Fernando Redondo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Fernando Redondo

Redondo in 2019
Personal information
Date of birth	(1969-06-06) 6 June 1969 (age 56)
Place of birth	Adrogué, Argentina
Height	1.86 m
Playing position	Defensive midfielder
Youth career
	Talleres RE
1979–1985	Argentinos Juniors
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1985–1990	Argentinos Juniors	65	(1)
1990–1994	Tenerife	103	(8)
1994–2000	Real Madrid	165	(4)
2000–2004	AC Milan	16	(0)
Total		349	(13)
National team
1992–1999	Argentina	29	(1)
Honours Men's football Representing  Argentina Copa América Winner 1993 Ecuador FIFA Confederations Cup Winner 1992 Saudi Arabia South American U-17 Championship Winner 1985 Argentina
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Fernando Carlos Redondo Neri, born on June 6, 1969, is a famous Argentine former football player. He was a defensive midfielder, known for his amazing skills in the middle of the field. He played for big clubs like Real Madrid and AC Milan. Redondo was also a key player for the Argentina national team in the 1990s.

He started his professional career with Argentinos Juniors. He then spent ten years playing in Spain's top league, La Liga, for CD Tenerife and Real Madrid. Later, he finished his career in Italy with AC Milan, though injuries cut his time there short. With Real Madrid, he won two La Liga championships and two UEFA Champions League trophies. He also won the Champions League with AC Milan in 2003.

Redondo played for the Argentina national team throughout the 1990s. He represented his country in the 1994 FIFA World Cup. He also helped Argentina win the 1992 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 1993 Copa América.

Club Career Highlights

Starting in Argentina and Spain

Fernando Redondo began his football journey in Adrogué, Argentina. He played his first game in the top Argentine league at just 16 years old for Argentinos Juniors. He stayed with this team for five years before moving to Spain.

Redondo made his debut in Spain's La Liga with CD Tenerife. During his time there, Real Madrid twice missed out on winning the league title on the very last day of the season. These losses happened in matches against Tenerife. When Tenerife's coach, Jorge Valdano, moved to Real Madrid in 1994, Redondo also joined Real Madrid for about US$5 million.

Success with Real Madrid

The most important years of Redondo's career were spent at Real Madrid. Here, he won two league championships. He also helped the team win the UEFA Champions League twice, in 1998 and 2000. In the 2000 Champions League, his excellent play earned him the Most Valuable Player award for the competition.

In a famous quarter-final match against Manchester United at Old Trafford, Redondo made an incredible play. He dribbled past a defender by backheeling the ball around him, then got it back and passed to Raúl for a goal. After the game, Manchester United's manager, Alex Ferguson, famously asked, "What does this player have in his boots? A magnet?". For his amazing performances, he was named the Champions League and UEFA Club Footballer of the Year.

While playing in Madrid, Redondo was nicknamed El Principe, which means "The Prince." In 2013, a Spanish newspaper called him one of the "Best foreign eleven in Real Madrid's history." He played 268 games and scored 12 goals in the Spanish top division.

Time at AC Milan

In 2000, Redondo moved to the Italian club A.C. Milan for about £11 million. This move was a bit controversial because he said he wanted to stay at Real Madrid. Some Real Madrid fans even protested outside the stadium.

Sadly, Redondo suffered a serious knee injury very early in his time with AC Milan. This injury kept him from playing for two and a half years. He even stopped taking his salary and tried to return the house and car the club had given him.

Despite his injuries, Redondo did play a small part in Milan's success in the 2002–03 and 2003–04 seasons. He played 16 league games and also appeared in the Champions League and Coppa Italia. In late 2004, at 35 years old, he retired from football after another knee injury.

International Career

Redondo played 29 games for the Argentina national team. Most of these games were between 1992 and 1994. His first game for Argentina was on June 18, 1992, in a friendly match against Australia, which Argentina won 2–0.

Redondo chose not to join the national team just before the 1990 FIFA World Cup. He said he wanted to focus on his law studies. He also mentioned he didn't agree with the coach's defensive style. Redondo later explained, "I was picked for Argentina's World Cup squad in 1990 but I knew I wasn't going to be in the starting line-up, I would just be another squad member, so I preferred to stay home."

In the 1994 FIFA World Cup, Redondo played in all of Argentina's matches. However, Argentina lost 3–2 to Romania in the round of 16. After this tournament, he chose not to play under the new coach, Daniel Passarella. Passarella had strict rules, including banning long hair for players. Redondo refused to cut his hair and was left out of the team. Even famous player Diego Maradona and the country's president spoke about the situation.

Passarella did not pick Redondo for the 1998 FIFA World Cup squad. He stated that Redondo had refused to play for the national team twice before. Redondo later explained, "I was in great form. But he had particular ideas about discipline and wanted me to have my hair cut. I didn't see what that had to do with playing football so I said no again."

In 1999, when Marcelo Bielsa was Argentina's coach, Redondo was called back for two friendly matches against Brazil. He was named "Player of the Match" in a 2–0 win in Buenos Aires. However, he later decided not to accept any more call-ups, choosing to focus on his club career instead. In 2015, he was included in an all-time best team by the Argentine Football Association.

Playing Style

Fernando Redondo was an elegant and smart midfielder who played in front of the defense. He was known for his great passing, excellent vision, and amazing control of the ball with his left foot. He could control the speed of his team's play in the middle of the field, which made him a very important player for Real Madrid in the 1990s.

Even though he wasn't super fast, he could accelerate quickly. He was also a strong and effective tackler, meaning he was good at winning the ball back from opponents. This meant he helped his team a lot in defense, as well as in attack. His role was sometimes compared to a "metodista" in Italian football, which means he could both direct the play and help defend.

Many people consider Redondo one of the best midfielders of his time. However, his career was often affected by injuries, especially towards the end.

Personal Life

Redondo grew up in a wealthy family involved in industry. In the early years of his football career, he also studied law at university. He married the cousin of another footballer, Santiago Solari. His sons, Federico and Fernando Jr., also became involved in football.

Redondo is an avid reader. His two favorite authors are Jorge Luis Borges and Gabriel García Márquez.

Honours

Real Madrid

• La Liga: 1994–95, 1996–97
• Supercopa de España: 1997
• UEFA Champions League: 1997–98, 1999–2000
• Intercontinental Cup: 1998

Milan

• Serie A: 2003–04
• Coppa Italia: 2002–03
• UEFA Champions League: 2002–03
• UEFA Super Cup: 2003

Argentina U17

• South American U-17 Championship: 1985

Argentina

• Copa América: 1993
• FIFA Confederations Cup: 1992

Individual

• FIFA Confederations Cup: Golden Ball 1992
• FIFA XI: 1996
• Tenerife Player of The Year: 1992–93, 1993–94
• Real Madrid Player of The Year: 1996–97, 1999–2000
• ESM Team of the Year: 1997–98
• Trofeo EFE: Player of The Decade 1990–99
• UEFA Club Footballer of the Year: 1999–2000
• AFA Team of All Time (published 2015)
• IFFHS Argentina All Times Dream Team: 2021