Baggio sealed the 2–1 final result minutes later, and the Spaniard was ultimately more remembered for this miss rather than the massive amount of goals scored during an 18-year professional career.[11]

International goals

Scores and results list Spain's goal tally first.[12]
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 22 January 1986 Estadio Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, Spain  Soviet Union 1–0 2–0 Friendly
2. 19 February 1986 Manuel Martínez Valero, Elche, Spain  Belgium 2–0 3–0 Friendly
3. 26 March 1986 Ramón de Carranza, Cádiz, Spain  Poland 3–0 3–0 Friendly
4. 7 June 1986 Tres de Marzo, Zapopan, Mexico  Northern Ireland 2–0 2–1 1986 FIFA World Cup
5. 24 September 1986 El Molinón, Gijón, Spain  Greece 1–0 3–1 Friendly
6. 24 February 1988 La Rosaleda, Málaga, Spain  Czechoslovakia 1–0 1–2 Friendly
7. 11 October 1989 Népstadion, Budapest, Hungary  Hungary 1–0 2–2 1990 World Cup qualification
8. 26 June 1990 Marc'Antonio Bentegodi, Verona, Italy  Yugoslavia 1–1 1–2 1990 FIFA World Cup
9. 28 April 1993 Benito Villamarín, Seville, Spain  Northern Ireland 1–1 3–1 1994 World Cup qualification
10. 28 April 1993 Benito Villamarín, Seville, Spain  Northern Ireland 2–1 3–1 1994 World Cup qualification
11. 22 September 1993 Qemal Stafa, Tirana, Albania  Albania 1–0 5–1 1994 World Cup qualification
12. 22 September 1993 Qemal Stafa, Tirana, Albania  Albania 3–0 5–1 1994 World Cup qualification
13. 22 September 1993 Qemal Stafa, Tirana, Albania  Albania 4–1 5–1 1994 World Cup qualification
14. 13 October 1993 Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Republic of Ireland  Republic of Ireland 2–0 3–1 1994 World Cup qualification
15. 13 October 1993 Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Republic of Ireland  Republic of Ireland 3–0 3–1 1994 World Cup qualification
16. 19 January 1994 Balaídos, Vigo, Spain  Portugal 1–0 2–2 Friendly
17. 2 June 1994 Ratina Stadion, Tampere, Finland  Finland 2–0 2–1 Friendly
18. 10 June 1994 Claude-Robillard, Montreal, Canada  Canada 1–0 2–0 Friendly
19. 17 June 1994 Cotton Bowl, Dallas, United States  South Korea 1–0 2–2 1994 FIFA World Cup
20. 12 October 1994 City Stadium of Skopje, Skopje, Macedonia  Macedonia 1–0 2–0 Euro 1996 qualifying
21. 12 October 1994 City Stadium of Skopje, Skopje, Macedonia  Macedonia 2–0 2–0 Euro 1996 qualifying
22. 17 December 1994 Constant Vanden Stock, Brussels, Belgium  Belgium 3–1 4–1 Euro 1996 qualifying

Honours

Team

Athletic Bilbao
Barcelona
Deportivo

Individual

Statistics

Club

Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Spain League Copa del Rey Copa de la Liga Europe Total
1982/83Athletic BilbaoLa Liga71634000174
1983/8460222100103
1984/8528810410114013
1985/86274620033369
1986/87Atlético MadridLa Liga381562-314718
1987/88371652--4218
1988/89BarcelonaLa Liga372054-724926
1989/90341572-414518
1990/91331144-824517
1991/9217720-52249
1992/9318555-302610
1993/947242-10124
1994/95DeportivoLa Liga241244-403216
1995/96Sporting GijónLa Liga381844--4222
1996/97166166
Japan League Emperor's Cup J. League Cup Asia Total
1997Yokohama MarinosJ. League 126212253-3326
199821130031-2414
Spain League Copa del Rey Copa de la Liga Europe Total
1998/99AlavésLa Liga22400--224
1999/0028820--308
Country Spain 4171527040713912533205
Japan 47342284-5740
Total 46418672421553912590245

International

Spain
YearAppsGoals
1986105
198720
198881
198941
199051
199100
199210
199387
1994127
199540
199620
Total5622

Post-retirement

Immediately after retiring Salinas began working as a sports commentator, first for RTVE and then on laSexta.[13]

Personal life

Salinas' younger brother, Francisco, was also a professional footballer (centre back), and played for Athletic Bilbao and Celta. Both made their top level debuts in the 1982–83 season.[14]

References

  1. ↑ Julio Salinas, “Pichichi” ficticio (Julio Salinas, fictional “Pichichi”); El Mundo Deportivo, 28 May 1984 (Spanish)
  2. ↑ El Athletic, sin problemas (Athletic, no problem); El Mundo Deportivo, 27 March 1983 (Spanish)
  3. ↑ El Mallorca “no estuvo” en Madrid (Mallorca “was not” in Madrid); El Mundo Deportivo, 8 February 1988 (Spanish)
  4. ↑ Spain – Cup 1990; at RSSSF
  5. ↑ Sale Julio Salinas y lo arregla todo (Julio Salinas comes on and takes care of everything); El Mundo Deportivo, 31 January 1994 (Spanish)
  6. ↑ Algo se ha parado en el Barça (Something has stopped in Barça); El Mundo Deportivo, 4 December 1994 (Spanish)
  7. ↑ “Ojalá marque el gol de la victoria” (“Hopefully i will score the winning goal”); El Mundo Deportivo, 15 December 1995 (Spanish)
  8. ↑ ‘Hat trick’ de Julio Salinas (‘Hat trick’ from Julio Salinas); El Mundo Deportivo, 1 April 1996 (Spanish)
  9. ↑ El Sporting le enseña la ‘manita’ al Betis (Sporting shows ‘hand’ to Betis); El Mundo Deportivo, 22 April 1996 (Spanish)
  10. ↑ Un final insospechado (Unsuspecting ending); El Mundo Deportivo, 20 May 2000 (Spanish)
  11. ↑ De Cardeñosa a Salinas (From Cardeñosa to Salinas); El Mundo, 10 July 1994 (Spanish)
  12. ↑ Julio Salinas – Goals in International Matches; at RSSSF
  13. ↑ La Sexta ficha a Salinas, Kiko, Chapi Ferrer y Maceda (La Sexta signs Salinas, Kiko, Chapi Ferrer and Maceda); Info Periodistas, 29 August 2006 (Spanish)
  14. ↑ La 'vendetta' de los hermanos Salinas (The Salinas brothers' 'vendetta'); El País, 15 October 1995 (Spanish)

External links