Fernando Muslera

This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Muslera and the second or maternal family name is Micol.
Fernando Muslera

Fernando Muslera with Uruguay in 2014
Personal information
Full name Néstor Fernando Muslera Micol
Date of birth (1986-06-16) 16 June 1986
Place of birth Buenos Aires, Argentina[1]
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Playing position Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team
 Galatasaray
Number 1
Youth career
2001–2004 Montevideo Wanderers
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2004–2006 Montevideo Wanderers 44 (0)
2006–2007 Nacional 5 (0)
2007–2011 Lazio 97 (0)
2011– Galatasaray 174 (1)
National team‡
2009– Uruguay 85 (0)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 28 August 2016.

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 7 October 2016

Néstor Fernando Muslera Micol (Spanish: [ferˈnando muˈzleɾa], born 16 June 1986) is an Argentine-born Uruguayan footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Turkish club Galatasaray and the Uruguayan national team. He was selected as the seventh best goalkeeper in the world in 2010 and sixth best goalkeeper in the world in 2011 by the IFFHS.[2]

He began his career at Montevideo Wanderers and Nacional, moving to Lazio in 2007 where he won the 2009 Coppa Italia Final. In 2011 he was signed by Galatasaray for around €12 million, where he has since won honours including three Süper Lig titles.

A full international since 2009, Muslera has earned over 80 caps for Uruguay. He played at three Copa América tournaments, winning in 2011, and also featured at two World Cups, helping his nation to fourth place in the 2010 edition.

Club career

Uruguay

Born in Buenos Aires, Muslera moved to Montevideo where he started his professional football career with Montevideo Wanderers, having come through the club's youth system. After impressive performances for Wanderers, Uruguayan giants Nacional opted to take him on loan in 2007. After returning to Wanderers, and a display of successful performances, he began to attract attention from Europe, until he was signed by Lazio in 2007.

Lazio

Muslera playing for Lazio.

Lazio signed Muslera in August 2007 for a fee of about €3 million.[3] He made his debut for Lazio in a 3–1 home win against Cagliari on 16 September 2007, and made four more consecutive starts, the last which was a disastrous performance in Lazio's 1–5 home loss to Milan on 7 October, a match in which he was at fault on four of the five goals Lazio conceded. That result saw him benched in favour of 44-year-old Marco Ballotta. He remained as the second choice for the remainder of the season, making only four more league appearances and none in the UEFA Champions League. He did however play all of Lazio's remaining Coppa Italia matches, putting in good performances.

Muslera signing autographs at the new kits' presentation on 8 July 2009.

Muslera started as second-choice keeper for the 2008–09 season behind new signing Juan Pablo Carrizo but regained the starting spot in January 2009 following a run of poor form by Carrizo, coupled with conflicts with team management. Muslera's first starting appearance in the league this season saw him make several saves in a 3–1 loss to Sampdoria, including blocking an Antonio Cassano penalty. Further impressive performances in away wins over Napoli and Genoa, as well as in his first ever Derby della Capitale, saw Muslera regain a considerable amount of faith he had lost the previous season.

Known to the Lazio fans as castorino, or the "little beaver", Muslera was also an integral part of the club's successful Coppa Italia campaign, making decisive saves against Milan and Juventus as Lazio reached the final for the first time in five seasons. In the final on 13 May 2009, Muslera saved two penalties as Lazio emerged victorious 6–5 in the shootout after the match ended 1–1 in extra time.[4]

The Uruguayan's impressive season saw him cement his position as the Roman club's first choice in the 2009–10 season, despite the arrival of Argentine keeper Albano Bizzarri on a free transfer. Muslera played in goal as Lazio opened the season with a 2–1 win over Inter in the 2009 Supercoppa Italiana, played in Beijing.

Following his successful performance in the 2010 FIFA World Cup he was voted the 7th best goalkeeper in the world by IFFHS.[5]

Galatasaray SK

2011–12 season

Muslera in an October 2011 match against Gaziantepspor

On 19 July 2011, Galatasaray officially announced the signing of Muslera from Lazio on a 5-year contract while he was on duty in the Copa América with Uruguay.[6] The transfer involved Lorik Cana moving in the opposite direction, to Lazio, while Galatasaray also paid €6.75 million to Muslera's former club, Montevideo Wanderers who owned 50% of his playing rights.[7][8] The total value of his transfer is therefore believed to be in the region of €12 million, making Muslera at the time the most expensive goalkeeper transfer in Turkey and the fifth most expensive goalkeeper of all time.[9] (However Lazio valued the sale of Muslera for a peppercorn fee as well as signing Cana also for peppercorn fee as a special accounting arrangement) His contract saw him earn €2 million a year.[10]

On 5 November 2011, Muslera was selected the man of the match after saving his first penalty for Galatasaray in the match against Mersin İdmanyurdu as the game ended 0–0. On 8 April 2012, the last day of the Süper Lig season, he scored his first goal from a penalty against Manisaspor. He also broke a new club record for every foreign player scoring for Galatasaray in a single season. The same match also resulted in Muslera keeping his 19th clean sheet of the season, an all-time league record.[11]

2012–13 season

He continued to become Galatasaray's first choice goalkeeper, playing in the first match of the season in a 2–1 league victory over Kasimpasa. On 19 September 2012 he made his UEFA Champions League debut in a match against Manchester United at Old Trafford. Though Galatasaray lost the match 1–0, he saved a penalty from Nani. He kept his first clean sheet in the competition in a 1–0 victory against Manchester United at the Turk Telekom Arena. He played 33 league matches out of 34 with Galatasaray, who retained their league title.

2013–14 season

On 3 November 2013, he suffered a fractured toe and therefore missed three league and two UEFA Champions League matches.[12] However, he played 29 league matches out of 34.

At the end of the 2013–14 season, it was announced that he extended his contract until 2018, and would earn earn €2.75 million per season.[13]

2014–15 season

Muslera played 31 matches as Galatasaray regained their league title, but was absent in their cup final victory over Bursaspor due to his commitments for the 2015 Copa América.[14]

International career

Muslera playing for Uruguay in 2011

Muslera had been called up for the Uruguayan national team on numerous occasions, but did not earn his first cap until 10 October 2009, when he started in Uruguay's 2–1 away win over Ecuador. The match was Uruguay's penultimate qualifier for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

2010 FIFA World Cup

He made his FIFA World Cup debut against France on 11 June 2010, Uruguay's opening game of the tournament and the second game on the opening day of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He kept a clean sheet during all 3 of Uruguay's group matches (0–0 against France, 3–0 against South Africa, and 1–0 against Mexico). In the round of sixteen, Uruguay faced South Korea, before the goal that Uruguay conceded, Muslera had set a record for longest unbeaten goalkeeper in the World Cup. He was decisive in the quarter-final match against Ghana, when he saved two penalties at the penalty shootout. He was a key component of the Uruguay team that reached the semi-finals of the World Cup and subsequently finished fourth in the tournament.

2011 Copa América

Muslera was called again by coach Óscar Tabárez to represent Uruguay as the first choice goalkeeper at the 2011 Copa América, which was held in Argentina. He was selected Man of the Match in the quarter-final match against Argentina in which Uruguay went through on penalties, with Muslera saving a penalty from Carlos Tevez to win them the match. Uruguay went on to win the Copa América, defeating Paraguay 3–0 in the final.

Later career

Muslera was Uruguay's first-choice goalkeeper at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2015 Copa América, playing every minute as they reached the last 16 of the first competition and the quarter-finals of the latter.

Career statistics

As of 28 August 2016[15][16][17]

Club

Club Season League Cup League Cup Europe Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Montevideo Wanderers 2004 20------20
2005 290------290
2005–06 00------00
2006–07 130------130
Total 440000000440
Nacional 2006–07 40------40
2007–08 10------10
Total 5000000050
Lazio 2007–08 9040–--130
2008–09 150 0––210
2009–10 370201040440
2010–11 36000–-360
Total 97012010401140
Galatasaray 2011–12 39100––391
2012–13 3300010100440
2013–14 290301060390
2014–15 320101050390
2015–16 330601080480
2016–17 700010–80
Total 1741100502902161
Career total 3171220603203811

International

Updated 7 October 2015[18]

Uruguay national team
YearAppsGoals
200940
2010120
2011150
2012120
2013110
2014120
2015110
201680
Total850

Honours

Club

Nacional[19]
Lazio[19]
Galatasaray SK[19]

National team

Uruguay[19]

Individual

References

  1. ↑ "Fernando Muslera, el arquero de Uruguay en la Copa América 2011 - Copa América 2011 - eltiempo.com - futbolred.com" (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  2. 1 2 Muslera'ya büyük onur – Fanatik.com.tr
  3. ↑ "Bilancio separato e consolidato S.S.Lazio SpA" (PDF) (in Italian). SS Lazio. 23 October 2008. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
  4. ↑ Muslera the hero as Lazio win Italian Cup on penalties – Yahoo! Eurosportgoooll, 5/13/09
  5. ↑ 2010 yılının dünyada en iyi kalecisi Casillas | futbol | ekolay spor
  6. ↑ Kamuyu Aydınlatma Platformu – Fernando Muslera'nın Galatasaray'a transferi konusunda bildirim, 7/19/11 (Turkish)
  7. ↑ Muslera Galatasaray'da (Turkish)
  8. ↑ Milliyet – 51 milyonluk kaleci
  9. ↑ Bu eller 20 milyon euro – Fotomaç – 20 Aralık 2012
  10. ↑ Official: Galatasaray sign Fernando Muslera from Lazio on five-year deal – Goal.com
  11. ↑ "Muslera keeps 19 clean sheets in 32 games". Turkish-football.com. 8 April 2012. Retrieved 8 April 2012.
  12. ↑ http://sports.yahoo.com/news/uruguay-keeper-muslera-injured-world-cup-playoff-002656944--sow.html
  13. ↑ http://kap.gov.tr/bildirim-sorgulari/bildirim-detayi.aspx?id=364187
  14. ↑ Baş, Hakan (2 June 2015). "Galatasaray looks to complete a double in Ziraat Turkish Cup final". Daily Sabah. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
  15. ↑ "Muslera, Fernando". National Football Teams. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  16. ↑ "NESTOR FERNANDO MUSLERA". Turkish Football Federation. 20 May 2013. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  17. ↑ "Nestor Fernando Muslera Micol". Mackolik.com. 20 May 2013. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
  18. ↑ "Muslera, Fernando". National Football Teams. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
  19. 1 2 3 4 "F. Muslera". Soccerway. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
  20. ↑ 30. Bradley Howard Friedel – Kalecinin kralları – Sporx Galeri
  21. ↑ New Record! – Muslera keeps 16 clean sheets in 32 games – Soccer News – Turkish Football
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fernando Muslera.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/16/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.