Fernando Morientes facts for kids
Morientes in 2024
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Fernando Morientes Sánchez | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 5 April 1976 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Cilleros, Spain | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Striker | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| Sonseca | ||||||||||||||||
| 1992–1993 | Albacete | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
| 1993–1995 | Albacete | 22 | (5) | |||||||||||||
| 1995–1997 | Zaragoza | 66 | (28) | |||||||||||||
| 1997–2005 | Real Madrid | 183 | (72) | |||||||||||||
| 2003–2004 | → Monaco (loan) | 28 | (10) | |||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | Liverpool | 41 | (8) | |||||||||||||
| 2006–2009 | Valencia | 66 | (19) | |||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | Marseille | 12 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 2015 | Santa Ana | 3 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 421 | (143) | ||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1993–1994 | Spain U18 | 12 | (10) | |||||||||||||
| 1995 | Spain U20 | 5 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 1995–1998 | Spain U21 | 16 | (4) | |||||||||||||
| 1996 | Spain U23 | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 1998–2007 | Spain | 47 | (27) | |||||||||||||
| Managerial career | ||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | Huracán (youth) | |||||||||||||||
| 2012–2014 | Real Madrid (youth) | |||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | Fuenlabrada | |||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||
Fernando Morientes Sánchez is a Spanish former professional footballer. He was born on April 5, 1976. He played as a striker, which means he was a forward player whose main job was to score goals.
During his career, Morientes played for several famous clubs. These included Real Madrid, Monaco, Liverpool, and Valencia. In the Spanish league, La Liga, he scored 124 goals in 337 games over 15 seasons. He won 11 major trophies with Real Madrid, including three Champions League titles.
Morientes also played 47 games for the Spanish national team. He represented his country in two World Cups, scoring five goals in total. He also played in Euro 2004. After retiring as a player, he briefly worked as a manager.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting Out in Football
Fernando Morientes was born in Cilleros, Spain. When he was four, his family moved to Sonseca. He began his professional football journey at Albacete Balompié. He played his first game in La Liga on November 7, 1993. He came on as a substitute in a match against CD Tenerife.
Morientes scored his first professional goal on October 23, 1994. It helped his team win 2–0 against Racing de Santander. He ended that season with five goals in 20 league games. He also scored in the Copa del Rey cup competition.
In 1995, Morientes joined Zaragoza. He played there for two seasons. He often played alongside another forward, Dani. In January 1996, he scored his first professional hat-trick (three goals in one game) in a cup match against Athletic Bilbao. A few weeks later, he scored another hat-trick in a league game against Valencia CF.
Success with Real Madrid
Morientes' great performances at Zaragoza caught the attention of Real Madrid, one of the biggest clubs in the world. They bought him in the summer of 1997. At first, he was a backup player. But he soon became a regular starter. In his first year, he scored 12 goals in 33 matches. Real Madrid finished fourth in the league but won the Champions League that season.
Morientes had an excellent season in 1998–99, scoring 19 league goals. He continued his strong form in 1999–2000, scoring 19 times again. He was Real Madrid's top scorer that year. He also helped the team win their second Champions League title in three years. He even scored in the final match against Valencia CF, which Real Madrid won 3–0.
In the 2000–01 season, he helped Real Madrid win their first league title with him on the team. He scored ten goals overall. In 2001–02, Real Madrid did not win the league, but Morientes kept scoring. He netted 18 league goals in 25 starts. He even scored five goals in one game against UD Las Palmas. Real Madrid won the Champions League again that season. Morientes played in the final and earned his third winner's medal.
In 2002, Real Madrid signed the famous Brazilian player Ronaldo. This meant Morientes faced more competition for a starting spot. He still stayed with the club and helped them win the league title in 2002–03.
Loan to Monaco and Return
At the start of the 2003–04 season, Morientes was loaned to Ligue 1 team AS Monaco FC. He played very well there, scoring ten goals in 28 league games. He was especially impressive in the Champions League, where he was the top scorer with nine goals. Monaco even played against Real Madrid in the quarter-finals. Morientes scored in both games, helping Monaco win on the away goals rule. He also scored in the semi-finals against Chelsea. However, Monaco lost 3–0 to FC Porto in the final.
After returning to Real Madrid in 2004, Morientes found it even harder to get playing time. This was because Michael Owen had also joined the team. Morientes played in 13 league matches, all as a substitute, without scoring. In January 2005, he moved to Liverpool. During his time at Real Madrid, he played 272 games and scored 100 goals.
Time at Liverpool
Morientes made his debut for Liverpool on January 15, 2005, against Manchester United. He scored his first goal for the club on February 1 against Charlton Athletic. Four days later, he scored his first goal at Liverpool's home stadium, Anfield, against Fulham. He could not play in the Champions League that season because he had already played for Monaco in the competition. Liverpool went on to win the Champions League final that year.
In August 2005, Morientes scored two goals in a Champions League qualifying match against PFC CSKA Sofia. His league form was not always consistent. However, in December, he scored two goals in five minutes against Middlesbrough. In March 2006, he scored in a big 7–0 win against Birmingham City in the FA Cup quarter-finals. Liverpool won the FA Cup that year, and Morientes played in the final against West Ham United.
Overall, Morientes scored 12 goals in 61 games for Liverpool. He also won the 2005 UEFA Super Cup.
Moving to Valencia
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Morientes joined Valencia in May 2006. Here, he started to play very well again. He scored in his first league game for Valencia against Betis. He also scored a hat-trick in his first Champions League game for them against Olympiacos FC. He formed a good partnership with fellow striker David Villa. Morientes scored 12 goals in 24 league games and was Valencia's top scorer in the Champions League with seven goals. His good form led to him being called back to the Spanish national team.
The 2007–08 season was a bit tougher for Valencia. Morientes got an injury in December 2007 that kept him out for almost three months. He returned in March 2008. He also came off the bench to score a goal in Valencia's 3–1 win over Getafe CF in the final of the Copa del Rey cup competition.
In the 2008–09 season, Morientes played fewer games due to his age and the strong form of other players like David Villa and Juan Mata. However, he still finished as Valencia's top scorer in European competitions with three goals.
Final Club: Marseille
On July 27, 2009, Morientes joined Marseille in France on a free transfer. He reunited with his former Monaco coach, Didier Deschamps. In his only season there, he was one of the team's strikers. He scored his only Ligue 1 goal on September 26.
Morientes left Marseille on July 1, 2010. On August 31, at 34 years old, he announced his retirement from professional football.
Coaching and a Brief Return to Play
After retiring, Morientes began a career as a coach. He started by coaching youth teams at Huracán Valencia CF. In 2012, he returned to Real Madrid to coach one of their youth academy teams.
In January 2015, at 38 years old, Morientes made a brief return to playing football. He signed with DAV Santa Ana in a regional league in Madrid. In June of that year, he became the manager of CF Fuenlabrada. He coached them until February 2016.
International Career for Spain
Morientes was a key player for the Spanish national team starting in 1998. He scored two goals in his very first game against Sweden on March 25, 1998. He then scored two more goals in each of his next two games against Northern Ireland and Bulgaria. He is ranked fourth on Spain's all-time top scorers list with 27 goals in 47 games.
Morientes scored five goals in the two FIFA World Cups he played in. He scored two goals in 1998 and three in 2002. In the 2002 World Cup, he played alongside Raúl. They both played very well. In the quarter-final match against South Korea, Morientes scored a goal in extra time that was not allowed, even though replays showed it was a good goal. Spain eventually lost that match on penalties.
Morientes was chosen for Euro 2004 in Portugal. He scored one of Spain's only two goals in that tournament. Spain did not make it past the group stage. He also played in the qualifiers for the 2006 World Cup. However, he was not chosen for the final squad for the tournament.
After he started playing well again at Valencia, Morientes was called back to the national team. He scored his 27th goal for Spain in a Euro 2008 qualifier against Denmark on March 24, 2007. He was injured a few days later and was not called up again after that.
How He Played
Fernando Morientes was considered one of the best strikers of his time. He formed a very successful partnership with Raúl at Real Madrid. He was a fast, creative, and hard-working player. He was excellent at heading the ball and was a very accurate scorer with both his head and his feet. He could score from inside or outside the penalty area. He was also good at taking free kicks.
Later in his career, as he became older and lost some of his speed, Morientes often played in a supporting role. He used his strength and control to hold the ball up for his teammates.
Media Appearances
Morientes was featured in the EA Sports' FIFA video game series. He was on the cover for the Spanish edition of FIFA 99. He also appeared in FIFA Football 2005.
More recently, Morientes competed in the third season of the Spanish TV show Mask Singer: Adivina quién canta. He was dressed as "Gorila" (Gorilla) and was declared a joint winner.
Personal Life
Fernando Morientes married his childhood sweetheart, Victoria López, on December 23, 1999. They have a son named Fernando and three daughters: Gabriela, Lucía, and Martina.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Albacete | 1993–94 | La Liga | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 4 | 1 | ||
| 1994–95 | La Liga | 20 | 5 | 6 | 2 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 7 | ||
| Total | 22 | 5 | 8 | 3 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 8 | |||
| Zaragoza | 1995–96 | La Liga | 29 | 13 | 3 | 3 | — | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 39 | 18 | |
| 1996–97 | La Liga | 37 | 15 | 3 | 1 | — | – | – | 40 | 16 | ||||
| Total | 66 | 28 | 6 | 4 | — | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 79 | 34 | |||
| Real Madrid | 1997–98 | La Liga | 33 | 12 | 2 | 0 | — | 10 | 4 | – | 45 | 16 | ||
| 1998–99 | La Liga | 33 | 19 | 5 | 6 | — | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 43 | 25 | ||
| 1999–2000 | La Liga | 29 | 12 | 5 | 0 | — | 14 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 51 | 19 | ||
| 2000–01 | La Liga | 22 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — | 8 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 10 | ||
| 2001–02 | La Liga | 33 | 18 | 5 | 0 | — | 11 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 51 | 21 | ||
| 2002–03 | La Liga | 19 | 5 | 2 | 1 | — | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 6 | ||
| 2003–04 | La Liga | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2004–05 | La Liga | 13 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | 6 | 2 | – | 21 | 3 | |||
| Total | 183 | 72 | 22 | 8 | — | 61 | 19 | 6 | 1 | 272 | 100 | |||
| Monaco (loan) | 2003–04 | Ligue 1 | 28 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 9 | – | 42 | 22 | |
| Liverpool | 2004–05 | Premier League | 13 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | – | 15 | 3 | ||
| 2005–06 | Premier League | 28 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 46 | 9 | |
| Total | 41 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 61 | 12 | ||
| Valencia | 2006–07 | La Liga | 24 | 12 | 3 | 0 | — | 10 | 7 | – | 37 | 19 | ||
| 2007–08 | La Liga | 22 | 6 | 1 | 1 | — | 8 | 1 | – | 31 | 8 | |||
| 2008–09 | La Liga | 20 | 1 | 6 | 2 | — | 7 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 34 | 7 | ||
| Total | 66 | 19 | 10 | 3 | — | 25 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 102 | 34 | |||
| Marseille | 2009–10 | Ligue 1 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | – | 19 | 1 | |
| Santa Ana | 2014–15 | Preferente | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | – | 3 | 0 | ||||
| Career total | 421 | 143 | 55 | 22 | 3 | 0 | 115 | 44 | 12 | 2 | 606 | 211 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 1998 | 6 | 7 |
| 1999 | 6 | 2 | |
| 2000 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2001 | 4 | 3 | |
| 2002 | 11 | 5 | |
| 2003 | 3 | 3 | |
| 2004 | 8 | 4 | |
| 2005 | 4 | 2 | |
| 2006 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2007 | 3 | 1 | |
| Total | 47 | 27 | |
- Scores and results list Spain's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Morientes goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 March 1998 | Balaídos, Vigo, Spain |  Sweden |
1–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
| 2 | 2–0 | |||||
| 3 | 3 June 1998 | El Sardinero, Santander, Spain |  Northern Ireland |
3–1 | 4–1 | Friendly |
| 4 | 4–1 | |||||
| 5 | 24 June 1998 | Félix Bollaert, Lens, France |  Bulgaria |
3–0 | 6–1 | 1998 FIFA World Cup |
| 6 | 4–1 | |||||
| 7 | 5 September 1998 | Antonis Papadopoulos, Larnaca, Cyprus |  Cyprus |
2–3 | 2–3 | Euro 2000 qualifying |
| 8 | 18 August 1999 | Polish Army, Warsaw, Poland |  Poland |
1–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 9 | 10 October 1999 | Carlos Belmonte, Albacete, Spain |  Israel |
1–0 | 3–0 | Euro 2000 qualifying |
| 10 | 28 March 2001 | Mestalla, Valencia, Spain |  France |
2–0 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 11 | 1 September 2001 | Mestalla, Valencia, Spain |  Austria |
2–0 | 4–1 | 2002 World Cup qualification |
| 12 | 3–0 | |||||
| 13 | 13 February 2002 | Lluís Companys, Barcelona, Spain |  Portugal |
1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 14 | 17 April 2002 | Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland | Northern Ireland |
5–0 | 5–0 | Friendly |
| 15 | 7 June 2002 | Jeonju World Cup, Jeonju, South Korea |  Paraguay |
1–1 | 3–1 | 2002 FIFA World Cup |
| 16 | 2–1 | |||||
| 17 | 16 June 2002 | Suwon World Cup, Suwon, South Korea |  Republic of Ireland |
1–0 | 1–1 | 2002 FIFA World Cup |
| 18 | 30 April 2003 | Vicente Calderón, Madrid, Spain |  Ecuador |
2–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
| 19 | 3–0 | |||||
| 20 | 4–0 | |||||
| 21 | 31 March 2004 | El Molinón, Gijón, Spain |  Denmark |
1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 22 | 5 June 2004 | Alfonso Pérez, Getafe, Spain |  Andorra |
1–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
| 23 | 16 June 2004 | Bessa, Porto, Portugal |  Greece |
1–0 | 1–1 | UEFA Euro 2004 |
| 24 | 18 August 2004 | Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, Spain |  Venezuela |
1–0 | 3–2 | Friendly |
| 25 | 3 September 2005 | El Sardinero, Santander, Spain |  Canada |
2–0 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 26 | 12 November 2005 | Vicente Calderón, Madrid, Spain |  Slovakia |
5–1 | 5–1 | 2006 World Cup qualification |
| 27 | 24 March 2007 | Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid, Spain | Denmark |
1–0 | 2–1 | Euro 2008 qualifying |
Honours and Awards
Real Madrid
- La Liga: 2000–01, 2002–03
- Supercopa de España: 2001
- UEFA Champions League: 1997–98, 1999–2000, 2001–02
- Intercontinental Cup: 1998, 2002
Monaco
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2003–04
Liverpool
- FA Cup: 2005–06
- UEFA Super Cup: 2005
- Football League Cup runner-up: 2004–05
- FIFA Club World Cup runner-up: 2005
Valencia
- Copa del Rey: 2007–08
Marseille
- Ligue 1: 2009–10
- Coupe de la Ligue: 2009–10
Spain U21
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship: 1998; runner-up: 1996
Individual
- UEFA Club Forward of the Year: 2003–04
- UEFA Champions League Top Scorer: 2003–04
- Ligue 1 Team of the Year: 2003–04
See also
In Spanish: Fernando Morientes para niños
