Gelson Fernandes
Encyclopedia
Gelson Tavares Fernandes (born 2 September 1986 in Praia
) is a Swiss
footballer, who currently plays as a midfielder for Leicester City
on loan from AS Saint Etienne. He also plays for the Swiss national team
.
on 14 July 2007 for an undisclosed fee, believed to be around €6 million (£4.2 million), which would make his sale the second highest transfer in the history of the Swiss League. Following his signing, Sven-Göran Eriksson
commented that he thought Fernandes was the "best young player in Switzerland." He made his debut in the 0–0 draw against Portsmouth
.
He scored his first goal in a 2–0 victory against Newcastle United
on 2 January 2008, after coming on as a substitute for Stephen Ireland
. It took just 40 seconds for Fernandes and Kelvin Etuhu
to combine for the former to finish from the edge of the box. Gelson scored his second goal in the 1–3 loss to Arsenal
at the City of Manchester Stadium
. Vedran Ćorluka
took advantage of a Gaël Clichy
defensive error, who slipped in a pass into the six-yard box for Gelson to tuck home. The goal was not enough to secure any points for Manchester City, but showed the City fans that he was also capable of having an eye for goal like fellow youth midfielder, Michael Johnson.
At the start of the 2008–09 season, Fernandes had his number changed from number 28 to number 19. The number 28 shirt was taken by Daniel Sturridge
. Fernandes has since scored twice in the 2008–09 season with goals against Brighton & Hove Albion
and the final goal in the 6–0 win against Portsmouth
. Fernandes made 59 appearances for City, scoring four times, but he was increasingly used as a substitute after Mark Hughes
took over as manager.
. He passed a medical to complete a £2 million move to Saint-Étienne. He signed a two-year contract and moved on a undisclosed fee. He made his league debut on 8 August 2009 in a 0–2 loss to Nice
.
club Leicester City signed Fernandes on a season long loan, subject to international clearance. He made his debut for the club in a 1-0 away win over Coventry City
on 6 August 2011, scoring his first goal in a 2-2 draw against Nottingham Forest
on 20 August.
that played against the England U-21
side in their Euro 2007 qualifying match.
He made his first full international appearance for Switzerland
against the Netherlands
on 22 August 2007. He has since continued to be a regular for Switzerland, playing in their friendly defeat to England
at Wembley
in February 2008. He also played in all three of the Swiss side's Euro 2008 fixtures. On 28 March 2009, Fernandes scored his first goal for Switzerland, heading in a corner to seal a 2–0 win against Moldova
. He scored his first 2010 World Cup
goal for Switzerland against Spain
on 16 June 2010, which Switzerland went on to win 1–0. After this, he was considered as a national hero in Switzerland. Unfortunately, Switzerland did not advance to the Round of 16 and Spain went on to win the World Cup.
|1||28 March 2009||Zimbru Stadium
, Chişinău
, Moldova
|||| 0-2 || 0-2 ||2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
|-
|2||16 June 2010||Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban
, South Africa
|||| 0–1 || 0–1 ||2010 FIFA World Cup
|}
.
According to former Manchester City
teammate Micah Richards
, he is fluent in five languages: English, French, German, Spanish, and Italian. He can also speak Portuguese, the official language of his birthplace, Cape Verde
. He is the cousin of Portuguese footballer Manuel Fernandes.
Praia
Praia , is the capital and largest city of Cape Verde, an island nation in the Atlantic Ocean west of Senegal. It lies on the southern coast of Santiago island in the Sotavento Islands group. It is the island's ferry port and is home to one of the nation’s four international airports...
) is a Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
footballer, who currently plays as a midfielder for Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
on loan from AS Saint Etienne. He also plays for the Swiss national team
Switzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
.
Manchester City
Fernandes signed for Manchester City from SionFC Sion
FC Sion is a Swiss football team from the city of Sion. The club was founded in 1909, and play their home games at the Stade Tourbillon. They have won the Swiss Super League twice, and the Swiss Cup in each of their twelve appearances in the final, the most recent being in 2011.The first team also...
on 14 July 2007 for an undisclosed fee, believed to be around €6 million (£4.2 million), which would make his sale the second highest transfer in the history of the Swiss League. Following his signing, Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson , in Sweden commonly referred to just by his nickname Svennis, is a Swedish ex-football manager. From October 2010 to October 2011 he managed Football League Championship side Leicester City....
commented that he thought Fernandes was the "best young player in Switzerland." He made his debut in the 0–0 draw against Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
.
He scored his first goal in a 2–0 victory against Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
on 2 January 2008, after coming on as a substitute for Stephen Ireland
Stephen Ireland
Stephen James Ireland is an Irish footballer who currently plays as an attacking midfielder for Premier League club Aston Villa.-Cobh Ramblers:...
. It took just 40 seconds for Fernandes and Kelvin Etuhu
Kelvin Etuhu
'Kelvin Etuhu' is a Nigerian-English professional football player who is currently without a club after his release from Manchester City....
to combine for the former to finish from the edge of the box. Gelson scored his second goal in the 1–3 loss to Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
at the City of Manchester Stadium
City of Manchester Stadium
The City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England – also known as the Etihad Stadium for sponsorship purposes– is the home ground of...
. Vedran Ćorluka
Vedran Corluka
Vedran Ćorluka is a Croatian footballer who plays for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur as a defender. He is also a part of the Croatia national team...
took advantage of a Gaël Clichy
Gaël Clichy
Gaël Clichy is a French footballer who plays as a defender for Manchester City and the France national football team. Though initially right-foot dominant, he primarily plays as a left back that is also capable of playing as an offensive-minded wingback. Clichy is described as a player who...
defensive error, who slipped in a pass into the six-yard box for Gelson to tuck home. The goal was not enough to secure any points for Manchester City, but showed the City fans that he was also capable of having an eye for goal like fellow youth midfielder, Michael Johnson.
At the start of the 2008–09 season, Fernandes had his number changed from number 28 to number 19. The number 28 shirt was taken by Daniel Sturridge
Daniel Sturridge
Daniel Andre Sturridge is an English footballer who plays for Chelsea and the England national team. He is primarily a forward, but has been used on the right flank as a winger for Chelsea...
. Fernandes has since scored twice in the 2008–09 season with goals against Brighton & Hove Albion
Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.
Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club are an English association football club based in the coastal city of Brighton & Hove, East Sussex. They currently play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system....
and the final goal in the 6–0 win against Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
. Fernandes made 59 appearances for City, scoring four times, but he was increasingly used as a substitute after Mark Hughes
Mark Hughes
Leslie Mark Hughes, OBE , is a former Welsh international footballer. As an international footballer, he made 72 appearances and scored 16 goals....
took over as manager.
Saint-Étienne
On 9 July 2009, Fernandes moved on trial to Saint-ÉtienneAS Saint-Étienne
Association Sportive de Saint-Étienne Loire is a French association football club based in Saint-Étienne. The club was founded in 1919 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Saint-Étienne plays its home matches at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard located within the city...
. He passed a medical to complete a £2 million move to Saint-Étienne. He signed a two-year contract and moved on a undisclosed fee. He made his league debut on 8 August 2009 in a 0–2 loss to Nice
OGC Nice
Olympique Gymnaste Club Nice Côte d'Azur is a French association football club based in Nice. The club was founded in 1904 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top-tier of French football. Nice plays its home matches at the Stade Municipal du Ray located within the city. In 2013, the club is...
.
Chievo Verona
On 30 August 2010, it was announced that Gelson Fernandes would be going out on loan with an option to purchase to Chievo Verona.Leicester City
On 4 August 2011, ChampionshipFootball League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
club Leicester City signed Fernandes on a season long loan, subject to international clearance. He made his debut for the club in a 1-0 away win over Coventry City
Coventry City F.C.
Coventry City Football Club, otherwise known as the Sky Blues owing to the traditional colour of their strip, are a professional English Football league club based in Coventry...
on 6 August 2011, scoring his first goal in a 2-2 draw against Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
on 20 August.
International career
Fernandes was captain of the Switzerland U-21Switzerland national under-21 football team
The Switzerland national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Switzerland and is controlled by the Swiss Football Association...
that played against the England U-21
England national under-21 football team
England's national Under-21 football team, also known as England Under-21s or England U21, is considered to be the feeder team for the England national football team....
side in their Euro 2007 qualifying match.
He made his first full international appearance for Switzerland
Switzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
against the Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
on 22 August 2007. He has since continued to be a regular for Switzerland, playing in their friendly defeat to England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
at Wembley
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...
in February 2008. He also played in all three of the Swiss side's Euro 2008 fixtures. On 28 March 2009, Fernandes scored his first goal for Switzerland, heading in a corner to seal a 2–0 win against Moldova
Moldova national football team
The Moldova national football team represents Moldova in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Moldova, the governing body for football in Moldova. Moldova's home ground is Zimbru Stadium in Chişinău and their head coach is Gavril Balint...
. He scored his first 2010 World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
goal for Switzerland against Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
on 16 June 2010, which Switzerland went on to win 1–0. After this, he was considered as a national hero in Switzerland. Unfortunately, Switzerland did not advance to the Round of 16 and Spain went on to win the World Cup.
International goals
|-|1||28 March 2009||Zimbru Stadium
Zimbru Stadium
Zimbru Stadium is a football-specific stadium in Chişinău, Moldova built in May, 2006 with a capacity of 10,400 people, corresponds to all norms required by UEFA and FIFA for the national and international matches...
, Chişinău
Chisinau
Chișinău is the capital and largest municipality of Moldova. It is also its main industrial and commercial centre and is located in the middle of the country, on the river Bîc...
, Moldova
Moldova
Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part...
|||| 0-2 || 0-2 ||2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA)
The European zone of qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup saw 53 teams competing for 13 places at the finals. The qualification process started on 20 August 2008, after UEFA Euro 2008, and ended on 18 November 2009. The qualification process saw the first competitive matches of...
|-
|2||16 June 2010||Moses Mabhida Stadium, Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
|||| 0–1 || 0–1 ||2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
|}
Personal life
Fernandes arrived in Switzerland with his mother at the age of five from the Cape Verde islands, the family settling in SionSion, Switzerland
Sion is the capital of the Swiss canton of Valais. it had a population of .Landmarks include the Basilique de Valère and Château de Tourbillon. Sion has an airfield for civilian and military use, which, because of its location in a valley, causes a reasonable amount of noise pollution. FC Sion...
.
According to former Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
teammate Micah Richards
Micah Richards
Micah Lincoln Richards is an English footballer who plays for Manchester City and the England national team. A versatile defender, Richards is equally adept at centre back and right back or in centre midfield...
, he is fluent in five languages: English, French, German, Spanish, and Italian. He can also speak Portuguese, the official language of his birthplace, Cape Verde
Cape Verde
The Republic of Cape Verde is an island country, spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa...
. He is the cousin of Portuguese footballer Manuel Fernandes.