Fernando Morientes

Fernando Morientes Sánchez, born on 5 April 1976, is a retired Spanish professional footballer who made a name for himself as a skilled striker and currently serves as a manager.


Throughout his illustrious career, Morientes donned the jerseys of various renowned clubs, showcasing his talents on the field. Notable among these clubs are Real Madrid, Monaco, Liverpool, and Valencia. In the fiercely competitive La Liga, Morientes left an indelible mark by netting 124 goals in 337 appearances spanning 15 seasons.


His stint with Real Madrid, the first club in his impressive career, resulted in a remarkable 11 major honors, including the coveted UEFA Champions League trophy, which he lifted thrice.


Morientes also carved out a distinguished international career, earning 47 caps while representing the Spain national team. He graced the football world on the grandest stages, participating in two FIFA World Cups and Euro 2004. His contributions to the national team included five goals, showcasing his prowess as a striker at the highest level of international competition.


Fernando Morientes Sánchez, originally from Cilleros, Cáceres, Extremadura, relocated to Sonseca in the Province of Toledo at the age of four. His professional football journey kicked off at Albacete Balompié, where he made his La Liga debut on 7 November 1993.


In that match, he entered the field as a 75th-minute substitute for Alejandro in a 2–3 loss against CD Tenerife at the Estadio Carlos Belmonte. Morientes made one more appearance that season, also coming off the bench.


On 23 October 1994, Morientes, serving as a first-half replacement for Alberto Monteagudo, scored his inaugural professional goal in a 2–0 home victory over Racing de Santander.[6] A week later, he earned his first start in a 1–5 loss at RCD Español, concluding the campaign with a total of five goals in 20 league games. Notably, he found the net in both legs of a 3–2 aggregate triumph over holders Real Zaragoza in the last 16 of the Copa del Rey.


In 1995, Morientes made a move to Zaragoza, where he spent the next two seasons, frequently forming a striking partnership with Dani, a fellow Real Madrid youth graduate. His debut with Zaragoza took place on 9 September, away to Real Betis, where he not only scored the team's goal after 48 minutes but also received a red card seven minutes later for an altercation with Jaime. On 10 January of the following year, he achieved his first professional hat-trick in a 3–2 victory at Athletic Bilbao in the domestic cup.


Morientes continued to impress, securing his first hat-trick in the league on 3 February in a 4–1 win against Valencia CF at La Romareda. Eight days later, he scored the opening goal at SD Compostela but was also sent off in a match that ended in a 2–1 victory eventually overturned to a 2–3 defeat.


Fernando Morientes' standout performances at Zaragoza attracted the attention of Spanish football giants Real Madrid, leading to his acquisition in the summer of 1997 for a fee of approximately €6.6 million. Initially serving as a backup to established forwards Predrag Mijatović and Davor Šuker, Morientes emerged as a starter in his first year, netting 12 goals in 33 matches. Real Madrid secured the UEFA Champions League that season, despite finishing fourth in the league.


The 1998–99 campaign showcased Morientes' prowess as he scored 19 league goals and a total of 25 in 38 appearances. His exceptional form continued in the 1999–2000 season, where he notched 19 goals, ending as Real Madrid's top scorer and helping the team clinch its second Champions League title in three years with a victory over Valencia CF in the final.
In the following season, Morientes secured his first league title with Real Madrid, scoring ten goals overall, including four in the Champions League.


Unfortunately, he missed the latter stages due to injury. The 2001–02 season saw him finish as the league's second-highest scorer with 18 goals, contributing significantly to Real Madrid's Champions League triumph against Bayer 04 Leverkusen.


The summer of 2002 brought a significant change for Real Madrid with the signing of Brazilian superstar Ronaldo from Inter Milan. This led to speculation about Morientes' future, with FC Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur expressing interest. While Barcelona was reportedly close to signing him for around €22 million, the deal fell through due to wage-related issues. Despite deciding to stay, Morientes found his playing time reduced after Ronaldo's arrival, and he fell down the pecking order of strikers.


In February 2003, during a home win against Borussia Dortmund, Morientes was involved in a highly publicized spat with manager Vicente del Bosque, allegedly insulting the coach after being called to enter the pitch as a late-game substitute.


Despite continuous transfer rumors, including links to Tottenham, Zaragoza, A.S. Roma, and A.C. Milan, Morientes remained at the club for the remainder of the season. Real Madrid went on to win the league title, with Morientes making 19 appearances (three starts) and scoring five goals.


At the commencement of the 2003–04 season, it became apparent that Fernando Morientes was not part of Real Madrid's plans. Despite extensive negotiations for a loan deal with Germany's FC Schalke 04, no agreement was reached. Consequently, Morientes was loaned to Ligue 1 side AS Monaco FC, where he made a significant impact by scoring ten goals in 28 league appearances.


His standout performances, however, were in the Champions League, where he emerged as the top scorer with nine goals: In the quarter-finals, Monaco faced Real Madrid, and Morientes played a crucial role by scoring a vital away goal in the first leg resulting in a 4–2 away loss.


In the second leg, he once again found the net as Monaco secured a 3–1 victory, resulting in a 5–5 aggregate scoreline and advancing on the away goals rule. Morientes also contributed goals in both legs of the semi-final against Chelsea, but Monaco ultimately suffered a 3–0 defeat in the final to FC Porto, held at the Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen.


Upon his return to Real Madrid at the beginning of the 2004–05 campaign, Morientes faced additional challenges with the arrival of Michael Owen from Liverpool. His chances of securing a spot in the squad dwindled, and he featured in 13 scoreless league matches, all as a substitute. In January 2005, Morientes was transferred to Liverpool for a fee of €9.3 million. His time at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium saw him play 272 games in all competitions, scoring 100 goals.


At the beginning of the 2003–04 season, it became clear that Fernando Morientes was not part of Real Madrid's plans. Following unsuccessful negotiations for a loan deal with Germany's FC Schalke 04, he was loaned to Ligue 1 side AS Monaco FC.


Morientes had a stellar performance during his loan spell, scoring ten goals in 28 league appearances. However, his impact was most significant in the Champions League, where he finished as the top scorer with nine goals. Monaco faced Real Madrid in the quarter-finals, with Morientes scoring a crucial away goal in the first leg.


In the second leg, he again found the net as Monaco won 3–1, securing victory on away goals with an aggregate score of 5–5. Morientes also scored in both legs of the semi-final against Chelsea but couldn't prevent a 3–0 defeat in the final to FC Porto played at the Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen.


Returning to Real Madrid at the start of the 2004–05 campaign, Morientes' prospects of breaking into the squad diminished with the arrival of Michael Owen from Liverpool.


He featured in 13 scoreless league matches, all as a substitute, and was subsequently transferred to Liverpool in January 2005 for a fee of €9.3 million. During his time at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Morientes played 272 games in all competitions, scoring 100 goals.

References

1.  "Fernando MORIENTES Sánchez". El Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 December 2022.
2. ^ "FIFA Club World Championship Japan 2005 – Official rosters". FIFA. 4 December 2005. Archived from the original on 19 December 2005. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
3. ^ Pérez, Juan Antonio (19 December 2015). "Morientes: "Los peores recuerdos siempre tienen que ver con las lesiones"" [Morientes: "The worst memories are always related to injuries"]. ABC (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 August 2019.
4. ^ Líbero, Pedro (8 November 1993). "El Tenerife europeo le hace un roto al Albacete" [European Tenerife tear Albacete a new one] (PDF). Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 January 2018.