Christian Fernández

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Fernández and the second or maternal family name is Salas.
Christian Fernández
Fernández in action for Almería in 2013
Personal information
Full name Christian Fernández Salas[1]
Date of birth (1985-10-15) 15 October 1985 (age 39)[1]
Place of birth Santander, Spain
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Position(s) Left-back
Youth career
Racing Santander
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2003–2007 Racing B 108 (16)
2007–2012 Racing Santander 90 (8)
2008 → Las Palmas (loan) 23 (4)
2012–2013 Almería 36 (6)
2014 D.C. United 15 (0)
2014–2016 Las Palmas 16 (0)
2015–2016 → Huesca (loan) 29 (3)
2016–2022 Oviedo 176 (9)
2022–2023 Fuenlabrada 16 (1)
2023 Gimnástica 11 (0)
Total 520 (47)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Christian Fernández Salas (born 15 October 1985) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played mainly as a left-back.

In a 20-year senior career, he totalled 276 games and 22 goals in the Segunda División over ten seasons, representing mainly Real Oviedo (six years). He added 94 appearances in La Liga, with Racing de Santander and Almería, and also had a brief Major League Soccer spell with D.C. United.

Club career

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Born in Santander, Cantabria, Fernández was a product of hometown club Racing de Santander's youth academy, and he made his first-team debut on 7 January 2007 in a 2–0 away loss against Levante UD.[2] During that season he appeared in a further ten La Liga games, scoring his first goal in a 5–4 home defeat of Athletic Bilbao three months later.[3]

Midway through the 2007–08 campaign, Fernández was loaned alongside teammate Samuel San José to Segunda División strugglers UD Las Palmas,[4] and both proved instrumental as the Canarians retained their status, with the former netting four goals.[5][6][7][8]

Fernández had a breakthrough year in 2009–10, playing 29 league matches for Racing and scoring twice, including in a 3–1 win at CA Osasuna on 21 March 2010[9] as they eventually avoided relegation. After S.L. Benfica decided to recall László Sepsi from his loan[10] he had virtually no competitor for his position, and helped his team to the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey, notably netting in a 3–2 away victory over AD Alcorcón (which had previously ousted Real Madrid), also the final aggregate score.[11]

After the arrival of Domingo Cisma, Fernández's playing time became more limited, but he still totalled 38 appearances in his last two seasons (as either a left or centre-back),[12] scoring four goals. Santander suffered relegation in 2012 and, on 9 July of that year, he signed a two-year contract with UD Almería of the second division.[13]

On 29 December 2013, after being first choice in the Andalusians' return to the top flight but only a reserve subsequently, Fernández was released.[14] On 7 February of the following year, aged 28, he moved abroad for the first time in his career, signing with Major League Soccer's D.C. United.[15]

Fernández returned to his country on 6 July 2014, joining former club Las Palmas for three years.[16] On 6 August 2015, he was loaned to fellow division two team SD Huesca for one year.[17]

On 7 July 2016, Fernández signed a two-year deal with Real Oviedo in the second tier.[18] He never played less than 31 matches in his first five seasons at the Estadio Carlos Tartiere,[19][20] but only made four competitive appearances in 2021–22.[21][22]

Fernández moved to the lower leagues subsequently, where he represented CF Fuenlabrada (Primera Federación)[23] and Gimnástica de Torrelavega (Segunda Federación).[24] He retired in May 2023 at 37, being immediately appointed general manager and youth system coordinator at the latter.[25]

Personal life

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Ahead of the 2018–19 season, Fernández announced that we would wear a shirt with the name Bolaño in it in honour of his father's second name.[26][27]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Bolaño". Diario AS. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  2. ^ Bolufer, Daniel (7 January 2007). "Importante victoria levantinista ante un Racing sin puntería (2–0)" [Important Levante win against aimless Racing (2–0)]. Diario Siglo XXI (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 December 2017.
  3. ^ "Racing Santander 5–4 Athletic Bilbao". ESPN Soccernet. 1 April 2007. Archived from the original on 3 January 2013. Retrieved 22 July 2012.
  4. ^ "Christian Fernández se despide de la Unión rumbo a Santander" [Christian Fernández bids farewell to Unión heading for Santander]. Marca (in Spanish). 4 June 2008. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  5. ^ Herrera, Cándido (20 January 2008). "Volvemos a la cruda realidad (2–1)" [Back to the naked truth (2–1)]. La Verdad (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 8 May 2014. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  6. ^ "Las Palmas salva un punto ante el Racing de Ferrol" [Las Palmas rescue point against Racing de Ferrol]. Marca (in Spanish). 9 February 2008. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  7. ^ "La UD Las Palmas derrota a un Cádiz sin rumbo" [UD Las Palmas beat drifting Cádiz]. Diario Bahía de Cádiz (in Spanish). 23 March 2008. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  8. ^ "Repaso de Las Palmas a un indolente Elche" [Las Palmas steamroll dormant Elche]. Marca (in Spanish). 31 May 2008. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  9. ^ "Racing rediscover scoring touch". ESPN Soccernet. 21 March 2010. Retrieved 29 November 2012.
  10. ^ "Racing Santander devolve Sepsi ao Benfica" [Racing Santander return Sepsi to Benfica] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 4 January 2010. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  11. ^ "El Alcorcón se baja de la carroza" [Alcorcón get off pedestal]. El País (in Spanish). 6 January 2010. Retrieved 22 June 2013.
  12. ^ "Christian se postula como sustituto de Cisma" [Christian poised as Cisma replacement]. La Nueva España (in Spanish). 22 February 2012. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
  13. ^ "Christian Fernández cambia el Racing de Santander por la UD Almería" [Christian Fernández swaps Racing de Santander for UD Almería] (in Spanish). Goal. 9 July 2012. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
  14. ^ Ferrero, Txabi (3 December 2013). "Christian paga caro el ascenso" [Christian pays dearly for promotion]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  15. ^ "DC United sign Spanish left back Cristian Fernandez Salas". Major League Soccer. 7 February 2014. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  16. ^ "Christian Fernández, refuerzo para la banda izquierda" [Christian Fernández, addition for left flank] (in Spanish). UD Las Palmas. 6 July 2014. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  17. ^ "Christian Fernández jugará cedido en el Huesca hasta final de temporada" [Christian Fernández will play on loan at Huesca until the end of the season] (in Spanish). UD Las Palmas. 6 August 2015. Archived from the original on 10 August 2015. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
  18. ^ "Christian Fernández, nuevo jugador del Real Oviedo" [Christian Fernández, new player of Real Oviedo] (in Spanish). Real Oviedo. 7 July 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  19. ^ "Christian, el indiscutible" [Christian, the undisputed one] (in Spanish). El Desmarque. 1 March 2017. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  20. ^ Álvarez, Iván (25 October 2018). "Christian Fernández: «Sé que desempeño una labor ingrata, pero no necesito el reconocimiento de nadie»" [Christian Fernández: "I know my work is an ungrateful one, but I don't need acknowledgement from anybody"]. El Comercio (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  21. ^ Suárez, A. (25 December 2021). "Las notas de la primera vuelta en el Real Oviedo: defensas" [First-half-of-the season grades at Real Oviedo: defenders]. La Voz de Asturias (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  22. ^ "Mossa y Christian Fernández siguen sin tener noticias del Oviedo" [Still no news from Oviedo for Mossa and Christian Fernández] (in Spanish). Radiotelevisión del Principado de Asturias. 3 June 2022. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  23. ^ "Bolaño, segundo fichaje del Fuenla" [Bolaño, second signing of Fuenla] (in Spanish). CF Fuenlabrada. 14 July 2022. Archived from the original on 18 July 2022. Retrieved 14 August 2022.
  24. ^ García Mayo, Óscar (31 January 2023). "Christian Fernández: "Haberme retirado en el Racing hubiera sido la manera ideal de cerrar el círculo"" [Christian Fernández: "To retire at Racing would have been the perfect way of coming full circle"] (in Spanish). Cadena SER. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  25. ^ "Christian Fernández cuelga las botas y se une a la estructura ejecutiva de la RS Gimnástica" [Christian Fernández hangs up boots and joins RS Gimnástica's executive structure]. El Diario Cantabria (in Spanish). 26 May 2023. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  26. ^ "Dorsales oficiales de la temporada 2018/19" [Official jerseys of the 2018/19 season] (in Spanish). Real Oviedo. 17 August 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
  27. ^ García, Ramón Julio (3 June 2022). "Christian Fernández ya es historia del Real Oviedo" [Christian Fernández is already history at Real Oviedo]. El Comercio (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 March 2023.
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