Manu del Moral

Manuel del Moral Fernández (born 25 February 1984), commonly known as Manu, is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as either a forward or winger.

This article uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Del Moral and the second or maternal family name is Fernández.

Manu
Manu in action for Sevilla in 2011
Personal information
Full name Manuel del Moral Fernández
Date of birth (1984-02-25) 25 February 1984
Place of birth Jaén, Spain
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position(s) Forward
Youth career
Jaén
2001–2002 Atlético Madrid
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2002–2006 Atlético Madrid B 71 (11)
2004–2006 Atlético Madrid 5 (0)
2004–2005 → Recreativo (loan) 33 (4)
2006–2011 Getafe 159 (37)
2011–2015 Sevilla 56 (11)
2013–2014 → Elche (loan) 24 (2)
2014–2015 → Eibar (loan) 28 (3)
2015–2016 Valladolid 25 (3)
2016–2018 Numancia 52 (18)
2018–2019 Gimnàstic 15 (2)
2019 Rayo Majadahonda 14 (3)
Total 482 (94)
National team
2002–2003 Spain U19 4 (3)
2002–2003 Spain U20 9 (0)
2005 Spain U23 5 (2)
2011 Spain 1 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

He played 272 games and scored 53 goals in La Liga, representing Atlético Madrid, Getafe, Sevilla, Elche and Eibar. In Segunda División, serving five other teams, he recorded 138 appearances and 29 goals.

Manu won one cap for the Spanish national team.

Club career

Atlético

Manu was born in Jaén, Andalusia. After starting his youth career with local Real Jaén[1] he finished it with Atlético Madrid, where he played alongside Braulio, and served a one-and-a-half-season loan in the second division at Recreativo de Huelva, appearing in only five matches during his first year.

While mainly registered with the capital side's reserves, Manu did play five La Liga games in the 2005–06 campaign, mainly as a late substitute.[2]

Getafe

Manu joined Madrid neighbours Getafe CF for 2006–07, scoring his first top-flight goal on 22 October 2006 in a 2–1 victory at precisely Recreativo[3] and finishing the season with eight (squad's second-best, behind Daniel Güiza). The following campaign he teamed up again with Braulio, and netted seven times – joint-top scorer alongside Juan Ángel Albín – while also helping the Madrid outskirts team to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup.[4]

The arrival of Roberto Soldado relegated del Moral to a more secondary role in 2008–09, but he still made 29 league appearances, operating mostly on the wings. On 24 January 2010, he scored the game's only goal as Getafe defeated former side Atlético Madrid for the first time at home in its history;[5] on 7 November, after netting in a 1–3 home loss against FC Barcelona, he became the club's best-ever scorer in the top division for the second time, surpassing precisely Soldado.[6]

On 14 March 2011, Manu scored three goals against Athletic Bilbao in only 25 minutes, one in his own net, in an eventual 2–2 home draw.[7] He finished the season with nine goals, in a narrow escape from relegation.[2]

Sevilla

On 23 May 2011, del Moral signed a four-year contract with Sevilla FC for €4 million.[8] Following the departure of winger Diego Capel and the ageing of striker Frédéric Kanouté, he was immediately cast into his new team's starting XI. On 25 October, he hit an injury-time header to earn his side one point at home against Racing de Santander (2–2) – he had also opened the score late into the first half.[9]

In late March 2012, Manu scored braces in two consecutive 3–0 away wins, first against Santander then in a local derby at Granada CF.[10][11] After only three competitive goals in the 2012–13 campaign, he was loaned to Elche CF[12] and SD Eibar,[13] but managed just five top-tier goals both clubs combined.[14][15]

Later years

On 27 August 2015, del Moral signed a one-year contract with Real Valladolid.[16] He continued to play in the second level the following seasons, representing CD Numancia,[17] Gimnàstic de Tarragona and CF Rayo Majadahonda.[18]

Del Moral announced his retirement on 26 September 2019, at the age of 35.[19]

International career

On 7 June 2011, after his best season at Getafe,[2] del Moral made his debut for Spain, replacing David Villa during half-time of a 3–0 friendly win against Venezuela.[20][21]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played on 23 August 2018[22]
Club Season League Cup Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Atlético Madrid B 2002–03 Segunda División B 363——363
2003–04 141——141
Total 504——504
Recreativo (loan) 2003–04 Segunda División 51——51
2004–05 28340—323
Total 3344000374
Atlético Madrid 2005–06 La Liga 5000—50
Total 5000—50
Getafe 2006–07 La Liga 30860—368
2007–08 3475170468
2008–09 29510—398
2009–10 36881—449
2010–11 3092050379
Total 1593722212019339
Sevilla 2011–12 La Liga 341040204010
2012–13 22152—273
Total 561192206713
Elche (loan) 2013–14 La Liga 24200—242
Total 24200—242
Eibar (loan) 2014–15 La Liga 28300—283
Total 28300—283
Valladolid 2015–16 Segunda División 25300—253
Total 25300—253
Numancia 2016–17 Segunda División 20910—219
2017–18 32910—339
Total 521820—5418
Gimnàstic 2018–19 Segunda División 1000—10
Career totals 4278237414047886

Honours

Club

Getafe

International

Spain U20

Spain U23

References
  1. Cómo se 'fabrica' un Manu del Moral (How to 'make' a Manu del Moral); Ideal, 21 January 2008 (in Spanish)
  2. Carretero, Rodrigo (25 May 2011). "Del Moral se va con la música a Estados Unidos" [Del Moral takes his music to the United States] (in Spanish). El País. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  3. "Abbondanzieri protagoniza la victoria al parar un penalti" [Abbondanzieri the protagonist in win after saving a penalty] (in Spanish). El Mundo. 22 October 2006. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  4. "El sueño azulón acabó en el último minuto de una prórroga inolvidable (3–3)" [The blue dream ended in the last minute of an unforgettable overtime (3–3)] (in Spanish). 20 minutos. 11 April 2008. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  5. Manu haunts old club; ESPN Soccernet, 24 January 2010
  6. Manu, máximo goleador en la historia del Getafe (Manu, top goal scorer in Getafe history); Diario AS, 7 November 2010 (in Spanish)
  7. Vera rescues point for Bilbao; ESPN Soccernet, 14 March 2011
  8. Official: Sevilla sign Manu del Moral and Piotr Trochowski; Goal, 23 May 2011
  9. Manu salvages point for Sevilla; ESPN Soccernet, 25 October 2011
  10. Manu double downs Racing; ESPN Soccernet, 22 March 2012
  11. Sevilla cruise to victory; ESPN Soccernet, 26 March 2012
  12. Quintero, Fede (5 July 2013). "Manu del Moral y Stevanovic llegan cedidos al Elche" [Manu del Moral and Stevanovic arrive to Elche on loan] (in Spanish). Marca. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  13. "El Sevilla cede a Manu del Moral al Eibar" [Sevilla loan Manu del Moral to Eibar] (in Spanish). Marca. 8 August 2014. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  14. Palomar, Julián (12 February 2014). "Manu del Moral se apunta a ser un 'cincuentón'" [Manu del Moral digs being 'fifty'] (in Spanish). Marca. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  15. Gómez, Letizia (16 May 2018). "La doble cara de las cesiones" [The two faces of loans] (in Spanish). El Diario Vasco. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  16. "Manu del Moral, más gol para el Pucela" [Manu del Moral, more goal for Pucela] (in Spanish). Real Valladolid. 27 August 2015. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  17. "Manu del Moral, nuevo jugador del C. D. Numancia" [Manu del Moral, new player of C. D. Numancia] (in Spanish). CD Numancia. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  18. "Manu del Moral refuerza la delantera del CF Rayo Majadahonda" [Manu del Moral bolsters the forward line of CF Rayo Majadahonda] (in Spanish). CF Rayo Majadahonda. 23 January 2019. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  19. "Manu del Moral se retira tras 10 años en Primera y siete en Segunda" [Manu del Moral retires after 10 years in Primera and seven in Segunda] (in Spanish). Marca. 26 September 2019. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  20. Manu wins first Spain call-up; ESPN Soccernet, 25 May 2011
  21. Macdonald, Paul (5 June 2011). "Cazorla & Silva shine, Negredo nets, Torres returns – Spain extract maximum satisfaction from comfortable USA triumph". Goal. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
  22. "Manu del Moral". Soccerway. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
  23. Garin, Erik. "Mediterranean Games 2005 (Spain)". RSSSF. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
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