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 (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | 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) | |
| International career | |||
| 1991–2002 | Spain | 62 | (3) |
| 2002 | Balearic Islands | 1 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2010–2011 | Mallorca (assistant) | ||
| 2011 | Mallorca (caretaker) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Miguel Ángel Nadal Homar, born on July 28, 1966, is a Spanish former professional footballer. He was a very flexible player. He could play as a defender or a midfielder.
Nadal started and finished his football career with Mallorca. But he achieved his biggest successes while playing for Barcelona. This was during the time known as the Dream Team. He won many titles with them, both in Spain and across Europe. He played 493 matches in his 19 years as a professional. A total of 463 of these games were in La Liga, Spain's top football league.
He was also a key player for the Spanish national team in the 1990s and early 2000s. Nadal played for Spain in three World Cups and the Euro 1996 tournament.
Contents
Playing for Football Clubs
Starting with Mallorca
Miguel Ángel Nadal was born in Manacor, a town on the island of Mallorca. He began his professional career with his local team, RCD Mallorca. His first game in La Liga was on April 19, 1987. It was against FC Barcelona at their home stadium, the Camp Nou.
Mallorca was promoted from the Segunda División (second division) in 1989. In his last two seasons with Mallorca, Nadal scored 12 goals. He played in 72 league games. His strong performance led to him being signed by FC Barcelona.
Time with Barcelona's Dream Team
Nadal joined Barça for the 1991–92 season. Under coach Johan Cruyff, he became a very important player. He helped Barcelona win five league titles. They also won two Copa del Rey cups. A huge achievement was winning the 1992 European Cup. This is now known as the UEFA Champions League.
He played 297 games for Barcelona in total. He was very versatile, playing in different defensive spots and in midfield. In his final year at Barcelona, he played only five matches. This was under a different coach, Louis van Gaal. Nadal was linked to a move to Manchester United in 1996 and 1997. However, the transfer to the Premier League never happened.
Returning to Mallorca
After leaving Barcelona, Nadal went back to RCD Mallorca. He was a regular starter for the team. He helped them win the Spanish Cup in 2003. They beat Recreativo de Huelva in the final.
Nadal retired from playing football when he was 38 years old. He had played in 645 official matches throughout his career.
Coaching Career
In July 2010, five years after he stopped playing, Nadal returned to Mallorca. He joined the coaching staff. He worked under Michael Laudrup, who was his teammate at Barcelona. When Laudrup left the club in September 2011, Nadal took charge for one game. It was a 2–2 draw against CA Osasuna. He then left the club the following week.
Playing for Spain
Representing His Country
Miguel Ángel Nadal played 62 games for the Spanish national team. His first game was on November 13, 1991. It was a qualifier for UEFA Euro 1992 against Czechoslovakia.
He played for Spain in three different World Cups. These are the biggest football tournaments in the world.
Euro 1996 and Retirement
At UEFA Euro 1996, Spain played against England at Wembley Stadium. The game went to a penalty shootout. Nadal missed his penalty kick, and Spain lost.
He played in four full matches at the 2002 World Cup. He was almost 36 years old at the time. After this tournament, 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 the Son Moix stadium.
How He Played
"The Beast" on the Field
Nadal was known as a very flexible player. He could play both as a defender and in the midfield. His nickname was The Beast. This was because he played with a lot of physical strength and energy.
He was also good at heading the ball. He had a strong understanding of how the game should be played. In 2007, The Times newspaper listed Nadal as one of the 50 toughest footballers in history.
Family 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.
Football Achievements
Honours with 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
Honours with Mallorca
- Copa del Rey:
- 2002–03
More to Explore
- List of FC Barcelona players (players with 100+ games)
- List of La Liga players (players with 400+ games)
See also
In Spanish: Miguel Ángel Nadal para niños
