Fernando Hierro

Fernando Hierro

Hierro in 2015
Personal information
Full name Fernando Ruiz Hierro
Date of birth (1968-03-23) 23 March 1968
Place of birth Vélez-Málaga, Spain
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing position Centre back / Defensive midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Oviedo (head coach)
Youth career
1980–1984 Vélez-Málaga
1984 Málaga
1985–1987 Vélez-Málaga
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1987–1989 Valladolid 58 (3)
1989–2003 Real Madrid 439 (102)
2003–2004 Al Rayyan 19 (3)
2004–2005 Bolton Wanderers 29 (1)
Total 545 (109)
National team
1989–1990 Spain U21 5 (2)
1989–2002 Spain 89 (29)
Teams managed
2014–2015 Real Madrid (assistant)
2016– Oviedo

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.


This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Ruiz and the second or maternal family name is Hierro.

Fernando Ruiz Hierro (Spanish pronunciation: [ferˈnando ˈʝero]; born 23 March 1968) is a Spanish retired footballer, and the current coach of Real Oviedo. He is mostly known for his spells with Real Madrid and Spain, appearing in more than 500 official games with the former and representing the latter on nearly 90 occasions, while appearing in four World Cups and two European Championships.

Equally at ease as a central defender, sweeper or defensive midfielder, he had the ability, at his peak, to combine solid defensive play with a near-unlimited passing range and surprising goalscoring talent,[1] which made him one of the world's most sought-after players.[2] With the Merengues, he won five La Liga and three UEFA Champions League trophies over the course of nearly 15 years.

Club career

Early years / Real Madrid

Hierro was born in Vélez-Málaga, Province of Málaga. After beginning his football career at local club Vélez-Málaga he had a very brief youth spell with neighbouring CD Málaga, where he was told he was not good enough for the sport, which prompted a return home.[2] He eventually made his La Liga debuts with Real Valladolid, being bought by Real Madrid in the 1989 summer after two solid seasons.

At Real, Hierro scored seven goals in 37 games in his first season, and eventually had his position on the field advanced by coach Radomir Antić, continuing his good performances with the addition of goals – in three seasons combined he netted an astonishing 44 league goals, 21 alone in 1991–92, a career-best.[3] During years, he often partnered club great Manolo Sanchís in the centre of the defense, being instrumental in the conquest of five leagues and three UEFA Champions League trophies[4][5][6] and being named captain after the latter's retirement.

On 24 March 2002, Hierro scored a hat-trick in a 3–1 home win against Real Zaragoza,[7] although the ultimate leader would be Valencia CF. He was released at the end of the 2002–03 season alongside club manager Vicente del Bosque,[8] under rather unceremonious circumstances; having appeared in 497 top division matches over the course of 16 seasons (105 goals), he then chose a lucrative move to the wealthy but developing Middle East football industry, joining Qatar's Al Rayyan Sports Club.

Bolton

After just one year, Hierro returned to Europe to sign with Premier League side Bolton Wanderers[9] on the advice of his English teammate at Real Madrid Steve McManaman, and teaming up with another former player of that club, Iván Campo. He scored once during his tenure, which came in a 2–3 loss at Norwich City in December 2004[10] and, even though hard-pressed by fans and manager Sam Allardyce to stay for a further campaign,[11] he announced his retirement from professional football on 10 May 2005.[12]

In 2007, The Times placed Hierro at number 43 in their list of the 50 hardest footballers in history.[13]

Málaga / Real Madrid return

In July 2011, Hierro returned to his native region, being appointed Málaga CF's director of football.[14][15] On 28 May 2012, even though the club finished fourth and qualified for the Champions League for the first time ever, he left his position.[16]

On 10 July 2014, Hierro was named assistant coach of Real Madrid, replacing Zinedine Zidane – who left to take the reins of Real Madrid Castilla – in Carlo Ancelotti's staff.[17] Two years later, he was given his first full managerial role, being appointed at second division side Real Oviedo for the upcoming season with the option of a further year.[18]

International career

Hierro was capped 89 times for Spain and scored 29 goals, being only surpassed by Raúl (who also took over his captain armband in June 2002, when he retired), David Villa and Fernando Torres. He made his debut on 20 September 1989 – freshly signed by Madrid – in a 1–0 friendly win with Poland in A Coruña,[19] and appeared for the nation in the 1990 (although only as a squad member), 1994, 1998 and 2002 FIFA World Cups, as well as UEFA Euro 1996 (where he missed a penalty as Spain crashed out to hosts England in a shootout) and 2000.

One of Hierro's most important goals came during the 1994 World Cup qualification, as he headed the winner against Denmark that allowed ten-men Spain to qualify for the final tournament in the United States.[20] In the finals, he scored after an individual effort against Switzerland in the round-of-16,[21] before his team was eliminated by Italy in the quarterfinals.

Although he had already been in charge for a few weeks, Hierro was officially presented as sporting director of the Royal Spanish Football Federation in late September 2007.[22] He remained four years in the position.[23]

International goals

[24]

# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 19 December 1990 Benito Villamarín, Seville, Spain  Albania 4–0 9–0 Euro 1992 qualifying
2. 19 February 1992 Luís Casanova, Valencia, Spain  CIS 1–1 1–1 Friendly
3. 11 March 1992 Nuevo José Zorrilla, Valladolid, Spain  United States 2–0 2–0
4. 22 April 1992 Benito Villamarín, Seville, Spain  Albania 3–0 3–0 1994 World Cup qualification
5. 28 April 1993 Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, Seville, Spain  Northern Ireland 3–1 3–1
6. 17 November 1993 Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, Seville, Spain  Denmark 1–0 1–0
7. 2 July 1994 RFK Memorial Stadium, Washington, United States   Switzerland 1–0 3–0 1994 FIFA World Cup
8. 17 December 1994 Constant Vanden Stock, Brussels, Belgium  Belgium 1–1 1–4 Euro 1996 qualifying
9. 7 June 1995 Benito Villamarín, Seville, Spain  Armenia 1–0 1–0
10. 6 September 1995 Nuevo Los Cármenes, Granada, Spain  Cyprus 5–0 6–0
11. 11 October 1995 Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark  Denmark 0–1 1–1
12. 4 September 1996 Svangaskarð, Toftir, Faroe Islands  Faroe Islands 1–5 2–6 1998 World Cup qualification
13. 13 November 1996 Heliodoro Rodríguez López, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain  Slovakia 4–1 4–1
14. 30 April 1997 Crvena Zvezda, Belgrade, Serbia  Yugoslavia 0–1 1–1
15. 8 June 1997 Nuevo José Zorrilla, Valladolid, Spain  Czech Republic 1–0 1–0
16. 13 June 1998 La Beaujoire, Nantes, France  Nigeria 1–0 2–3 1998 FIFA World Cup
17. 24 June 1998 Félix-Bollaert, Lens, France  Bulgaria 1–0 6–1
18. 14 October 1998 Ramat Gan, Tel Aviv, Israel  Israel 1–1 1–2 Euro 2000 qualifying
19. 27 March 1999 Mestalla, Valencia, Spain  Austria 4–0 9–0
20. 5 May 1999 Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, Seville, Spain  Croatia 2–1 3–1 Friendly
21. 5 June 1999 El Madrigal, Villarreal, Spain  San Marino 1–0 9–0 Euro 2000 qualifying
22. 4 September 1999 Ernst Happel, Vienna, Austria  Austria 1–2 1–3
23. 8 September 1999 Nuevo Vivero, Badajoz, Spain  Cyprus 8–0 8–0
24. 7 October 2000 Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid, Spain  Israel 2–0 2–0 2002 World Cup qualification
25. 15 November 2000 La Cartuja, Seville, Spain  Netherlands 1–0 1–2 Friendly
26. 24 March 2001 José Rico Pérez, Alicante, Spain  Liechtenstein 3–0 5–0 2002 World Cup qualification
27. 2 June 2001 Carlos Tartiere, Oviedo, Spain  Bosnia and Herzegovina 1–0 4–1
28. 2 June 2002 Gwangju World Cup Stadium, Gwangju, South Korea  Slovenia 3–1 3–1 2002 FIFA World Cup
29. 7 June 2002 Jeonju World Cup Stadium, Jeonju, South Korea  Paraguay 3–1 3–1

Personal life

Hierro's older brothers, Antonio and Manuel, were also professional footballers and defenders. The latter paired up with Fernando at Valladolid, as the club finished eighth in 1987–88.[26][27]

Statistics

Club

[28]

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 Supercopa de España Europe Total
1987–88ValladolidLa Liga29100––291
1988–8929200––292
1989–90Real MadridLa Liga37750–40467
1990–91357302051458
1991–92372173–925326
1992–93331380–654718
1993–9434103020414311
1994–9533720–50407
1995–96317402151429
1996–9739662––458
1997–982832010103416
1998–9928641–81408
1999–0020520–142367
2000–0129510–131436
2001–023055020140515
2002–0325011–120381
Qatar League Emir of Qatar Cup League Cup Asia Total
2003–04Al RayyanQatar Stars League193–––193
England League FA Cup League Cup Europe Total
2004–05BoltonPremier League2910000–291
Total Spain 4971055379110917668130
Qatar 193–––193
England 2910000–291
Career total 5451095379110917716134

International

Spain[24]
YearAppsGoals
198920
199011
199140
199263
199362
1994132
199573
199692
199762
199873
199965
200092
200172
200262
Total8929

Managerial statistics

As of match played 26 November 2016
Managerial record by team and tenure
Team Nat From To Record
G W D L GF GA GD Win %
Oviedo[29] Spain 8 June 2016 Present 17 6 5 6 19 20 −1 35.29
Total 17 6 5 6 19 20 −1 35.29

Honours

Club

Real Madrid
Al Rayyan

Individual

References

  1. ↑ The world's most successful top division goal scorers of all time among defensive players; at International Federation of Football History & Statistics
  2. 1 2 Real Madrid biography (Spanish)
  3. ↑ "Un gol para un doble liderato" [One goal for a double first place] (PDF) (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 9 March 1992. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  4. ↑ "Juventus 0–1 Real Madrid". UEFA.com. 20 May 1998. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
  5. ↑ "Real Madrid 3–0 Valencia". UEFA.com. 24 May 2000. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
  6. ↑ "Madrid win ninth European crown". UEFA.com. 15 May 2002. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
  7. ↑ Spain round-up: Hierro hits hat-trick in Madrid victory; UEFA.com, 24 March 2002
  8. ↑ Axe falls on Del Bosque and Hierro; UEFA.com, 24 June 2003
  9. ↑ Bolton ready for Hierro worship; UEFA.com, 12 August 2004
  10. ↑ "Norwich 3–2 Bolton". BBC Sport. 11 December 2004. Retrieved 1 September 2009.
  11. ↑ Hierro wise to the benefits of English approach; UEFA.com, 18 November 2008
  12. ↑ Hero Hierro calls it a day; UEFA.com, 10 May 2005
  13. ↑ "Top 50 hardest footballers". Empire. 13 August 2007. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  14. ↑ Málaga CF: Fernando Hierro, la última estrella del jeque (Málaga CF: Fernando Hierro, the sheikh's latest star); Ideal, 7 July 2011 (Spanish)
  15. ↑ Málaga: Hierro anuncia que no es prioridad fichar en enero (Málaga: Hierro announces there are no urgencies to sign in January); Goal.com, 24 November 2011 (Spanish)
  16. ↑ Hierro quits as Malaga general manager; FIFA.com, 28 May 2012
  17. ↑ "Fernando Hierro será el nuevo ayudante de Carlo Ancelotti" [Fernando Hierro will be Carlo Ancelotti's new assistant] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 10 July 2014. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  18. ↑ "Fernando Hierro named new boss of Spanish side Real Oviedo". Sky Sports. 8 June 2016. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
  19. ↑ "1–0: El pie de Míchel marcó ante Polonia el camino que España buscará en Hungria" [1–0: Míchel's foot set track in Poland that Spain will seek in Hungary] (in Spanish). ABC. 21 September 1989. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
  20. ↑ "Cañizares debutaba en la selección siendo céltico" [Cañizares made national team debut as a céltico] (in Spanish). La Voz de Galicia. 17 November 2015. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
  21. ↑ Week 21 – Il grande stratega; ESPN Soccernet, 10 February 2012
  22. ↑ Hierro será presentado el jueves como director deportivo de la Federación (Hierro to be presented Thursday as sporting director of the Federation); El Mundo, 24 September 2007 (Spanish)
  23. ↑ Triumphant Spain share lesson in humility; UEFA.com, 31 December 2010
  24. 1 2 Fernando Ruiz Hierro – Goals in International Matches; at RSSSF
  25. ↑ España vuelve a ganar a Austria y pone un pie en la fase final de la Eurocopa del 2000 (España defeats Austria again and is all but qualified to Euro 2000); El Mundo, 4 September 1999 (Spanish)
  26. ↑ "Fallece el padre de Fernando y Manolo Hierro" [Father of Fernando and Manolo Hierro dies] (in Spanish). La Opinión de Málaga. 17 September 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  27. ↑ "La saga de los Hierro" [The Hierro saga] (in Spanish). Historias del Real Madrid. 26 November 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  28. ↑ "Fernando Hierro". Footballdatabase. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  29. ↑ "Hierro: Fernando Ruiz Hierro Matches 2016–17". BDFutbol. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
  30. ↑ "FIFA XI´s Matches – Full Info". RSSSF. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
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