Christian Fernández facts for kids
![]() Fernández in action for Almería in 2013
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Personal information | |||
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Full name | Christian Fernández Salas | ||
Date of birth | 15 October 1985 | ||
Place of birth | Santander, Spain | ||
Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
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. He mostly played as a left-back.
Christian had a long career in football, lasting 20 years. He played in 276 games in the Segunda División, which is Spain's second-highest football league. He scored 22 goals in this league. He spent six years playing for Real Oviedo. He also played 94 games in La Liga, Spain's top league, for Racing de Santander and Almería. For a short time, he even played in the Major League Soccer in the United States for D.C. United.
Contents
Christian's Football Journey
Starting at Racing Santander
Christian Fernández was born in Santander, a city in Cantabria, Spain. He grew up learning to play football at his hometown club, Racing de Santander.
He made his first team debut on 7 January 2007. This was in a game against Levante UD, which Racing lost 2–0. During that season, he played in ten more La Liga games. He scored his first goal three months later in a thrilling 5–4 win against Athletic Bilbao.
Loan to Las Palmas
In the middle of the 2007–08 season, Christian was loaned to UD Las Palmas. This team was struggling in the Segunda División. Christian, along with his teammate Samuel San José, helped Las Palmas stay in the league. Christian scored four goals during his time there.
Breakthrough Season
The 2009–10 season was a big one for Christian. He played in 29 league matches for Racing and scored two goals. One important goal was in a 3–1 win against CA Osasuna on 21 March 2010. This win helped Racing avoid being moved down to a lower league.
He also helped his team reach the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey, a major Spanish cup competition. He scored a key goal in a 3–2 away victory over AD Alcorcón.
Moving to Other Clubs
Later, Christian's playing time at Racing became less frequent. He still played 38 games in his last two seasons, scoring four goals. He played as either a left-back or a centre-back. Racing was moved down to a lower league in 2012.
On 9 July 2012, he signed a two-year contract with UD Almería. This team was in the second division. He was a key player for Almería as they returned to the top league in 2013.
On 29 December 2013, Christian left Almería. On 7 February 2014, when he was 28, he moved to play football outside of Spain for the first time. He joined Major League Soccer team D.C. United in the United States.
Return to Spain and Real Oviedo
Christian returned to Spain on 6 July 2014. He rejoined his former club, Las Palmas, for three years. On 6 August 2015, he was loaned to another second division team, SD Huesca, for one year.
On 7 July 2016, Christian signed a two-year deal with Real Oviedo. This team also played in the second tier. He played a lot of games for Oviedo, never less than 31 matches in his first five seasons. He became a very important player for them.
Later Career and Retirement
After his time at Real Oviedo, Christian moved to play in lower leagues. He played for CF Fuenlabrada and Gimnástica de Torrelavega.
He stopped playing football in May 2023, at the age of 37. Right after retiring, he was given a new role. He became the general manager and youth system coordinator for Gimnástica de Torrelavega. This means he helps manage the club and looks after the young players.
Personal Life
Before the 2018–19 season, Christian Fernández decided to do something special. He announced that he would wear a shirt with the name Bolaño on it. This was to honor his father's second name.
See also
In Spanish: Christian Fernández Salas para niños