Rommel Fernandez
Encyclopedia
Rommel Fernández Gutiérrez (15 January 1966 – 6 May 1993) was a Panama
nian footballer who played as a striker.
The second Panamanian footballer to play in Europe
, he played almost his entire professional career in Spain
, amassing La Liga
totals of 104 games and 32 goals - 162/56 both major levels
combined - in representation of four different teams. In 1993, he died in a car accident, at the age of just 27.
in Spain
from Alianza FC
, scoring a career-best 18 goals in his second season as the Canary Islands
side promoted to La Liga
for the first time in its history; in the following years, he also netted in double digits as the club retained its top division status - in the 1989–90 campaign, he was named Best South American Player in the Spanish League and, the following year, was voted best Ibero-America
n player in the competition by news agency EFE
, receiving the Trofeo EFE
.
Nickname
d The Panzer
, Fernández signed for Valencia CF
in 1991, but was used mostly as a backup in his only season, scoring just two goals. Subsequently, he moved to Albacete Balompié
on loan, helping the Castile-La Mancha
side retain its first division status in its second season ever, and scoring his 50th league goal in the process, against former club Tenerife.
, after losing control of his car and hitting his head
with a tree. His cousin
Ronny Rojo was also travelling with him, but emerged unharmed.
numerous times, making his debut in the late 80's. In 1986, during a trip with the national team to Spain to participate in the Mundialito de la Emigración, a tournament where Tenerife played a select squad of players with Spanish ancestry, he played well enough to be offered a contract by the hosts.
Fernández's last match with Panama was a 1–5 defeat in Costa Rica
for the 1994 FIFA World Cup
qualifiers
, on 23 August 1992.
in Fernández's honour.
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
nian footballer who played as a striker.
The second Panamanian footballer to play in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, he played almost his entire professional career in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, amassing La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
totals of 104 games and 32 goals - 162/56 both major levels
Spanish football league system
The Spanish football league system refers to the system in Spanish club football that consists of several football leagues bound together hierarchically by promotion and relegation.-Primera División:...
combined - in representation of four different teams. In 1993, he died in a car accident, at the age of just 27.
Club career
Fernández was born in the small town of El Chorrillo. In 1987, the 21-year old signed for CD TenerifeCD Tenerife
Club Deportivo Tenerife, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, in Tenerife . Founded in 1922, it currently plays in Segunda División B, holding home matches at Estadio Heliodoro Rodríguez López, with a 24,000-seat capacity.-History:Club Deportivo Tenerife was founded in...
in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
from Alianza FC
Alianza F.C. (Panama)
Alianza F.C. is a professional soccer club located in Panama that plays in Liga Profesional de Fútbol the highest soccer league in Panama. Alianza won the Primera A championship in 1998-99 to win promotion to the Liga Panameña de Fútbol where they have been since...
, scoring a career-best 18 goals in his second season as the Canary Islands
Canary Islands
The Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
side promoted to La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
for the first time in its history; in the following years, he also netted in double digits as the club retained its top division status - in the 1989–90 campaign, he was named Best South American Player in the Spanish League and, the following year, was voted best Ibero-America
Ibero-America
Ibero-America is a term used since the second half of the 19th century to refer collectively to the countries in the Americas that were formerly colonies of Spain or Portugal. Spain and Portugal are themselves included in some definitions, such as that of the Ibero-American Summit and the...
n player in the competition by news agency EFE
EFE
EFE is a Spanish news agency created in 1939 by Spain's former minister of the press and propaganda Ramón Serrano Súñer and Manuel Aznar Zubigaray....
, receiving the Trofeo EFE
Trofeo EFE
Trofeo EFE is an annual football award given by the EFE news agency since the 1991–92 season to Ibero-American players playing in the Spanish La Liga who have obtained the greater amount of points, in agreement with the opinion of the editors of the agency....
.
Nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
d The Panzer
Panzer
A Panzer is a German language word that, when used as a noun, means "tank". When it is used as an adjective, it means either tank or "armoured" .- Etymology :...
, Fernández signed for Valencia CF
Valencia CF
Valencia Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Valencia, Spain. They play in La Liga and are one of the most successful and biggest clubs in Spanish Football and European Football. Valencia have won six La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, two Fairs Cups which was the...
in 1991, but was used mostly as a backup in his only season, scoring just two goals. Subsequently, he moved to Albacete Balompié
Albacete Balompié
Albacete Balompié, S.A.D. is a Spanish football team based in Albacete, in the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha. Founded on August 2, 1940, it currently plays in Segunda División B, holding home matches at Estadio Carlos Belmonte, with a 17,300-seat capacity.-History:The club was founded...
on loan, helping the Castile-La Mancha
Castile-La Mancha
Castile-La Mancha is an autonomous community of Spain. Castile-La Mancha is bordered by Castile and León, Madrid, Aragon, Valencia, Murcia, Andalusia, and Extremadura. It is one of the most sparsely populated of Spain's autonomous communities...
side retain its first division status in its second season ever, and scoring his 50th league goal in the process, against former club Tenerife.
Car accident
On 6 May 1993, after returning from a meal with his Albacete teammates, Fernández died victim of a car accident just outside AlbaceteAlbacete
Albacete is a city and municipality in southeastern Spain, 258 km southeast of Madrid, the capital of the province of Albacete in the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha. The municipality had a population of c. 169,700 in 2009....
, after losing control of his car and hitting his head
Head
In anatomy, the head of an animal is the rostral part that usually comprises the brain, eyes, ears, nose and mouth . Some very simple animals may not have a head, but many bilaterally symmetric forms do....
with a tree. His cousin
Cousin
In kinship terminology, a cousin is a relative with whom one shares one or more common ancestors. The term is rarely used when referring to a relative in one's immediate family where there is a more specific term . The term "blood relative" can be used synonymously and establishes the existence of...
Ronny Rojo was also travelling with him, but emerged unharmed.
International career
Fernández represented PanamaPanama national football team
The Panama national football team is the national team of Panama and is controlled by the Panamanian Football Federation. Panama reached the 2006 World Cup CONCACAF Final Round in the qualifiers and finished as runners-up at the final game of the 2005 Gold Cup...
numerous times, making his debut in the late 80's. In 1986, during a trip with the national team to Spain to participate in the Mundialito de la Emigración, a tournament where Tenerife played a select squad of players with Spanish ancestry, he played well enough to be offered a contract by the hosts.
Fernández's last match with Panama was a 1–5 defeat in Costa Rica
Costa Rica national football team
The Costa Rica national football team, nicknamed La Sele, is the national team of Costa Rica and is controlled by the Federación Costarricense de Fútbol. Costa Rica is the third most successful team in CONCACAF after Mexico and the United States...
for the 1994 FIFA World Cup
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
qualifiers
1994 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF)
Listed below are the dates and results for the 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the North, Central American and Caribbean zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification....
, on 23 August 1992.
Legacy
Estadio de la Revolución was renamed Estadio Rommel FernándezEstadio Rommel Fernandez
Estadio Rommel Fernández is a multi-purpose stadium located in Panama City, It is used for different sports, and mainly for the conduct of games football. It was inaugurated February 6 of 1970. It was designed to accommodate the XI Central American and Caribbean Games in 1970...
in Fernández's honour.