Miguel Ángel Nadal facts for kids
Nadal in 2016
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Miguel Ángel Nadal Homar | ||
| Date of birth | 28 July 1966 | ||
| Place of birth | Manacor, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.87 m | ||
| Playing position | Defender, midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1980–1983 | Manacor | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1983–1986 | Manacor | 61 | (13) |
| 1986–1987 | Mallorca B | 20 | (1) |
| 1987–1991 | Mallorca | 130 | (22) |
| 1991–1999 | Barcelona | 208 | (13) |
| 1999–2005 | Mallorca | 155 | (6) |
| Total | 574 | (55) | |
| National team | |||
| 1991–2002 | Spain | 62 | (3) |
| 2002 | Balearic Islands | 1 | (0) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2010–2011 | Mallorca (assistant) | ||
| 2011 | Mallorca (caretaker) | ||
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Miguel Ángel Nadal Homar, born on July 28, 1966, is a retired Spanish football player. He was known for being a very flexible player. He could play as a defender or a midfielder.
He started and finished his football career playing for RCD Mallorca. However, he achieved his biggest successes while playing for FC Barcelona. He was part of their famous "Dream Team" era. During this time, he won many titles in Spain and Europe. Over 19 years as a professional, he played 493 matches. 463 of those games were in La Liga, Spain's top football league.
Nadal also played for the Spain national football team during the 1990s and early 2000s. He represented Spain in three FIFA World Cup tournaments. He also played in the Euro 1996 championship.
Contents
Club Career: Playing for Top Teams
Miguel Ángel Nadal was born in Manacor, a town on the island of Mallorca in Spain. He began his professional career in La Liga (Spain's top football league) with his local team, RCD Mallorca. His first game was on April 19, 1987, against FC Barcelona. In his last two seasons with Mallorca, he helped the team get promoted from the Segunda División (second division) in 1989. He scored 12 goals in 72 league games. This led to him being signed by FC Barcelona for the 1991–92 season.
Success with Barcelona
At Barça, under coach Johan Cruyff, Nadal was a very important player. He helped the team win five league titles in La Liga. They also won two Copa del Rey (Spanish Cup) titles. A major achievement was winning the 1992 European Cup, which is now called the UEFA Champions League. He played 297 games for Barcelona in total. He played in many different defensive positions and also in midfield. In his final year at Barcelona, he played only five matches. This was because of a new coach, Louis van Gaal. In 1996 and 1997, there were talks about him moving to Manchester United in the Premier League, but this move never happened.
Returning to Mallorca
Nadal later returned to RCD Mallorca. He was a regular starter for the team. He also helped them win the 2003 Spanish Cup. They beat Recreativo de Huelva in the final. He retired from playing football at the age of 38. By then, he had played 645 official matches in his career.
After Retirement: Coaching Role
In July 2010, five years after he stopped playing, Nadal went back to Mallorca. He joined the coaching staff under Michael Laudrup. Laudrup was a teammate of Nadal's at Barcelona for three seasons. When Laudrup left the club in September 2011, Nadal was in charge for one game. This game was a 2–2 draw away against CA Osasuna. However, Nadal also left the club the following week.
International Career: Playing for Spain
Nadal played 62 times for the Spain national football team. These appearances are called "caps." His first game for Spain was on November 13, 1991. It was a qualifier for UEFA Euro 1992 against Czechoslovakia. He went on to represent Spain in three FIFA World Cup tournaments.
Nadal also missed a penalty during a shootout against England at Wembley Stadium. This happened during Euro 1996, and Spain lost the shootout. He played in four full matches at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. After this tournament, at almost 36 years old, he retired from playing for the national team.
Nadal also played one friendly game for the Balearic Islands regional team. This game was against Malta at Son Moix.
International Goals for Spain
- Scores and results list Spain's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Nadal goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 November 1994 | Sánchez Pizjuán, Seville, Spain |  Denmark |
1–0 | 3–0 | Euro 1996 qualifying |
| 2 | 30 November 1994 | La Rosaleda, Málaga, Spain |  Finland |
1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 3 | 5 September 2001 | Rheinpark, Vaduz, Liechtenstein |  Liechtenstein |
2–0 | 2–0 | 2002 World Cup qualification |
Style of Play: "The Beast"
Miguel Ángel Nadal was a very flexible player. He could play well as both a defender and a midfielder. He was nicknamed The Beast because of his strong physical playing style. He was also known for being good at heading the ball and for his smart understanding of the game.
Personal Life
Miguel Ángel Nadal is the uncle of the famous professional tennis player Rafael Nadal. His brother, Toni, was Rafael's coach for many years.
Honours: Trophies and Wins
Barcelona
- La Liga: 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1997–98, 1998–99
- Copa del Rey: 1996–97, 1997–98
- Supercopa de España: 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996
- European Cup: 1991–92
- UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1996–97
- UEFA Super Cup: 1992, 1997
Mallorca
- Copa del Rey: 2002–03
See also
In Spanish: Miguel Ángel Nadal para niños
- List of FC Barcelona players (100+ appearances)
- List of La Liga players (400+ appearances)
