Fernando Gago facts for kids
.jpg)
Gago with Real Madrid in 2010
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 10 April 1986 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Ciudadela, Argentina | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.78 m | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Defensive midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current club | Boca Juniors (head coach) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1991–2004 | Boca Juniors | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2006 | Boca Juniors | 61 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2012 | Real Madrid | 92 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | → Roma (loan) | 30 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Valencia | 13 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013 | → Vélez Sársfield (loan) | 3 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2019 | Boca Juniors | 85 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | Vélez Sarsfield | 14 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 298 | (8) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2003 | Argentina U17 | 5 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005 | Argentina U20 | 15 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008 | Argentina U23 | 9 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2017 | Argentina | 61 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams managed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Aldosivi | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2023 | Racing Club | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023–2024 | Guadalajara | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024– | Boca Juniors | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Honours
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Fernando Rubén Gago (born on April 10, 1986) is a famous Argentine football manager and former player. He is currently the head coach for the Argentine Primera División club Boca Juniors.
During his 16 years as a player, Gago was a defensive midfielder. He played for big clubs like Boca Juniors, Real Madrid, Roma, Valencia, and Vélez Sarsfield. His playing career was affected by several serious injuries.
Gago also played for the Argentina national team from 2007 to 2017. He played in the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the Copa América tournaments. He also won a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics.
After retiring as a player, Gago became a manager. He coached Aldosivi and Racing Club in Argentina. He won two super cup trophies with Racing Club. In December 2023, he became the head coach of the Mexican team Guadalajara.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Boca Juniors
Fernando Gago was born in Ciudadela, Argentina. He started his football journey in the youth teams of Boca Juniors. He played his first professional game for Boca on December 5, 2004. Boca Juniors won that game 1–0 against Quilmes.
On October 1, 2006, Gago scored his first professional goal. It was the only goal he scored during his first time playing for Boca. His team won 3–2 against Vélez Sarsfield.
Moving to Real Madrid
On December 21, 2006, Real Madrid announced that they had signed Gago. He joined the club on a 6.5-year contract for €20 million. He joined at the same time as other young talents like Gonzalo Higuaín and Marcelo.
Gago played his first game for Real Madrid on January 7, 2007. It was a La Liga match against Deportivo de La Coruña, which Real Madrid lost 2–0. He helped Real Madrid win the league title that season.
In August 2008, Gago got a knee injury during a friendly game. This made him miss the start of the new season. He returned to play in September for a UEFA Champions League game. However, he got another injury and was out for another month.
On December 7, 2008, he scored his only goal in 121 games for Real Madrid. He scored in a 4–3 loss to Sevilla. In January 2009, he received his only red card while playing for the club.
Before the 2009–10 season, Gago changed his jersey number from 8 to 5. He wanted the number 5 because it was worn by the legendary player Zinedine Zidane. Later, under manager José Mourinho, Gago found it hard to get playing time. This was due to injuries and Mourinho preferring other players.
Loan to Roma
On August 31, 2011, Gago went on loan to the Italian team Roma. He stayed there until the end of the 2011–12 season. He said that he was different from his new teammate Daniele De Rossi, and they would play well together.
Gago played his first game for Roma on September 11, 2011. He scored his only goal for Roma against Lecce on November 20. It was a long-range shot that helped Roma win 2–1.
Unlike his time at Real Madrid, Gago did not have many injuries while at Roma. However, Roma could not afford to buy him permanently from Real Madrid.
Playing for Valencia and Vélez Sarsfield
On July 19, 2012, Gago joined Valencia for about €3.5 million. He signed a four-year contract. He played his first game for Valencia on August 19, which was a 1–1 draw against his old club, Real Madrid.
In January 2013, Gago was loaned to Vélez Sarsfield for six months. He had some muscle and knee problems during this time. He scored one goal in seven games for Vélez Sarsfield.
Returning to Boca Juniors
Boca Juniors bought 50% of Gago's playing rights from Valencia in July 2013. He signed a three-year deal, hoping to be part of Argentina's team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
In September 2015, Gago suffered a serious leg injury (Achilles tendon) during a game against River Plate. He returned to play in January 2016. In April 2016, he suffered the same injury again. He recovered and returned to play in November. His contract was extended in March 2017. He got another injury while playing for his country in October 2017.
Boca Juniors reached the 2018 Copa Libertadores Finals against their rivals River Plate. The second game was played in Madrid. Gago came into the game late and suffered another Achilles injury. Boca Juniors lost the game 3–1.
Back to Vélez Sarsfield and Retirement
Before the 2019–20 season, Gago left Boca Juniors and signed a one-year contract with Vélez Sarsfield. His new manager was Gabriel Heinze, who used to be his teammate at Real Madrid. Gago made his comeback on August 24, 2019. In November 2020, Fernando Gago announced that he was retiring from professional football at age 34.
International Career
,_Fernando_Gago_(R)_%E2%80%93_Portugal_vs._Argentina,_9th_February_2011_(1).jpg)
Gago was part of the Argentina under-20 team that won the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship. He played his first senior international game for Argentina on February 7, 2007. It was a friendly game against France, which Argentina won 1–0.
He played in the 2007 Copa América and won a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics. Gago was chosen for Argentina's team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He played his first World Cup game against Bosnia and Herzegovina. He started in other games and played in the final, which Argentina lost to Germany.
On October 5, 2017, Gago returned to the national team. In his last international match, he suffered a serious knee injury.
Playing Style
Fernando Gago was known for playing as a deep-lying playmaker. This means he played in front of the defense. He was very smart on the field and could control the game with his accurate passes. He was good at both building up attacks and stopping the opponent's plays.
When he arrived in Europe, people compared him to another famous Argentine player, Fernando Redondo. Gago was described as a "very dynamic footballer" who was good at moving the ball. He also had great vision for the game and knew how to protect the ball.
Managerial Career
Coaching Aldosivi
On January 17, 2021, Gago became the manager of Aldosivi, an Argentine team. He resigned on September 27, 2021, after his team lost six games in a row.
Leading Racing Club
Gago started coaching Racing Club on October 21, 2021. His contract was renewed in June 2022. His team finished second in the domestic season behind Boca Juniors.
On November 6, 2022, Racing Club won the Trofeo de Campeones by beating Boca Juniors 2–1. In January 2023, his team also beat Boca Juniors again to win the Supercopa Internacional. On September 30, 2023, Gago resigned from Racing Club.
Coaching Guadalajara
On December 20, 2023, the Mexican club Guadalajara announced Gago as their new head coach. He coached them for almost a year.
Back to Boca Juniors as Coach
On October 14, 2024, Boca Juniors announced that Fernando Gago would be their new head coach. This marked his return to the club where he started his playing career.
Personal Life
Fernando Gago, Sergio Agüero, and Lionel Messi were all teammates when they were kids in Argentina. They even won the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship together.
Gago loves books and art. When he first arrived in Spain, he visited the famous Museo del Prado art museum. He earned the nickname "El Pintita," which means "the little one trying to look good." His coaches and teammates used to call him this because he would play with his hair or try to look good instead of just focusing on the game.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Boca Juniors | 2004–05 | Argentine Primera División | 7 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 0 | |
| 2005–06 | 34 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 37 | 0 | |||
| 2006–07 | 20 | 1 | — | — | 1 | 0 | 21 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 61 | 1 | — | 8 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 74 | 1 | |||
| Real Madrid | 2006–07 | La Liga | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 17 | 0 | |
| 2007–08 | 31 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 42 | 0 | ||
| 2008–09 | 26 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 1 | ||
| 2009–10 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 22 | 0 | |||
| 2010–11 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | |||
| Total | 92 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 121 | 1 | ||
| Roma (loan) | 2011–12 | Serie A | 30 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 32 | 1 | |
| Valencia | 2012–13 | La Liga | 13 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 18 | 0 | |
| Vélez Sársfield (loan) | 2012–13 | Argentine Primera División | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | — | 7 | 1 | |
| Boca Juniors | 2013–14 | Argentine Primera División | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 20 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | 16 | 1 | |||
| 2015 | 14 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 0 | — | 23 | 3 | |||
| 2016 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 1 | ||
| 2016–17 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 16 | 2 | |||
| 2017–18 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 12 | 1 | |||
| 2018–19 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 14 | 0 | |||
| Total | 85 | 5 | 10 | 2 | 23 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 119 | 8 | ||
| Vélez Sársfield | 2019–20 | Argentine Primera División | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| 2020–21 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 0 | ||
| Boca Juniors total | 146 | 6 | 10 | 2 | 31 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 193 | 9 | ||
| Vélez Sársfield total | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 24 | 1 | ||
| Career total | 298 | 8 | 25 | 2 | 57 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 388 | 12 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 2007 | 13 | 0 |
| 2008 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2009 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2010 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 11 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 61 | 0 | |
Managerial Statistics
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | ||||
| Aldosivi |  |
17 January 2021 | 25 September 2021 | 26 | 7 | 3 | 16 | 30 | 45 | −15 | 26.92 |
| Racing Club | 21 October 2021 | 30 September 2023 | 109 | 53 | 30 | 26 | 170 | 119 | +51 | 48.62 | |
| Guadalajara |  |
20 December 2023 | 10 October 2024 | 38 | 17 | 11 | 10 | 53 | 39 | +14 | 44.74 |
| Boca Juniors | |
14 October 2024 | present | 13 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 19 | 11 | +8 | 46.15 |
| Total | 186 | 83 | 48 | 55 | 272 | 214 | +58 | 44.62 | |||
Honours
Player
Boca Juniors
- Argentine Primera División: 2005 Apertura, 2006 Clausura, 2015, 2016–17, 2017–18
- Copa Sudamericana: 2005
- Recopa Sudamericana: 2005, 2006
- Copa Argentina: 2015
Real Madrid
- La Liga: 2006–07, 2007–08
- Copa del Rey: 2010–11
- Supercopa de España: 2008
Vélez Sarsfield
- Argentine Primera División: 2012–13
Argentina U20
- FIFA U-20 World Cup: 2005
Argentina Olympic
- Summer Olympics: 2008
Argentina
- FIFA World Cup runner-up: 2014
- Copa América runner-up: 2007, 2015
Individual
- South American Team of the Year: 2005, 2006
Manager
Racing Club
- Trofeo de Campeones de la Liga Profesional: 2022
- Supercopa Internacional: 2022
Individual
- The Best of America Best Argentine Primera División Manager: 2022
See also
In Spanish: Fernando Gago para niños
