Gelson Fernandes facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Gelson Fernandes

Fernandes with Rennes in 2016
Personal information
Full name	Gelson da Conceição Tavares Fernandes
Date of birth	(1986-09-02) 2 September 1986 (age 38)
Place of birth	Praia, Cape Verde
Height	1.80 m
Playing position	Defensive midfielder
Youth career
1995–2004	Sion
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2004–2007	Sion	56	(1)
2007–2009	Manchester City	43	(3)
2009–2012	Saint-Étienne	33	(0)
2010–2011	→ Chievo (loan)	29	(2)
2011–2012	→ Leicester City (loan)	15	(1)
2012	→ Udinese (loan)	16	(1)
2012–2013	Sporting CP	6	(0)
2013	→ Sion (loan)	14	(0)
2013–2014	SC Freiburg	30	(1)
2014–2017	Rennes	93	(1)
2017–2020	Eintracht Frankfurt	58	(1)
Total		393	(11)
National team
2005–2007	Switzerland U21	9	(0)
2007–2018	Switzerland	67	(2)
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Gelson da Conceição Tavares Fernandes (born 2 September 1986) is a Swiss former professional footballer. He played as a defensive midfielder, which means he helped protect his team's goal. Gelson is famous for scoring the winning goal against Spain in the 2010 World Cup. Spain later went on to win that tournament!

Club Career Highlights

Starting at FC Sion

Gelson Fernandes began his football journey at FC Sion in Switzerland. He joined the club when he was just seven years old. By 2004, he was good enough to play for the first team.

The 2005–06 season was a big one for Gelson. He played much more often as a central midfielder. He even helped his team win the Swiss Cup in a penalty shootout.

In the 2006–07 season, Gelson scored his first goals for Sion. He scored in the Swiss Cup and also in a European game. This was in the UEFA Cup against Bayer Leverkusen. He played 41 games that season, scoring four goals.

Moving to Manchester City

On 14 July 2007, Gelson joined Manchester City in England. He was bought for about €6 million. His new manager, Sven-Göran Eriksson, thought Gelson was the best young player in Switzerland.

Gelson played his first game for Manchester City in August 2007. He made his league debut in October. By November, he was a regular player in the midfield.

He scored his first goal for Manchester City on 2 January 2008. It took him only 40 seconds after coming on as a substitute! He scored again in February against Arsenal. In his first season, he played 32 games and scored two goals.

For the 2008–09 season, Gelson changed his shirt number. He scored his first goal of that season in a huge 6–0 win against Portsmouth. He also scored in the League Cup. However, he played less often as the season went on. He made 27 appearances and scored two goals that season.

Playing for Saint-Étienne

In July 2009, Gelson moved to France to play for Saint-Étienne. He signed a two-year contract. He played his first game for them in the opening match of the season.

Gelson quickly became an important defensive midfielder for the team. Sometimes, he even played as a right-back. His first season was a bit tough, but he helped the club avoid being relegated. He played 38 games in his first season.

Loan Spells Across Europe

After his time at Saint-Étienne, Gelson went on several loan moves. This meant he played for other teams temporarily.

Chievo

In August 2010, Gelson went on loan to Chievo in Italy. He played his first game for them in September. He quickly became a regular player.

He scored his first goal for Chievo in a 3–1 win against Napoli. He scored another goal later that season. He played 30 games and scored two goals for Chievo.

Leicester City

Fernandes playing for Leicester City in 2011

In August 2011, Gelson moved to England again. He joined Leicester City on loan. His former manager, Sven-Göran Eriksson, was also at Leicester.

Gelson played his first game for Leicester on 6 August 2011. Two weeks later, he scored his first goal for the club. He was a regular player until the manager was changed. He left Leicester in January 2012, having played 18 games and scored one goal.

Udinese

Fernandes with Leicester City in 2011

After Leicester, Gelson went on another loan. He joined Udinese in Italy in January 2012. He made his debut for Udinese in the Coppa Italia.

He became a regular player for Udinese, starting many games in midfield. He scored his first goal for them in April 2012. He played 17 games and scored once for Udinese.

Joining Sporting CP

In July 2012, Gelson signed a four-year contract with Sporting CP in Portugal. He played his first game for them in the opening match of the season.

He also helped Sporting Lisbon win a game in the UEFA Europa League. However, he didn't play as much as he hoped. He made 12 appearances for the club.

Back to FC Sion (loan)

In December 2012, Gelson returned to his first club, FC Sion, on loan. He quickly became a regular player for them again. He played 16 games during this loan spell.

Time at SC Freiburg

Fernandes playing for SC Freiburg in 2013

On 27 June 2013, Gelson signed a long-term contract with Bundesliga side SC Freiburg in Germany. He made his league debut in the first game of the season.

Gelson became a key defensive midfielder for Freiburg. He scored his first goal for the club on 23 November 2013. He played 38 games and scored one goal in his season there.

Return to France with Stade Rennais

In August 2014, Gelson signed a four-year contract with French club Stade Rennais. He made his debut for them as a substitute.

He quickly became a regular player in midfield. He had a hamstring injury that kept him out for a month. In his first season, he played 36 games.

In the 2015–16 season, Gelson continued to play regularly. He even captained the team for the first time! He scored his first goal for Stade Rennais in November 2015. He played 37 games and scored once that season.

In the 2016–17 season, Gelson played in the first eight league matches. He also captained the team twice. He made his 100th appearance for Stade Rennais in May 2017. He played 28 games that season.

Final Club: Eintracht Frankfurt

On 2 June 2017, Gelson joined another German club, Eintracht Frankfurt. He signed a two-year deal. He played his first game for them in the DFB-Pokal cup.

He played regularly for the first two months. However, he got a hamstring injury that kept him out for two months. He returned in November 2017. He played 22 games that season.

In the 2018–19 season, Gelson was even given the captain's armband for Eintracht Frankfurt! He scored his first goal for the club in September 2018. He signed a new contract to stay until 2020. He played 37 games and scored once that season.

In his final season, 2019–20, Gelson helped Eintracht Frankfurt reach the UEFA Europa League Group Stage. He faced more injuries that season. On 14 May 2020, Gelson announced he would retire from football at the end of the season. He played his last game in May 2020, captaining the team. He finished his career with 22 appearances that season.

International Career

Fernandes with Switzerland in 2015

Gelson Fernandes could play for either Switzerland or Cape Verde. He chose to play for Switzerland. He played for Switzerland's youth teams from Under-16 to Under-21. He even captained the Switzerland U-21 team.

He played his first game for the senior Switzerland team in August 2007. He was part of the Swiss squad for UEFA Euro 2008. He played in all three of their games in that tournament.

Gelson scored his first goal for Switzerland on 28 March 2009. It was a header that helped them win 2–0 against Moldova. He helped Switzerland qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

At the 2010 World Cup, Gelson scored a famous goal. It was the winning goal against Spain on 16 June 2010. Switzerland won 1–0! This made him a national hero. However, Switzerland did not make it past the group stage.

He was also selected for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. He played one game in that tournament against Argentina. Switzerland lost that game 1–0.

In May 2016, Gelson was chosen for the UEFA Euro 2016 tournament in France. He played in two group games as a substitute. In the Round of 16, Switzerland lost on penalties to Poland.

Gelson was also part of the 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. He was an unused substitute in that tournament. Switzerland was knocked out in the last 16. After this, Gelson announced he was retiring from international football.

Life After Football

After retiring from playing, Gelson Fernandes moved into football administration. From July 2021 to July 2022, he was the Vice-president of his old club, FC Sion.

In April 2022, FIFA (the world football body) announced Gelson's new job. He became the Director of Member Associations Africa. In this role, he helps African football associations grow and develop. He works with them through FIFA's programs. In March 2023, he visited Ghana to meet with their football association and government officials.

Personal Life

Gelson Fernandes was born in Praia, Cape Verde. He moved to Switzerland with his mother when he was five years old. His family settled in Sion. His father, Jose, works for FC Sion as a groundskeeper.

Gelson is proud of his Cape Verdean roots. He speaks Portuguese, the language of Cape Verde. He also speaks Creole, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and English! He is even learning Chinese for fun.

Gelson has many cousins who are also footballers. These include Manuel Fernandes, Adilson Cabral, Edimilson Fernandes, Elton Monteiro, and Ulisses Garcia.

Gelson is married to Tiffany, and they have a daughter named Sienna. He also has another daughter from a previous relationship.

Career Statistics

Scores and results list Switzerland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Fernandes goal.

List of international goals scored by Gelson Fernandes

No.	Date	Venue	Cap	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition	Ref.
1	28 March 2009	Zimbru Stadium, Chișinău, Moldova	17	Moldova	2–0	2–0	2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
2	16 June 2010	Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban, South Africa	25	Spain	1–0	1–0	2010 FIFA World Cup

Honours

FC Sion

• Swiss Cup: 2005–06

Eintracht Frankfurt

• DFB-Pokal: 2017–18

See also

In Spanish: Gelson Fernandes para niños