Fernando Morena
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Full nameFernando Morena Belora
Birth date2 February 1952 (age 74)
Birth placePunta Gorda, Montevideo, Uruguay
Height1.77 m
PositionStriker
Years 11968
Clubs 1Racing Montevideo
Years 21969–1972
Clubs 2River Plate Montevideo
Caps 248
Goals 227
Years 31973–1979
Clubs 3Peñarol
Caps 3140
Goals 3162
Years 41979–1980
Clubs 4Rayo Vallecano
Caps 434
Goals 421
Years 51980–1981
Clubs 5Valencia
Caps 531
Goals 516
Years 61981–1983
Clubs 6Peñarol
Caps 650
Goals 639
Years 71984
Clubs 7Boca Juniors
Caps 77
Goals 71
Years 81984
Clubs 8Peñarol
Caps 86
Goals 82
Totalcaps316
Totalgoals268
Nationalyears 11971–1983
Nationalteam 1Uruguay
Nationalcaps 153
Nationalgoals 122
Manageryears 11988
Managerclubs 1Peñarol
Manageryears 21989
Managerclubs 2Huracán Buceo
Manageryears 31991
Managerclubs 3Real Murcia
Manageryears 41996–1998
Managerclubs 4River Plate Montevideo
Manageryears 51999–2000
Managerclubs 5Colo-Colo
Manageryears 62003
Managerclubs 6River Plate Montevideo
Manageryears 72005
Managerclubs 7Peñarol

Fernando Morena Belora (born 2 February 1952) is a Uruguayan former professional footballer who played as a striker. His most known nicknames were "Nando" (abridged form of Fernando) and "Potrillo" (Colt, although young stallion is a better translation in this case), and he is the all-time top goal scorer in the history of the Uruguayan Primera División with 230 goals in 244 games.[1] He scored 268 in his almost 20-year career.

Club career

Fernando Morena started as a professional football player in 1968 with Racing Club de Montevideo, which he left in 1969, signing for the nearby team, River Plate from Montevideo, where he played until 1972. Morena joined Peñarol in 1973. In his first run with the club, he won four Uruguayan Primera championships.[2] He was the top scorer in the Uruguayan soccer league for six consecutive years between 1973 and 1978, and was the top scorer in the Copa Libertadores in 1974 and 1975.[3]

In 1979, Fernando Morena signed up with the Spanish team Rayo Vallecano, but spent just one season there before changing to Valencia in 1980. Morena returned to Peñarol in 1981, where he helped the team win two more Uruguayan league titles in 1981 and 1982.[2] They also won the Copa de Oro in 1981, the Copa Libertadores in 1982,[4] and the 1982 Intercontinental Cup.[5]

In 1983, Fernando Morena joined the Brazilian soccer team Flamengo and in 1984, he played for Boca Juniors of Argentina. He finished his professional career in Peñarol in 1985.[citation needed]

International career

Fernando made his debut for the Uruguay national team on 27 October 1971 against Chile in a 3–0 win, where he scored his first goal. He was part of the national team that represented Uruguay at the 1974 World Cup. He went on to obtain a total of 54 international caps, scoring 22 goals which currently ranks him as the joint eighth-highest scorer in the history of the team. On 4 September 1983, Morena suffered a tibia and fibula fracture when playing against Venezuela for the Copa America. He never played for the national team after that incident, though he is still officially considered a part of the Uruguayan team that won the Copa América in 1983.[citation needed]

Coaching career

After retiring, he held several coaching positions in Uruguay, Spain and Chile. His first coaching job was in River Plate, which was followed by Peñarol, Real Murcia in Spain, Huracán Buceo, Rampla Juniors, Colo Colo in Chile and a second run in Peñarol in 2005. In 2009, he was designated as Manager of Institutional Relations at Peñarol.[6]

Career statistics

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Uruguay[7]197111
197250
197385
1974107
197553
1976100
197762
197831
197900
198000
198100
198200
198353
Total5322

Honours

Club

Peñarol

Valencia

International

Uruguay

Individual

Records

  • He scored 230 goals in Uruguayan championships, making him the highest scoring player in the history of Uruguayan league football. He scored a total of 268 goals throughout his football career.[1]
  • He holds the Uruguayan domestic record for the most goals scored in a game, with 7 goals against Huracán Buceo, it could have been 8 but he missed a penalty in the final minutes of the game.[9]
  • He is the highest goalscorer in a Uruguayan Primera league season with 36 goals in 1978.[9]
  • Three times top scorer in the Copa Libertadores (1974, 1975 and 1982).[3]
  • Highest scoring Uruguayan player in the history of the Copa Libertadores with 37 goals in 77 games.[3]

References

  1. ^ Maxim Olenev. "Uruguay — All-Time Topscorers". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived 19 October 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 31 December 2010.
  2. ^ Karel Stokkermans. "Uruguay — List of Champions". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived 9 September 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 31 December 2010.
  3. ^ Juan Pablo Andrés & Frank Ballesteros. "Copa Libertadores — Topscorers". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived 31 October 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 31 December 2010.
  4. ^ John Beuker. "Copa Libertadores 1982". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived 24 September 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 31 December 2010.
  5. ^ Josef Bobrowsky. "Intercontinental Club Cup 1982". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived 9 September 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 31 December 2010.
  6. ^ Official Peñarol Website
  7. ^ "Fernando Morena - AUF". Archived 21 February 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  8. ^ "South American Player of the Year 1975". RSSSF. Archived 7 October 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2021-12-19.
  9. ^ Martín Tabeira. "Uruguay — League Top Scorers". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived 21 December 2008 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 31 December 2010.