Álex Fernández (footballer, born 1992)

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Fernández and the second or maternal family name is Iglesias.
Álex Fernández
Fernández with Cádiz in 2019
Personal information
Full name Alejandro Fernández Iglesias[1]
Date of birth (1992-10-15) 15 October 1992 (age 32)[1]
Place of birth Madrid, Spain
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Cádiz
Number 8
Youth career
2000–2003 Complutense
2003–2005 Alcalá
2005–2010 Real Madrid
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010–2013 Real Madrid B 99 (6)
2011 Real Madrid 1 (0)
2013–2016 Espanyol 29 (0)
2015 → Rijeka (loan) 9 (2)
2015–2016 → Reading (loan) 8 (0)
2016–2017 Elche 34 (3)
2017– Cádiz 236 (33)
International career
2008–2009 Spain U17 14 (2)
2010 Spain U18 2 (0)
2010–2011 Spain U19 10 (0)
2011 Spain U20 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 05:30, 15 October 2024 (UTC)

Alejandro "Álex" Fernández Iglesias (born 15 October 1992) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Segunda División club Cádiz.

Club career

Real Madrid

Born in Madrid, Fernández joined Real Madrid's youth system from neighbouring RSD Alcalá, aged 12. In 2010, he started appearing with Real Madrid Castilla in Segunda División B and, in July of that year, he was called by first-team coach José Mourinho to a preseason tour in the United States.[2] He made his unofficial debut on 5 August in a friendly against Club América (3–2 win), with his brother Nacho also making his first appearance that day.[3]

Fernández made his league debut with the B side on 29 August 2010, playing 87 minutes in a 3–2 home win against Coruxo FC.[4] On 3 October he scored his first goal, contributing to the 3–0 home victory over AD Cerro de Reyes.[5] He finished his first season with 32 games and two goals, as the team fell short in the promotion playoffs.

On 6 March 2011, Fernández made his La Liga debut, playing the last minute of a 3–1 defeat of Racing de Santander.[6] He contributed 35 appearances in the 2011–12 campaign – playoffs included – with Castilla returning to the second tier after five years.[7]

Espanyol

Fernández left Real Madrid in August 2013, by mutual consent. He signed shortly after with RCD Espanyol in the top level,[8][9] appearing in 30 competitive matches in his first year but starting in only five.

On 28 January 2015, Espanyol loaned Fernández to HNK Rijeka until the end of the season.[10] On 18 August, he joined Championship club Reading on loan, with a view to a permanent move at the end of the campaign.[11] He scored his first goal for them on 19 January 2016, in a 5–2 home win against Huddersfield Town in the third round in the FA Cup.[12]

Elche and Cádiz

On 31 August 2016, shortly after terminating his contract with the Pericos, due to expire the following year,[13] Fernández signed for Elche CF.[14] The following 7 August, after suffering relegation, he agreed to a two-year deal with fellow Segunda División team Cádiz CF.[15]

With a total of 11 goals, Fernández was his team's top scorer in 2019.[16] He scored 13 during the season from 41 appearances, in a return to the top flight as runners-up.[17]

In 2020–21, Fernández contributed four goals – bettered in the team only by Álvaro Negredo's eight – as the Andalusian side stayed up in 12th place; he missed the final two months with a right knee injury.[18] On 6 June 2022, he extended his contract until 2025.[19]

Personal life

Fernández's older brother, Nacho, is also a footballer. A defender, he also graduated from Real Madrid's academy but remained there while Álex moved on.[20][21] Their physical appearance is quite dissimilar, owing to Álex's red hair.[22]

Career statistics

As of match played 3 May 2023[23]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Real Madrid B 2010–11 Segunda División B 32 2 – – – – 32 2
2011–12 Segunda División B 35 1 – – – – 35 1
2012–13 Segunda División 32 3 – – – – 32 3
Total 99 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 99 6
Real Madrid 2010–11 La Liga 1 0 0 0 – 0 0 – 1 0
2012–13 La Liga 0 0 1 0 – 0 0 – 1 0
Total 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
Espanyol 2013–14 La Liga 24 0 6 0 – – – 30 0
2014–15 La Liga 5 0 2 0 – – – 7 0
Total 29 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 37 0
Rijeka (loan) 2014–15 1. HNL 9 2 2 0 – 0 0 – 11 2
Reading (loan) 2015–16 Championship 8 0 1 1 1 0 – – 10 1
Elche 2016–17 Segunda División 34 3 2 0 – – – 36 3
Cádiz 2017–18 Segunda División 37 3 5 1 – – – 42 4
2018–19 Segunda División 40 6 3 0 – – – 43 6
2019–20 Segunda División 41 13 1 0 – – – 42 13
2020–21 La Liga 25 4 1 0 – – – 26 4
2021–22 La Liga 32 3 3 0 – – – 35 3
2022–23 La Liga 28 3 0 0 – – – 28 3
Total 203 32 13 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 216 33
Career total 383 43 27 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 411 45

Honours

Real Madrid Castilla

Spain U19

Individual

  • UEFA European Under-19 Championship Golden Player: 2011[25][26]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Alejandro Fernández Iglesias" (in Spanish). Cádiz CF. Retrieved 21 October 2018.
  2. ^ At the gates of the first team; Real Madrid CF, 30 July 2010
  3. ^ The Whites win first preseason match; Real Madrid CF, 5 August 2010
  4. ^ 3–2: The youth team takes the first three points at stake; Real Madrid CF, 29 August 2010
  5. ^ RM Castilla 3–0 Cerro Reyes; Real Madrid CF, 3 October 2010
  6. ^ Benzema double keeps Real hopes alive; ESPN Soccernet, 6 March 2011
  7. ^ a b "El Real Madrid Castilla, campeón de Segunda B" [Real Madrid Castilla, Segunda B champions]. ABC (in Spanish). 9 June 2012. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
  8. ^ Real Madrid y Espanyol acuerdan el traspaso de Álex Fernández (Real Madrid and Espanyol agree Álex Fernández transfer); Goal, 23 August 2013 (in Spanish)
  9. ^ Espanyol ficha a Alex Fernández, procedente del Real Madrid Castilla (Espanyol signs Alex Fernández, from Real Madrid Castilla); Goal, 28 August 2013 (in Spanish)
  10. ^ Principi d'acord amb el HNK Rijeka per a la cessió d'Álex (Agreement in principle with HNK Rijeka for the loan of Alex); RCD Espanyol, 28 January 2015 (in Catalan)
  11. ^ "Alex Fernandez joins Royals on loan from Espanyol". Reading F.C. 18 August 2015. Retrieved 18 August 2015.
  12. ^ "Reading 5–2 Huddersfield Town". BBC Sport. 19 January 2016. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  13. ^ "Álex Fernández deixa el club" [Álex Fernández leaves the club] (in Catalan). RCD Espanyol. 31 August 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  14. ^ "El Elche C.F. incorpora a Álex Fernández" [Elche C.F. add Álex Fernández] (in Spanish). Elche CF. 31 August 2016. Retrieved 31 August 2016.
  15. ^ "Álex Fernández se compromete hasta 2019" [Álex Fernández commits until 2019] (in Spanish). Cádiz CF. 7 August 2017. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
  16. ^ "Álex Fernández, el máximo goleador del 2019" [Álex Fernández, top scorer in 2019] (in Spanish). Cádiz CF. 28 December 2019. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
  17. ^ De la Varga, Ignacio (13 January 2021). "La liberación de Álex" [Álex's liberation] (in Spanish). Cadena SER. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
  18. ^ "Álex Fernández, 'fichaje' del Cádiz CF para la nueva temporada" [Álex Fernández, Cádiz CF 'signing' for the new season]. Diario de Cádiz (in Spanish). 13 July 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  19. ^ "Oficial: Álex Fernández renueva con el Cádiz hasta 2025" [Official: Álex Fernández renews with Cádiz until 2025]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 6 June 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  20. ^ Nacho y Álex, sangre blanca en la familia Fernández (Nacho and Álex, white blood in the Fernández family); Real Madrid CF, 3 May 2010 (in Spanish)
  21. ^ "Alex Fernandez wins sibling rivalry in Cadiz victory over Real Madrid". The Times of India. 18 October 2020. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  22. ^ "'I have told him many times, to come and join me at Cadiz': Alex Fernandez offers Nacho chance for Madrid exit". Tribuna. 30 March 2020. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  23. ^ "Álex". Soccerway. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  24. ^ "Technical report" (PDF). UEFA. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  25. ^ Tong, Kobé (22 November 2018). "Every winner of the 'Golden Player' award at UEFA Euro Under-19 Championships". Give Me Sport. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
  26. ^ Bryan, Paul (1 August 2011). "2011: Álex Fernández". UEFA. Archived from the original on 16 August 2019. Retrieved 14 May 2020.
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