Manel (footballer, born 1973)

Manel Martínez Fernández (born 3 November 1973), known simply as Manel, is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a centre-forward.

Manel
Personal information
Full name Manel Martínez Fernández
Date of birth (1973-11-03) 3 November 1973
Place of birth Ripollet, Spain
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s) Centre-forward
Youth career
Sabadell
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1992–1995 Sabadell 35 (15)
1995–1999 Logroñés 164 (77)
2000–2003 Espanyol 20 (3)
2001 → Sporting Gijón (loan) 19 (11)
2002–2003 → Sporting Gijón (loan) 33 (3)
2004 Derby County 15 (3)
2004–2006 Badalona 34 (6)
2006–2007 Sabadell
2007–2008 Ibiza-Eivissa 18 (3)
2008 Lorca Deportiva 15 (5)
Total 353 (126)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

During his extensive career, he was mainly associated to Logroñés.[1]

Club career

Born in Ripollet, Barcelona, Catalonia, Manel started his career with local CE Sabadell FC, signing for CD Logroñés in 1995 and scoring 27 Segunda División goals in his first year, with La Liga promotion. In the following season the Riojan side were relegated again, but he proceeded to add a further 44 goals over the next three second-tier campaigns, being one of the club's all-time best.[1]

Manel then moved between RCD Espanyol (appearing rarely) and Sporting de Gijón in the following seasons.[1] He also had a brief spell abroad with Derby County,[2] scoring three times in 16 competitive games including twice in a 5–1 home rout of Preston North End in the Football League Championship.[3][4]

Returning home in May 2004,[5] Manel successively represented CF Badalona, Sabadell, UD Ibiza-Eivissa and Lorca Deportiva CF. After retiring in 2009, having totalled 239 matches in the two top divisions of Spanish football with 96 goals, he joined UE Sant Andreu – also in his native region – as a youth coach.[1]

References
  1. Casado, Edu (27 August 2015). "Qué fue de… Manel: aquel último año del Logroñés en Primera" [What happened to… Manel: that last year of Logroñés in Primera]. 20 minutos (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  2. "Burley boosted by Manel". BBC Sport. 23 February 2004. Retrieved 19 May 2010.
  3. "Derby 5–1 Preston". BBC Sport. 17 April 2004. Retrieved 19 May 2010.
  4. "Feature: A recent history of Spanish Rams". Derby County F.C. 29 July 2015. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  5. "Derby duo sign contracts". BBC Sport. 12 May 2004. Retrieved 19 May 2010.
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