Fernando Ruiz Hierro is a Spanish retired footballer. He is mostly known
for his spells with Real Madrid and Spain, appearing in more than 500
official games with the former and representing the latter on nearly 90
occasions, whilst appearing in four World Cups and two European
Championships. Equally at ease as a central defender,
sweeper or defensive midfielder, he had the ability, at his peak, to combine
solid defensive play with a near-unlimited passing range and
surprising goalscoring talent, which made him one of the world's most
sought-after players. With the Merengues, he won five La Liga and three
UEFA Champions League trophies over the course of nearly 15 years.
Club career = Early years / Real Madrid=
Hierro was born in Vélez-Málaga, Province of Málaga. After beginning his
football career at local club Vélez-Málaga he had a very brief youth
spell with neighbouring CD Málaga, where he was told he was not good enough for
the sport, which prompted a return home. He eventually made his La Liga debuts
with Real Valladolid, being bought by Real Madrid in the 1989 summer after two
solid seasons. At Real, Hierro scored seven goals in 37
games in his first season, and eventually had his position on the field
advanced by coach Radomir Antić, continuing his good performances with
the addition of goals – in three seasons combined he netted an astonishing 44
league goals, 21 alone in 1991–92, a career-best. During years, he often
partnered club great Manuel Sanchís in the centre of the defense, being
instrumental in the conquest of five leagues and three UEFA Champions League
trophies and being named captain after the latter's retirement.
On 24 March 2002 Hierro scored a hat-trick in a 3–1 home win against Real
Zaragoza, although the ultimate leader would be Valencia CF. He was released at
the end of the 2002–03 season alongside club manager Vicente del Bosque, under
rather unceremonious circumstances; having appeared in 497 top division
matches over the course of 16 seasons, he then chose a lucrative move to the
wealthy but developing Middle East football industry, joining Qatar's Al
Rayyan Sports Club. = Bolton=
After just one year Hierro returned to Europe, signing with Premier League side
Bolton Wanderers on the advice of his English teammate at Real Madrid Steve
McManaman, and teaming up with another former player of that club, Iván Campo.
He scored one league goal for Bolton, which came in a 2–3 loss at Norwich City
in December 2004 and, even though hard-pressed by fans and manager Sam
Allardyce to stay for a further campaign, he announced his retirement
from professional football on 10 May 2005. In 2007, The Times placed him at
number 43 in their list of the 50 hardest footballers in history.
= Málaga / Real Madrid return= In July 2011 Hierro returned to his
native region, being appointed Málaga CF's director of football. On 28 May
2012, even though the club finished fourth and qualified for the Champions
League for the first time ever, he left his position.
On 10 July 2014 Hierro was named assistant coach of Real Madrid,
replacing Zinedine Zidane – who left to take the reins of Real Madrid Castilla –
in Carlo Ancelotti's staff. International career
Hierro was capped 89 times for Spain and scored 29 goals, being only surpassed by
Raúl González, David Villa and Fernando Torres. He made his debut on 20
September 1989 – freshly signed by Madrid – in a 1–0 friendly win with
Poland in A Coruña, and appeared for the nation in the 1990, 1994, 1998 and 2002
FIFA World Cups, as well as UEFA Euro 1996 and 2000.
One of Hierro's most important goals came during the 1994 World Cup
qualification, as he headed the winner against Denmark that allowed ten-men
Spain to qualify for the final tournament in the United States. In the
finals, he scored after an individual effort against Switzerland in the
round-of-16, before his team was eliminated by Italy in the
quarterfinals. Although he had already been in charge
for a few weeks, Hierro was officially presented as sporting director of the
Royal Spanish Football Federation in late September 2007. He remained four
years in the position. = International goals=
Interestingly, during the match against Austria on 4 September 1999, Hierro
scored at both ends. Personal life
Hierro's older brothers, Antonio and Manuel, were also professional
footballers and defenders. The latter paired up with Fernando at Valladolid,
as the club finished eighth in 1987–88. Statistics
= Club= Europe matches includes UEFA Champions
League, UEFA Cup, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, UEFA Super Cup, Intercontinental Cup and
FIFA Club World Cup matches. = International=
Honours = Club=
Real Madrid UEFA Champions League: 1997–98,
1999–2000, 2001–02 Intercontinental Cup: 1998, 2002
UEFA Super Cup: 2002 La Liga: 1989–90, 1994–95, 1996–97,
2000–01, 2002–03 Copa del Rey: 1992–93
Supercopa de España: 1990, 1993, 1997, 2001
Al Rayyan Emir of Qatar Cup: 2003–04
= Individual= FIFA XI: 1996, 1997, 1998
UEFA Club Best Defender: 1997–98 ESM Team of the Year: 1996–97, 1997–98
FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2002 References
External links Fernando Hierro profile at BDFutbol
National team data Fernando Hierro at
National-Football-Teams.com Fernando Hierro – FIFA competition
record