Gabriel Matías Fernández Leites (born 13 May 1994) is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a forward for Liga MX club Cruz Azul. He is popularly known by his nickname Toro.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Gabriel Matías Fernández Leites | ||
| Date of birth | 13 May 1994 | ||
| Place of birth | Montevideo, Uruguay | ||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Forward[2] | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Cruz Azul | ||
| Number | 27 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Club Atlético Pablan | |||
| Bella Vista | |||
| Defensor Sporting | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2013–2014 | Defensor Sporting | 4 | (0) |
| 2013 | → Cerro Largo (loan) | 12 | (2) |
| 2014–2018 | Racing Club | 49 | (15) |
| 2018–2019 | Peñarol | 40 | (17) |
| 2019–2023 | Celta | 20 | (1) |
| 2020–2021 | → Zaragoza (loan) | 30 | (0) |
| 2021–2023 | → Juárez (loan) | 47 | (12) |
| 2023 | UNAM | 20 | (7) |
| 2024– | Cruz Azul | 5 | (2) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20:48, 8 December 2023 (UTC) | |||
Career edit
Fernández had youth stints with Club Atlético Pablan, Bella Vista and Defensor Sporting, featuring for the latter at the 2012 U-20 Copa Libertadores in Peru; where they finished as runners-up to Argentina's River Plate.[3] On 8 January 2013, Fernández completed a loan move to fellow Primera División team Cerro Largo.[1] He made his bow on 23 February against Montevideo Wanderers, which preceded his first goals arriving in March versus Progreso and Racing Club.[1] Fernández returned to his parent club for 2013–14, making four appearances before leaving to join Racing Club.[1][4] Braces followed in season one over Atenas and Sud América.[1]
After spending three further seasons with Racing Club, participating in forty-nine matches and netting fifteen goals, Fernández switched teams in January 2018 by agreeing to sign for Peñarol.[1][5] He scored his first goal on 24 February during a win over Liverpool, a club he later notched his first career hat-trick against in the following August on the way to Peñarol's fiftieth league title.[1]
On 26 January 2019, Fernández secured a transfer to La Liga side Celta; effective from the following July, pending the outcome of his court case.[1][6][7] The deal was confirmed on 4 July by Celta.[8] His debut arrived in a home defeat to Real Madrid on 17 August.[1] He got his opening goal for them on 24 August, scoring with a backheel flick to earn Celta a 1–0 win over Valencia in La Liga.[9]
On 11 September 2020, Fernández was loaned to Segunda División side Real Zaragoza for the 2020–21 season.[10]
In 2023, Fernández joined Universidad Nacional (the Pumas) for the 2023 Apertura tournament.[11][12]
Personal life edit
On 29 December 2018, Fernández was involved in a traffic collision in Montevideo which left Romina Fernández, 18, in a vegetative state, he had allegedly been speeding at 60km/h in a 45 speed limit zone.[7][13][14][15] After testifying in court in May, the judge prohibited him from leaving the country without permission; with a work-dependent curfew also being set.[7][13][14][15] Celta, who Fernández signed a pre-contract agreement with in the subsequent January, added a clause to the transfer that would see it cancelled if he was found guilty.[7] In June 2019, his passport was returned and a settlement was reached with Romina's family which allowed Fernández to travel to officialise his transfer to Celta.[16]
Career statistics edit
- As of 6 January 2021[1]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Defensor Sporting | 2012–13 | Primera División | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2013–14 | 4 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |||
| Total | 4 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |||
| Cerro Largo (loan) | 2012–13 | Primera División | 12 | 2 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 12 | 2 | ||
| Racing Club | 2014–15 | 14 | 5 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 14 | 5 | |||
| 2015–16 | 16 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | ||||
| 2016 | 15 | 8 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 15 | 8 | ||||
| 2017 | 4 | 2 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | ||||
| Total | 49 | 15 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 49 | 15 | ||||
| Peñarol | 2018 | Primera División | 28 | 12 | — | 7[a] | 1 | 1[b] | 0 | 36 | 13 | |
| 2019 | 12 | 5 | — | 5[a] | 0 | 1[c] | 0 | 18 | 5 | |||
| Total | 40 | 17 | — | 11 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 53 | 18 | |||
| Celta | 2019–20 | La Liga | 20 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 22 | 1 | |
| Zaragoza (loan) | 2020–21 | Segunda División | 17 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | |
| Career total | 142 | 35 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 160 | 36 | ||
- ^ a b Appearance(s) in the Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana
- ^ Appearance(s) in the Primera División play-offs
- ^ Appearance(s) in the Supercopa Uruguaya
Honours edit
Peñarol[1]
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Uruguay - G. Fernández". Soccerway. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
- ^ "Gabriel Fernández". "World Football. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
- ^ "Gabriel Fernández: de no ser tenido en cuenta en Defensor a un soñado debut con Peñarol". Fútbol. 23 January 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
- ^ "Ficha Estadistica de GABRIEL FERNANDEZ". BDFA. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
- ^ "Toro aurinegro: la historia del llanto a la ilusión". El Observador. 18 January 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
- ^ "España: Gabriel Fernández firmó contrato y posó con la camiseta del Celta de Vigo". Fútbol. 26 January 2019. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
- ^ a b c d "Cláusula del Celta de Vigo puede jaquear el pase del Toro Fernández si va a prisión". El País. 4 May 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
- ^ "El RC Celta enriquece su ataque con el talento y los goles del uruguayo Gabriel Fernández". Celta. 4 July 2019. Retrieved 4 July 2019.
- ^ "Fernandez Puts RC Celta In Front Of Valencia". beIN SPORTS USA. 24 August 2019. Retrieved 25 August 2019.
- ^ "'El Toro' Fernández jugará cedido en el Real Zaragoza" ['El Toro' Fernández will play on loan at Real Zaragoza] (in Spanish). Celta Vigo. 11 September 2020. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
- ^ Rosa, Erick De la; Hall, Andy (3 July 2023). "Pumas complete Gabriel Fernández signing". Diario AS. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
- ^ Sánchez, Mariano (22 June 2023). "Who is Gabriel 'El Toro' Fernandez, the striker targeted by Pumas?". Diario AS. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
- ^ a b "Toro Fernández no podrá salir de Uruguay tras atropellar a una joven". La Voz de Galicia. 9 February 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
- ^ a b "El fiscal pide la imputación del Toro Fernández por atropello". La Voz de Galicia. 29 April 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
- ^ a b "La situación procesal de Gabriel Fernández hace peligrar su llegada al Celta". La Voz de Galicia. 2 May 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
- ^ "Gabriel Fernández recupera el pasaporte y viajará el lunes a España". Marca. 28 June 2019. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
External links edit
- Gabriel Fernández at BDFutbol
- Gabriel Fernández at Soccerway