Julio Salinas
Full nameJulio Salinas Fernández[1]
Birth date11 September 1962 (age 64)[1]
Birth placeBilbao, Spain
Height1.88 m[1]
PositionCentre-forward
Youthyears 11974–1981
Youthclubs 1Athletic Bilbao
Years 11981–1984
Clubs 1Bilbao Athletic
Caps 193
Goals 160
Years 21982–1986
Clubs 2Athletic Bilbao
Caps 268
Goals 213
Years 31986–1988
Clubs 3Atlético Madrid
Caps 375
Goals 331
Years 41988–1994
Clubs 4Barcelona
Caps 4146
Goals 460
Years 51994–1995
Clubs 5Deportivo La Coruña
Caps 524
Goals 512
Years 61995–1996
Clubs 6Sporting Gijón
Caps 654
Goals 624
Years 71997–1998
Clubs 7Yokohama Marinos
Caps 747
Goals 734
Years 81998–2000
Clubs 8Alavés
Caps 850
Goals 812
Totalcaps557
Totalgoals246
Nationalyears 11983–1984
Nationalteam 1Spain U21
Nationalcaps 17
Nationalgoals 13
Nationalyears 21986–1996
Nationalteam 2Spain
Nationalcaps 256
Nationalgoals 222

Julio Salinas Fernández (ˈxuljo saˈlinas feɾˈnandeθ; born 11 September 1962) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played during the 1980s and 1990s.

A centre-forward with skills, he was best remembered for his spell with Barcelona – having started out at Athletic Bilbao – while he was also a prolific goalscorer for club and country. He also spent one year of his 19-year career in Japan with Yokohama Marinos.

Salinas earned 56 caps for Spain, and represented the nation in three World Cups and two European Championships.

Club career

Athletic and Atlético

Salinas was born in Bilbao, Biscay, joining Athletic Bilbao's youth academy at the age of 11.[2] In 1983–84 he won the second division's Pichichi Trophy award, as he helped the reserves to finish runners-up to Castilla CF.[3] He also played 13 games for the first team over two seasons, scoring his first La Liga goal on 26 March 1983 in a 4–0 home win against RC Celta de Vigo[4] as the Basques captured back-to-back league titles and added the 1984 Copa del Rey.

After two more seasons with Athletic, scoring a total of 12 goals for two-third-place finishes, Salinas moved to Atlético Madrid, where he found the net at an impressive rate (this included a brace on 7 February 1988 in a 7–0 home thrashing of RCD Mallorca).[5]

Barcelona

Salinas signed for FC Barcelona for 1988–89,[6] linking up with several other Basque players, including veteran José Ramón Alexanko, José Mari Bakero, Txiki Begiristain and Jon Andoni Goikoetxea – these would help form the backbone of the legendary Dream Team.[2] He scored 20 league goals in his debut campaign as Barça finished second to Real Madrid, and he also netted in both the 1989 Cup Winners' Cup final against U.C. Sampdoria[2] and in the following year's domestic cup 2–0 victory over Real Madrid.[7]

In the subsequent seasons, Salinas appeared sparingly for the club due to his age and the signing of attacking players as Hristo Stoichkov, but would still manage to grab some important goals in spite of limited playing time.[8] On 30 January 1994, after coming in as a second-half substitute against Albacete Balompié, he scored both goals in a 2–1 home win, as he only played six games more during the campaign,[9] with Barcelona eventually achieving four league titles in a row.[2]

Late career

Upon leaving Catalonia, Salinas joined Deportivo de La Coruña, helping to a runner-up finish in his only season; although not a regular in the starting lineups he finished with 12 league goals, only surpassed by club great Bebeto.[10] As a late replacement at the Camp Nou on 3 December, he netted in a 1–1 draw after a header from José Luis Ribera.[11]

After the signing of, among others, Russian Dmitry Radchenko, Salinas was deemed surplus to requirements, agreeing to a contract at Sporting de Gijón where he scored 18 times in the 1995–96 campaign, crucial in helping the Asturians to avoid relegation. He was held in high regards in the city during his one-and-a-half-year spell, with the fans often singing: "Bota de oro, Salinas bota de oro!" ("Golden boot, Salinas, golden boot!").[12][13][14]

Salinas then had a stint abroad with Yokohama Marinos in Japan, where he again showcased his scoring skills, rejoining his former Barcelona teammate Goikoetxea.[15][16] He then returned close to home, having spent his last two seasons with Deportivo Alavés where he scored in 1999–2000's opener, a 2–1 home defeat of Málaga CF;[17] his team finished sixth, and would go on to reach the following year's UEFA Cup final.[18]

On 19 May 2000, Salinas played his last professional match, scoring in a 2–1 loss at his first team Athletic Bilbao.[19] He retired at nearly 38 with 417 matches and 152 goals, in the Spanish top flight alone.[2]

International career

Salinas represented the Spain national team over a decade, scoring 22 goals.[20] His debut was on 22 January 1986 as he netted in a 2–0 friendly win over the Soviet Union, in Las Palmas.[21][22]

Salinas went on to represent the country at three FIFA World Cups: 1986 (where he scored against Northern Ireland),[23] 1990 (netting in the second-round loss to Yugoslavia) and 1994, as well as two UEFA European Championships, 1988 and 1996.[20]

In the 1994 World Cup quarter-final against Italy, after he had found the net in a 2–2 draw against South Korea, Salinas missed the chance to put Spain into the last-four stage. With 1–1 and less than ten minutes to go, he marred a fast-break, with only goalkeeper Gianluca Pagliuca to beat; Roberto Baggio sealed the 2–1 final result minutes later, and the Spaniard was ultimately more remembered for this miss rather than the massive number of goals scored during an 18-year professional career.[24]

Post-retirement

Immediately after retiring, Salinas began working as a sports commentator, first for RTVE and then on laSexta.[25]

Personal life

Salinas' younger brother, Patxi, was also a professional footballer (centre-back), and played for Athletic Bilbao and Celta. Both made their top division debut in the 1982–83 season.[26]

They held the record for combined appearances in the Spanish top tier by siblings with 849 matches (occasions where they both played as teammates or opponents counted for each), 86 more than the next pair, Quini and Jesús Castro.[27]

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[28][1]
ClubSeasonLeagueNational cupLeague cupContinentalTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Athletic Bilbao1982–83La Liga71634000174
1983–8460222100103
1984–8528810410114014
1985–86274620033369
Total68132412714410330
Atlético Madrid1986–87La Liga381562–314718
1987–88371652––4218
Total753111400318936
Barcelona1988–89La Liga372054–724926
1989–90341572–414518
1990–91331144–824517
1991–9217720–52249
1992–9318555–302610
1993–947242–10124
Total1466027170028720184
Deportivo1994–95La Liga241244–403216
Sporting Gijón1995–96La Liga381844––4222
1996–9716620186
Total54246400006028
Yokohama Marinos1997J1 League26212253–3326
199821130031–2414
Total47342284–5740
Alavés1998–99La Liga22400––224
1999–200028820––308
Total50122000005212
Career total46418676431553912594246

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year[29]
National teamYearAppsGoals
Spain1986105
198720
198881
198941
199051
199100
199210
199387
1994127
199540
199620
Total5622
Scores and results list Spain's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Salinas goal.[30][29]
List of international goals scored by Julio Salinas
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
122 January 1986Estadio Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, SpainSoviet Union1–02–0Friendly
219 February 1986Manuel Martínez Valero, Elche, SpainBelgium2–03–0Friendly
326 March 1986Ramón de Carranza, Cádiz, SpainPoland3–03–0Friendly
47 June 1986Tres de Marzo, Zapopan, MexicoNorthern Ireland2–02–11986 FIFA World Cup
524 September 1986El Molinón, Gijón, SpainGreece1–03–1Friendly
624 February 1988La Rosaleda, Málaga, SpainCSK1–01–2Friendly
711 October 1989Népstadion, Budapest, HungaryHungary1–02–21990 World Cup qualification
826 June 1990Marc'Antonio Bentegodi, Verona, ItalyYugoslavia1–11–21990 FIFA World Cup
928 April 1993Benito Villamarín, Seville, SpainNorthern Ireland1–13–11994 World Cup qualification
102–1
1122 September 1993Qemal Stafa, Tirana, AlbaniaAlbania1–05–11994 World Cup qualification
123–0
134–1
1413 October 1993Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Republic of IrelandIreland2–03–11994 World Cup qualification
153–0
1619 January 1994Balaídos, Vigo, SpainPortugal1–02–2Friendly
172 June 1994Ratina Stadion, Tampere, FinlandFinland2–02–1Friendly
1810 June 1994Claude-Robillard, Montreal, CanadaCanada1–02–0Friendly
1917 June 1994Cotton Bowl, Dallas, United StatesSouth Korea1–02–21994 FIFA World Cup
2012 October 1994City Stadium of Skopje, Skopje, MacedoniaNorth Macedonia1–02–0Euro 1996 qualifying
212–0
2217 December 1994Constant Vanden Stock, Brussels, BelgiumBelgium3–14–1Euro 1996 qualifying

Honours

Athletic Bilbao

Barcelona

Deportivo

Spain Under-21

Individual

See also

References

  1. ^
  2. ^ Herrán, Alfonso (12 July 2016). "Julio Salinas: el futbolista incomprendido" [Julio Salinas: the misunderstood footballer] (in Spanish). Diario AS. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  3. ^ "Julio Salinas, "Pichichi" ficticio" [Julio Salinas, fictional "Pichichi"] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 28 May 1984. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  4. ^ "El Athletic, sin problemas" [Athletic, no problems] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 27 March 1983. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  5. ^ Alcaide, Jesús (8 February 1988). "El Mallorca "no estuvo" en Madrid" [Mallorca "were not" in Madrid] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  6. ^ "Los jugadores del Atlético de Madrid Julio Salinas y Eusebio se comprometieron con el Barcelona" [Atlético de Madrid players Julio Salinas and Eusebio committed to Barcelona] (in Spanish). El País. 21 May 1988. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  7. ^ Lozano Ferrer, Carles. "Spain – Cup 1990". RSSSF. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  8. ^ Martín, Pedro (2016). El gran libro de los récords: 200 historias del fútbol español [The great book of records: 200 stories of Spanish football] (in Spanish). ISBN 9788494425653. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  9. ^ Astruells, Andrés (31 January 1994). "Sale Julio Salinas y lo arregla todo" [Julio Salinas comes on and takes care of everything] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  10. ^ "Los máximos goleadores vascos en la historia de La Liga" [Top Basque scorers in La Liga history] (in Spanish). El Español. 19 August 2022. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  11. ^ Nolla, Santi (4 December 1994). "Algo se ha parado en el Barça" [Something has stopped in Barça] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  12. ^ ""Ojalá marque el gol de la victoria"" [Hopefully i will score the winning goal] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 15 December 1995. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  13. ^ Calleja, José Luis (1 April 1996). "'Hat trick' de Julio Salinas" [Hat trick from Julio Salinas] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  14. ^ Gómez, Jesús (22 April 1996). "El Sporting le enseña la 'manita' al Betis" [Sporting show 'open hand' to Betis] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  15. ^ "La J-League habla español" [The J-League speaks Spanish] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 21 March 1998. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  16. ^ "ja:日本サッカー史におけるバルサ" [Barça in Japanese football history] (in Japanese). FC Barcelona. 1 December 2012. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  17. ^ Ortiz de Arri, Eduardo (30 August 1999). "Salinas castiga al Málaga" [Salinas punishes Málaga] (in Spanish). El País. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  18. ^ O'Connor, Robert (18 May 2016). "What the heck happened to Alaves after 2001?". FourFourTwo. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  19. ^ Cuenca, Nika (20 May 2000). "Un final insospechado" [Unsuspecting ending] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
  20. ^ Gil-Vernet, Pepe (15 April 2020). "Julio Salinas: "Sufrí mucho por el fallo contra Italia"" [Julio Salinas: "I suffered a lot because of my miss against Italy"] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  21. ^ "Muñoz selecciona a Chendo y a Julio Salinas contra la URSS" [Muñoz selects Chendo and Julio Salinas against USSR] (in Spanish). El País. 18 January 1986. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  22. ^ Del Mar, Héctor (23 January 1986). "2–0: España venció a la URSS en un partido jugado a gran velocidad por ambos equipos" [2–0: Spain defeated USSR in match where both teams displayed great speed] (in Spanish). ABC. Retrieved 18 December 2015.
  23. ^ Pascual, Alfredo (21 May 2016). "Del utillero falangista al positivo de Calderé: nuestro Mundial 86 en diez episodios" [From the falangista kit man to Calderé's positive: our 86 World Cup in ten episodes] (in Spanish). El Confidencial. Retrieved 28 September 2017.
  24. ^ González, Ángel (12 July 2010). "En memoria de los 'nadies' y los 'malditos'" [Here's to the 'nobodies' and the 'damned'] (in Spanish). El Mundo. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  25. ^ "La Sexta ficha a Salinas, Kiko, Chapi Ferrer y Maceda" [La Sexta signs Salinas, Kiko, Chapi Ferrer and Maceda] (in Spanish). Info Periodistas. 29 August 2006. Retrieved 17 September 2013.
  26. ^ Díaz, Mario (15 October 1995). "La 'vendetta' de los hermanos Salinas" [The Salinas brothers' 'vendetta'] (in Spanish). El País. Retrieved 17 September 2013.
  27. ^ Viñarás de Blas, Vidal (1 February 2017). "Hermanos de Primera" [Top-class brothers] (in Spanish). Cuadernos de Fútbol. Archived from the original on 29 March 2023. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  28. ^
  29. ^ "Julio Salinas". European Football. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  30. ^ Pla Díaz, Emilio. "Julio Salinas – Goals in International Matches". RSSSF. Retrieved 18 October 2010.
  31. ^ Gomes, Julio (18 January 2021). "Athletic Bilbao mostra que é possível resistir e, vez ou outra, ser feliz..." [Athletic Bilbao show it's possible to resist, and win, now and then...] (in Portuguese). Universo Online. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  32. ^ "England 2–0 Spain". UEFA. Retrieved 1 July 2025.