Fernando Morena facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Fernando Morena

Morena in 2011
Personal information
Full name	Fernando Morena Belora
Date of birth	(1952-02-02) 2 February 1952 (age 73)
Place of birth	Punta Gorda, Montevideo, Uruguay
Height	1.77 m
Playing position	Striker
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1968	Racing Montevideo
1969–1972	River Plate Montevideo	48	(27)
1973–1979	Peñarol	140	(162)
1979–1980	Rayo Vallecano	34	(21)
1980–1981	Valencia	31	(16)
1981–1983	Peñarol	50	(39)
1984	Boca Juniors	7	(1)
1984	Peñarol	6	(2)
Total		316	(268)
National team
1971–1983	Uruguay	53	(22)
Teams managed
1988	Peñarol
1989	Huracán Buceo
1991	Real Murcia
1996–1998	River Plate Montevideo
1999–2000	Colo-Colo
2003	River Plate Montevideo
2005	Peñarol
Honours Representing  Uruguay Copa América Winner 1983
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Fernando Morena Belora, born on February 2, 1952, is a famous Uruguayan former football player. He was an amazing striker, known for scoring lots of goals. People often called him "Nando" or "Potrillo," which means "Colt" – like a young, strong horse. He is the top goal scorer ever in the history of Uruguay's main football league, the Uruguayan Primera División. He scored an incredible 230 goals in 244 games in that league! In his nearly 20-year career, he scored a total of 268 goals.

Fernando Morena's Club Career

Morena drinking mate in 1982

Fernando Morena began his professional football journey in 1968. He started with Racing Club de Montevideo. In 1969, he moved to River Plate from Montevideo, where he played until 1972.

Playing for Peñarol

In 1973, Morena joined Peñarol, one of Uruguay's biggest clubs. This was a very successful time for him. He helped Peñarol win the Uruguayan Primera championship four times in a row. From 1973 to 1978, he was the top scorer in the Uruguayan league for six years straight! He also led in goals during the Copa Libertadores in both 1974 and 1975.

Playing in Europe

In 1979, Fernando Morena went to Spain to play for Rayo Vallecano. He stayed there for one season. Then, in 1980, he moved to another Spanish team, Valencia.

Return to Peñarol and More Trophies

Morena returned to Peñarol in 1981. His return brought even more success to the team. They won two more Uruguayan league titles in 1981 and 1982. Peñarol also won the Copa de Oro in 1981 and the important Copa Libertadores in 1982. After that, they won the 1982 Intercontinental Cup, which is a big international club trophy.

Later Career and Retirement

In 1983, Fernando Morena played for Flamengo in Brazil. In 1984, he joined Boca Juniors in Argentina. He finally ended his amazing professional playing career back at Peñarol in 1985.

Fernando Morena's International Career

Fernando Morena first played for the Uruguay national team on October 27, 1971. In that game against Chile, Uruguay won 3–0, and Morena scored his first goal for his country.

He was part of the Uruguayan team that played in the 1974 World Cup. Overall, he played 54 international games for Uruguay. He scored 22 goals, which makes him one of the top goal scorers in the team's history.

On September 4, 1983, Morena unfortunately broke his leg while playing against Venezuela in the Copa America. He never played for the national team again after this injury. However, he is still considered a winner of the Copa América in 1983, as he was part of the team.

Fernando Morena's Coaching Career

After he stopped playing football, Fernando Morena became a coach. He coached several teams in Uruguay, Spain, and Chile. His first coaching job was at River Plate. He also coached Peñarol, Real Murcia in Spain, and Colo-Colo in Chile. In 2005, he had a second time coaching Peñarol. In 2009, he took on a new role at Peñarol, managing the club's relationships with other organizations.

Fernando Morena's Career Statistics

International Appearances and Goals

Morena with Uruguay at the 1974 World Cup

Fernando Morena played for the Uruguay from 1971 to 1983. He played a total of 53 games and scored 22 goals for his country.

Fernando Morena's Honours and Awards

Fernando Morena won many important titles and awards during his career.

Club Honours

Peñarol

• Uruguayan Primera División (6 times): 1973, 1974, 1975, 1978, 1981, 1982
• Copa Libertadores: 1982
• Intercontinental Cup: 1982

Valencia

• European Super Cup: 1980

International Honours

Uruguay

• Copa América: 1983

Individual Awards

• Uruguayan Primera División top scorer (7 times): 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1982
• Copa Libertadores top scorer: 1974, 1975, 1982
• South American Footballer of the Year Bronze Award: 1975

Fernando Morena's Football Records

Fernando Morena holds several impressive records in football:

• He scored 230 goals in Uruguayan championships. This makes him the highest-scoring player ever in the history of Uruguay's league football. He scored 268 goals in his entire career.
• He holds the record for the most goals scored in a single game in Uruguay. He scored 7 goals against Huracán Buceo in one match. He almost scored 8, but he missed a penalty kick!
• He is the highest goalscorer in a single Uruguayan Primera league season. He scored 36 goals in 1978.
• He was the top scorer in the Copa Libertadores three times (1974, 1975, and 1982).
• He is the highest-scoring Uruguayan player in the history of the Copa Libertadores. He scored 37 goals in 77 games in that competition.

See also

In Spanish: Fernando Morena para niños