Fernando Hierro

Fernando Ruiz Hierro (Spanish pronunciation: [feɾˈnando ˈʝero]; born 23 March 1968) is a Spanish former footballer who played as a central defender, sweeper or defensive midfielder, and is a coach.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Ruiz and the second or maternal family name is Hierro.
Fernando Hierro
Hierro as Spain manager at the 2018 World Cup
Personal information
Full name Fernando Ruiz Hierro
Date of birth (1968-03-23) 23 March 1968[1]
Place of birth Vélez-Málaga, Spain
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Position(s) Centre back / Defensive midfielder
Youth career
1980–1984 Vélez
1984 Málaga
1985–1987 Vélez
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)
2016–2017 Oviedo
2018 Spain
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

He won five La Liga and three Champions League trophies with Real Madrid over 14 years after signing from Valladolid, during which he appeared in more than 500 official matches. He also competed professionally in Qatar and England.

Hierro represented Spain on nearly 90 occasions, appearing in four World Cups and two European Championships. He started working as a manager in 2016 with Oviedo, being appointed at the helm of the national team two years later.

Playing career

Early years and Real Madrid

Hierro was born in Vélez-Málaga, Province of Málaga. After beginning his football career at local club Vélez CF 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 debut with Real Valladolid, being bought by Real Madrid in the summer of 1989 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][4] 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[5][6][7] 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,[8] 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,[9] 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.[10]

Bolton

After just one year, Hierro returned to Europe to sign with Premier League side Bolton Wanderers[11] 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[12] and, even though hard-pressed by fans and manager Sam Allardyce to stay for a further campaign,[13] he announced his retirement from professional football on 10 May 2005.[14]

International

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 Silva, Fernando Torres and David Villa. He made his debut on 20 September 1989 – freshly signed by Madrid – in a 1–0 friendly win with Poland in A Coruña,[15] 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.[16]

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.[17] In the finals, he scored after an individual effort against Switzerland in the round of 16,[18] before his team was eliminated by Italy in the quarter-finals following a 2–1 loss.[19]

Coaching career

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.[20] He remained four years in the position.[21]

Hierro returned to his native region in July 2011, being appointed Málaga CF's director of football.[22][23] 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.[24]

Hierro at the 2018 World Cup

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.[25] He was given his first full managerial role two years later, being appointed at Segunda División side Real Oviedo for the upcoming season with the option of a further year;[26] on 14 June 2017, after missing out on the promotion playoffs on the final matchday, he left the Estadio Carlos Tartiere by mutual consent.[27]

Hierro returned to the Royal Spanish Football Federation as sporting director on 27 November 2017.[28] He was appointed as the manager of Spain on 13 June 2018[29] after the sacking of Julen Lopetegui two days before their first match at the World Cup, following the latter's decision to join Real Madrid after the tournament.[30] Two days later, he led the team to a 3–3 group stage draw against Portugal;[31] on 8 July, following a penalty shootout loss to hosts Russia in the round of 16, he stepped down from his post and also announced that he would not return to his role as sporting director.[32]

Style of play

Equally at ease as a central defender, sweeper or defensive midfielder, Hierro had the ability, at his peak, to combine solid defensive play with a near-unlimited passing range and surprising goalscoring talent,[33] which made him one of the world's most sought-after players.[2] A large, physically imposing and intimidating defensive presence, he was also known for his positional sense, strength in the air, tenacity and the ability to time his challenges well.[34][35]

Regarded as a highly competitive and hard-tackling defender, The Times placed Hierro at number 43 in their list of the 50 hardest footballers in history in 2007.[36]

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.[37][38]

Career statistics

Club

[39][40]

Club Season League Cup League or Super Cup Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Spain League Copa del Rey Supercopa de España Europe Total
Valladolid1987–88La Liga29100––291
1988–8929200––292
Real Madrid1989–90La 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
Al Rayyan2003–04Qatar Stars League193–––193
England League FA Cup League Cup Europe Total
Bolton Wanderers2004–05Premier League2910000–291
Total Spain 4971055379110917668130
Qatar 193–––193
England 2910000–291
Career total 5451095379110917716134

International statistics

[16]

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

International goals

[16]

#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.19 December 1990Benito Villamarín, Seville, Spain Albania4–09–0Euro 1992 qualifying
2.19 February 1992Luís Casanova, Valencia, Spain CIS1–11–1Friendly
3.11 March 1992Nuevo José Zorrilla, Valladolid, Spain United States2–02–0
4.22 April 1992Benito Villamarín, Seville, Spain Albania3–03–01994 World Cup qualification
5.28 April 1993Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, Seville, Spain Northern Ireland3–13–1
6.17 November 1993Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, Seville, Spain Denmark1–01–0
7.2 July 1994RFK Memorial Stadium, Washington, United States  Switzerland1–03–01994 FIFA World Cup
8.17 December 1994Constant Vanden Stock, Brussels, Belgium Belgium1–11–4Euro 1996 qualifying
9.7 June 1995Benito Villamarín, Seville, Spain Armenia1–0 (p)1–0
10.6 September 1995Nuevo Los Cármenes, Granada, Spain Cyprus5–06–0
11.11 October 1995Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark Denmark0–1 (p)1–1
12.4 September 1996Svangaskarð, Toftir, Faroe Islands Faroe Islands1–52–61998 World Cup qualification
13.13 November 1996Heliodoro Rodríguez López, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain Slovakia4–14–1
14.30 April 1997Crvena Zvezda, Belgrade, Serbia Yugoslavia0–1 (p)1–1
15.8 June 1997Nuevo José Zorrilla, Valladolid, Spain Czech Republic1–0 (p)1–0
16.13 June 1998La Beaujoire, Nantes, France Nigeria1–02–31998 FIFA World Cup
17.24 June 1998Félix-Bollaert, Lens, France Bulgaria1–0 (p)6–1
18.14 October 1998Ramat Gan Stadium, Ramat Gan, Israel Israel1–11–2Euro 2000 qualifying
19.27 March 1999Mestalla, Valencia, Spain Austria4–0 (p)9–0
20.5 May 1999Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, Seville, Spain Croatia2–1 (p)3–1Friendly
21.5 June 1999El Madrigal, Villarreal, Spain San Marino1–09–0Euro 2000 qualifying
22.4 September 1999Ernst-Happel, Vienna, Austria Austria1–21–3
23.8 September 1999Nuevo Vivero, Badajoz, Spain Cyprus8–08–0
24.7 October 2000Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid, Spain Israel2–02–02002 World Cup qualification
25.15 November 2000La Cartuja, Seville, Spain Netherlands1–01–2Friendly
26.24 March 2001José Rico Pérez, Alicante, Spain Liechtenstein3–0 (p)5–02002 World Cup qualification
27.2 June 2001Carlos Tartiere, Oviedo, Spain Bosnia and Herzegovina1–04–1
28.2 June 2002Gwangju World Cup Stadium, Gwangju, South Korea Slovenia3–1 (p)3–12002 FIFA World Cup
29.7 June 2002Jeonju World Cup Stadium, Jeonju, South Korea Paraguay3–1 (p)3–1
  • Notably, during the match against Austria on 4 September 1999, Hierro scored at both ends.[41]

Managerial statistics
As of match played 1 July 2018
Managerial record by team and tenure
Team Nat From To Record Ref
G W D L GF GA GD Win %
Oviedo 8 June 2016 13 June 2017 43 17 10 16 50 51 −1 039.53 [42]
Spain 13 June 2018 8 July 2018 4 1 3 0 7 6 +1 025.00
Total 47 18 13 16 57 57 +0 038.30 —

Honours

Club

Real Madrid

Al Rayyan

Individual

References
  1. "Fernando Hierro" (in German). German Football Association. Retrieved 28 May 2019.
  2. Norbert (2012). "Biografía" [Biography] (in Spanish). Real Madrid Fans. Archived from the original on 15 April 2013. Retrieved 27 April 2009.
  3. "Un gol para un doble liderato" [One goal for a double first place] (PDF). Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 9 March 1992. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  4. "Hierro recibió el cariño y reconocimiento de todo el madridismo" [Hierro received the love and acknowledgement of the entire madridismo]. La Nación (in Spanish). 21 May 2005. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
  5. "Juventus 0–1 Real Madrid". UEFA. 20 May 1998. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
  6. "Real Madrid 3–0 Valencia". UEFA. 24 May 2000. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
  7. "Madrid win ninth European crown". UEFA. 15 May 2002. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
  8. "Spain round-up: Hierro hits hat-trick in Madrid victory". UEFA. 24 March 2002. Retrieved 26 May 2010.
  9. "Axe falls on Del Bosque and Hierro". UEFA. 24 June 2003. Retrieved 26 May 2010.
  10. "Hierro embraces Qatar challenge". UEFA. 27 August 2003. Retrieved 11 March 2018.
  11. Eeles, Alex (12 August 2004). "Bolton ready for Hierro worship". UEFA. Retrieved 26 May 2010.
  12. "Norwich 3–2 Bolton". BBC Sport. 11 December 2004. Retrieved 1 September 2009.
  13. Hunter, Graham (18 November 2008). "Hierro wise to the benefits of English approach". UEFA. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  14. Hall, Andy (10 May 2005). "Hero Hierro calls it a day". UEFA. Retrieved 26 May 2010.
  15. "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]. ABC (in Spanish). 21 September 1989. p. 81. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
  16. Pierrend, Jose Luís (15 February 2003). "Fernando Ruiz Hierro – Goals in International Matches". RSSSF. Retrieved 12 September 2006.
  17. Fernández, Alberto (17 November 2015). "Cañizares debutaba en la selección siendo céltico" [Cañizares made national team debut as a céltico]. La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 June 2016.
  18. Álvarez, Eduardo (10 February 2012). "Week 21 – Il grande stratega". ESPN Soccernet. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  19. "La resurrezione dell'Arrigo" [The resurrection of the Arrigo]. Il Corriere della Sera (in Italian). 10 July 1994. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
  20. "Hierro será presentado el jueves como director deportivo de la Federación" [Hierro to be presented Thursday as sporting director of the Federation]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 24 September 2007. Retrieved 27 April 2009.
  21. Roxburgh, Andy (31 December 2010). "Triumphant Spain share lesson in humility". UEFA. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  22. Badía, Ana M. (7 July 2011). "Málaga CF: Fernando Hierro, la última estrella del jeque" [Málaga CF: Fernando Hierro, the sheikh's latest star]. Ideal (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 March 2012.
  23. "Málaga: Hierro anuncia que no es prioridad fichar en enero" [Málaga: Hierro announces there are no urgencies to sign in January] (in Spanish). Goal. 24 November 2011. Retrieved 22 March 2012.
  24. "Hierro quits as Malaga general manager". FIFA. 28 May 2012. Retrieved 30 July 2012.
  25. "Fernando Hierro será el nuevo ayudante de Carlo Ancelotti" [Fernando Hierro will be Carlo Ancelotti's new assistant]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 10 July 2014. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  26. "Fernando Hierro named new boss of Spanish side Real Oviedo". Sky Sports. 8 June 2016. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
  27. "Hierro departs Real Oviedo". Football España. 14 June 2017. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  28. "Fernando Hierro reappointed Spanish Football Association sporting director". ESPN. 27 November 2017. Retrieved 13 June 2018.
  29. Rubio, Carmelo (13 June 2018). "OFFICIAL | Fernando Hierro to assume role as head coach for the Russia World Cup". Royal Spanish Football Federation. Archived from the original on 15 June 2018. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  30. Lowe, Sid (13 June 2018). "Julen Lopetegui sacked as Spain manager after accepting Real Madrid job". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 June 2018.
  31. "Live | Cristiano Ronaldo scores sensational hat-trick as Portugal hold Spain in instant World Cup classic: live updates". The Daily Telegraph. 15 June 2018. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  32. "OFFICIAL | Fernando Hierro steps down as Spain sporting director". Royal Spanish Football Federation. 8 July 2018. Archived from the original on 8 July 2018. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  33. "World Record of the national championships (1888/89 – 2007)". International Federation of Football History & Statistics. Archived from the original on 17 October 2007. Retrieved 18 December 2013.
  34. "Last action Hierro". The Guardian. 6 April 2003. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  35. Marsden, Samuel (2 October 2013). "Ranking the 20 Most Intimidating Defenders in La Liga History". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  36. "Top 50 hardest footballers". Empire. 13 August 2007. Archived from the original on 19 October 2015. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  37. Extremera, Fran (17 September 2013). "Fallece el padre de Fernando y Manolo Hierro" [Father of Fernando and Manolo Hierro dies]. La Opinión de Málaga (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  38. "La saga de los Hierro" [The Hierro saga] (in Spanish). Historias del Real Madrid. 26 November 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  39. Fernando Hierro at BDFutbol
  40. "Fernando Hierro". Footballdatabase. Retrieved 4 June 2015.
  41. "España vuelve a ganar a Austria y pone un pie en la fase final de la Eurocopa del 2000" [Spain defeat Austria again and are all but qualified to Euro 2000]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 4 September 1999. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
  42. "Hierro: Fernando Ruiz Hierro". BDFutbol. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
  43. "Las competiciones oficiales de la CONMEBOL" [The CONMEBOL official competitions] (in Spanish). CONMEBOL. 19 August 2015. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
  44. "FIFA XI´s Matches – Full Info". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 17 November 2015. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  45. "UEFA Club Defender of the Year". UEFA. 1 May 2011. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
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