Gabriel Fernández (footballer, born 1994)

Gabriel Matías Fernández Leites (born 13 May 1994) is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a centre-forward for Spanish club Celta.[1]

Gabriel Fernández
Personal information
Full name Gabriel Matías Fernández Leites
Date of birth (1994-05-13) 13 May 1994
Place of birth Montevideo, Uruguay
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[1]
Playing position(s) Centre-forward[2]
Club information
Current team
 Celta
Number 19
Youth career
Club Atlético Pablan
Bella Vista
Defensor Sporting
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013–2014 Defensor Sporting 4 (0)
2013 → Cerro Largo (loan) 12 (2)
2014–2018 Racing Club 49 (15)
2018–2019 Peñarol 40 (17)
2019– Celta 16 (1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 21:55, 1 February 2020 (UTC)

Career

Fernández had youth stints with Club Atlético Pablan, Bella Vista and Defensor Sporting, featuring for the latter at the 2012 U-20 Copa Libertadores in Peru; where they finished as runners-up to Argentina's River Plate.[3] On 8 January 2013, Fernández completed a loan move to fellow Primera División team Cerro Largo.[1] He made his bow on 23 February against Montevideo Wanderers, which preceded his first goals arriving in March versus Progreso and Racing Club.[1] Fernández returned to his parent club for 2013–14, making four appearances before leaving to join Racing Club.[1][4] Braces followed in season one over Atenas and Sud América.[1]

After spending three further seasons with Racing Club, participating in forty-nine matches and netting fifteen goals, Fernández switched teams in January 2018 by agreeing to sign for Peñarol.[1][5] He scored his first goal on 24 February during a win over Liverpool, a club he later notched his first career hat-trick against in the following August on the way to Peñarol's fiftieth league title.[1]

On 26 January 2019, Fernández secured a transfer to La Liga side Celta; effective from the following July, pending the outcome of his court case.[1][6][7] The deal was confirmed on 4 July by Celta.[8] His debut arrived in a home defeat to Real Madrid on 17 August.[1] He got his opening goal for them on 24 August, scoring with a backheel flick to earn Celta a 1–0 win over Valencia in La Liga.[9]

Personal life

On 29 December 2018, Fernández was involved in a traffic collision in Montevideo which left Romina Fernández, 18, in a vegetative state, he had allegedly been speeding at 60km/h in a 45 speed limit zone.[7][10][11][12] After testifying in court in May, the judge prohibited him from leaving the country without permission; with a work-dependent curfew also being set.[7][10][11][12] Celta, who Fernández signed a pre-contract agreement with in the subsequent January, added a clause to the transfer that would see it cancelled if he was found guilty.[7] In June 2019, his passport was returned and a settlement was reached with Romina's family which allowed Fernández to travel to officialise his transfer to Celta.[13]

Career statistics
As of 25 August 2019.[1]
Club statistics
Club Season League Cup Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Defensor Sporting 2012–13 Primera División 00—000000
2013–14 40—000040
Total 40—000040
Cerro Largo (loan) 2012–13 Primera División 122——00122
Racing Club 2014–15 145——00145
2015–16 160——00160
2016 158——00158
2017 42——0042
Total 4915——004915
Peñarol 2018 Primera División 2812—7[lower-alpha 1]11[lower-alpha 2]03613
2019 125—5[lower-alpha 1]01[lower-alpha 3]0185
Total 4017—111205318
Celta 2019–20 La Liga 2100—0021
Career total 10735001212012136
  1. Appearance(s) in the Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana
  2. Appearance(s) in the Primera División play-offs
  3. Appearance(s) in the Supercopa Uruguaya

Honours
Peñarol[1]

References
  1. "Uruguay - G. Fernández". Soccerway. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  2. "Gabriel Fernández". "World Football. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  3. "Gabriel Fernández: de no ser tenido en cuenta en Defensor a un soñado debut con Peñarol". Fútbol. 23 January 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  4. "Ficha Estadistica de GABRIEL FERNANDEZ". BDFA. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  5. "Toro aurinegro: la historia del llanto a la ilusión". El Observador. 18 January 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  6. "España: Gabriel Fernández firmó contrato y posó con la camiseta del Celta de Vigo". Fútbol. 26 January 2019. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  7. "Cláusula del Celta de Vigo puede jaquear el pase del Toro Fernández si va a prisión". El País. 4 May 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  8. "El RC Celta enriquece su ataque con el talento y los goles del uruguayo Gabriel Fernández". Celta. 4 July 2019. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
  9. "Fernandez Puts RC Celta In Front Of Valencia". beIN SPORTS USA. 24 August 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
  10. "Toro Fernández no podrá salir de Uruguay tras atropellar a una joven". La Voz de Galicia. 9 February 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  11. "El fiscal pide la imputación del Toro Fernández por atropello". La Voz de Galicia. 29 April 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  12. "La situación procesal de Gabriel Fernández hace peligrar su llegada al Celta". La Voz de Galicia. 2 May 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  13. "Gabriel Fernández recupera el pasaporte y viajará el lunes a España". Marca. 28 June 2019. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
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