Luis Fernández (footballer, born 1972) facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Luis Fernández Gutiérrez | ||
| Date of birth | 29 September 1972 | ||
| Place of birth | Argomilla, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Left-back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Cayón | |||
| Atlético Perines | |||
| Racing Santander | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1992–1993 | Gimnástica | 11 | (0) |
| 1993–1996 | Racing Santander | 53 | (3) |
| 1996–2006 | Betis | 228 | (1) |
| 2006–2009 | Racing Santander | 36 | (0) |
| Total | 328 | (4) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2019–2024 | Cayón | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Luis Fernández Gutiérrez (born September 29, 1972) is a Spanish former football player. He played as a left-back, which is a defensive position on the side of the field. After his playing days, he became a manager for football teams.
Luis had a professional career that lasted 17 years. He is best known for playing for Betis for ten years, where he appeared in 271 games. He also played for Racing de Santander at two different times in his career.
Contents
Playing Football
Luis Fernández was born in Argomilla, a town in Cantabria, Spain. He started his football journey at a smaller club called Gimnástica de Torrelavega. Later, he joined a bigger local team, Racing de Santander.
Making His Debut
Luis made his first appearance in La Liga, Spain's top football league, on April 24, 1994. This big game was against Atlético Madrid. He played 58 games for Racing Santander before moving to Real Betis.
Time at Real Betis
Luis joined Real Betis for the 1996–97 season. For ten years, he was the main left-back for the team. He played a very important role in their defense.
He even played in the UEFA Champions League for Betis during the 2005–06 season. This was a huge achievement, as the Champions League is one of the biggest club competitions in Europe. He had helped the team get there by playing in 22 league games the season before.
Return to Racing and Retirement
When he was 34 years old, Luis went back to Racing Santander for the 2006–07 season. In his second season back, he played 18 matches. That year, Racing Santander achieved something special: they qualified for the UEFA Cup (now called the UEFA Europa League) for the very first time in their history.
By April 19, 2009, Luis was not playing as often. However, he reached a big milestone: he played his 300th game in Spain's top division. This game was a 1–0 loss against RCD Espanyol. He retired from playing football in the summer of 2009 when he was 37. After retiring, he continued to work with Racing Santander as a scout, looking for new talented players.
Coaching Career
In the summer of 2019, Luis Fernández started a new chapter in his football career. He became the manager of CD Cayón, a team in the Tercera División (a lower division in Spanish football). This team was in his home region of Cantabria.
During his time as manager, he helped CD Cayón get promoted to a higher league twice. However, the team was also relegated (moved down to a lower league) the same number of times. Luis left his role as manager in May 2024.
Achievements
Betis
- Copa del Rey: 2004–05 (This is a major Spanish football cup competition.)
See also
In Spanish: Luis Fernández Gutiérrez para niños
