Fernando Hierro facts for kids
Hierro as Spain manager at the 2018 World Cup
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 23 March 1968 | ||
| Place of birth | Vélez-Málaga, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.87 m | ||
| Playing position | Defender, defensive midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Al Nassr (sporting director) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1973–1978 | Vélez | ||
| 1979 | Málaga | ||
| 1980–1986 | Vélez | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1986–1987 | Valladolid B | ||
| 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 | ||
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Fernando Ruiz Hierro is a famous Spanish football player and executive. He was born on March 23, 1968. He played as a centre-back (a central defender), a sweeper (a defender who covers other defenders), or a defensive midfielder (a midfielder who protects the defense).
Hierro spent 14 years playing for Real Madrid. During this time, he helped them win five La Liga titles and three Champions League trophies. He played in 601 official matches for the club. He also played professionally in Qatar and England.
He played for the Spanish national team 89 times. He took part in four World Cups and two European Championships. After retiring as a player, he became a manager. He coached Oviedo in 2016 and later managed the Spanish national team in 2018.
Contents
Club Career: Early Days and Real Madrid
Fernando Hierro was born in Vélez-Málaga, a town in Spain. He started his football journey at his local club, Vélez. He had a very short time playing for a nearby club, CD Málaga. However, he was told he wasn't good enough for the sport, so he went back home.
He didn't give up! He eventually made his debut in La Liga, Spain's top football league, with Real Valladolid. After two strong seasons there, Real Madrid bought him in the summer of 1989.
At Real Madrid, Hierro quickly showed his talent. In his first season (1989–90), he scored seven goals in 37 games. His coach, Radomir Antić, even moved him to a more attacking position on the field. This helped him score even more goals. He scored an amazing 44 league goals in three seasons, with 21 goals in the 1991–92 season alone!
For many years, he often played alongside Manolo Sanchís in the center of defense. He was a key player in Real Madrid winning five league titles and three UEFA Champions League trophies. After Manolo Sanchís retired, Hierro became the team's captain.
On March 24, 2002, Hierro scored three goals in one game (a hat-trick) against Real Zaragoza. Real Madrid won that game 3–1. He left Real Madrid at the end of the 2002–03 season. He had played in 497 top-division matches over 16 seasons, scoring 105 goals. After leaving Real Madrid, he moved to Qatar to play for Al-Rayyan.
Playing in England: Bolton Wanderers
After just one year in Qatar, Hierro returned to Europe. He signed with Premier League team Bolton Wanderers in England. His former Real Madrid teammate, Steve McManaman, suggested he join the club. He also played with another former Real Madrid player, Iván Campo, at Bolton.
He scored one goal for Bolton, which happened in a 3–2 loss against Norwich City in December 2004. Even though fans and his manager, Sam Allardyce, wanted him to stay longer, he decided to retire from professional football on May 10, 2005.
International Career: Representing Spain
Hierro played for the Spanish national team 89 times and scored 29 goals. Only a few players have scored more goals for Spain than him. He made his debut on September 20, 1989, in a friendly game against Poland.
He played for Spain in four World Cups: 1990, 1994, 1998, and 2002. He also played in two European Championships: 1996 and 2000. In Euro 1996, Spain lost to England in a penalty shootout, and Hierro missed his penalty.
One of his most important goals for Spain came during the qualification for the 1994 World Cup. He scored a header against Denmark. This goal helped Spain, who were playing with only ten players, qualify for the tournament in the United States. In the World Cup finals, he scored a great goal against Switzerland in the round of 16. Spain was later knocked out by Italy in the quarter-finals.
Coaching and Executive Career: From Player to Coach
After his playing career, Hierro started working in football management. In September 2007, he became the sporting director (a person in charge of the sports side of a club or federation) for the Royal Spanish Football Federation. He held this important role for four years.
In July 2011, Hierro returned to his home region to become the director of football for Málaga CF. Even though the club finished fourth in the league and qualified for the Champions League for the first time ever, he left his position in May 2012.
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On July 10, 2014, Hierro was named assistant coach for Real Madrid. He worked alongside manager Carlo Ancelotti. Two years later, he got his first full managerial job. He was appointed coach of Segunda División (Spain's second division) team Real Oviedo for the 2016–17 season. He left Oviedo in June 2017 after they just missed out on the promotion playoffs.
Hierro went back to the Spanish Football Federation as sporting director in November 2017. A big moment came on June 13, 2018. He was appointed as the manager of the Spanish national team. This happened just two days before their first match at the World Cup! The previous manager, Julen Lopetegui, had been fired. Hierro led the team to a 3–3 draw against Portugal in their first game. However, Spain lost to hosts Russia in a penalty shootout in the round of 16. After this, Hierro stepped down as manager and also left his role as sporting director.
In October 2022, Hierro became the sporting director for Guadalajara in Mexico's top league, Liga MX. In June 2024, he moved to Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr in the same role.
How He Played: Hierro's Style
Fernando Hierro was a very versatile player. He could play comfortably as a central defender, a sweeper, or a defensive midfielder. At his best, he was known for his strong defensive play. He also had an amazing ability to pass the ball over long distances and score many goals, which was unusual for a defender.
He was a large, strong, and intimidating player on the field. He was also known for knowing where to be on the pitch, being good at heading the ball, and being tough. He was excellent at timing his tackles to win the ball. Hierro was considered a very competitive and hard-tackling defender. In 2007, The Times newspaper even put him at number 43 on their list of the 50 hardest footballers in history.
His Family Life
Fernando Hierro has two older brothers, Antonio and Manuel. Both of them were also professional football players and defenders. Manuel even played alongside Fernando at Valladolid for a season.
In 2021, Hierro started dating Croatian television journalist Fani Stipković. They got married in Mexico in September 2023. The following month, they welcomed their first child, a son named Nicolás Valentín.
Achievements and Trophies
Fernando Hierro won many trophies and awards during his career:
Real Madrid
- La Liga: 1989–90, 1994–95, 1996–97, 2000–01, 2002–03
- Copa del Rey: 1992–93
- Supercopa de España: 1990, 1993, 1997, 2001
- UEFA Champions League: 1997–98, 1999–2000, 2001–02
- Intercontinental Cup: 1998, 2002
- UEFA Super Cup: 2002
- Copa Iberoamericana: 1994
Al-Rayyan
- Emir of Qatar Cup: 2003–04
Individual Awards
- FIFA XI: 1996, 1997, 1998
- UEFA Club Defender of the Year: 1997–98
- ESM Team of the Year: 1996–97, 1997–98
- FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2002
Images for kids
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Hierro as Spain manager at the 2018 World Cup
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Hierro at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
See also
In Spanish: Fernando Hierro para niños
