Fernando Llorente: Difference between revisions
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|years1 = 2003–2004 | clubs1 = [[CD Baskonia|Baskonia]] | caps1 = 33 | goals1 = 12 |
|years1 = 2003–2004 | clubs1 = [[CD Baskonia|Baskonia]] | caps1 = 33 | goals1 = 12 |
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|years2 = 2004–2005 | clubs2 = [[Bilbao Athletic]] | caps2 = 16 | goals2 = 4 |
|years2 = 2004–2005 | clubs2 = [[Bilbao Athletic]] | caps2 = 16 | goals2 = 4 |
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|years3 = 2005–2013 | clubs3 = [[Athletic Bilbao]] | caps3 = |
|years3 = 2005–2013 | clubs3 = [[Athletic Bilbao]] | caps3 = 0| goals3 = 193759175018401740175901 |
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|years4 = 2013– | clubs4 = [[Juventus F.C.|Juventus]] | caps4 = |
|years4 = 2013– | clubs4 = [[Juventus F.C.|Juventus]] | caps4 = 0| goals4 = 193758108410749194 |
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|nationalyears1 = 2003 | nationalteam1 = [[Spain national under-17 football team|Spain U17]] | nationalcaps1 = 3 | nationalgoals1 = 2 |
|nationalyears1 = 2003 | nationalteam1 = [[Spain national under-17 football team|Spain U17]] | nationalcaps1 = 3 | nationalgoals1 = 2 |
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|nationalyears2 = 2005 | nationalteam2 = [[Spain national under-20 football team|Spain U20]] | nationalcaps2 = 4 | nationalgoals2 = 5 |
|nationalyears2 = 2005 | nationalteam2 = [[Spain national under-20 football team|Spain U20]] | nationalcaps2 = 4 | nationalgoals2 = 5 |
Revision as of 06:40, 7 August 2015
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Fernando Javier Llorente Torres[1] | ||
Date of birth | 26 February 1985 | ||
Place of birth | Pamplona, Spain | ||
Height | 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) | ||
Position(s) | Striker | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Juventus | ||
Number | 14 | ||
Youth career | |||
1994–1995 | FC Funes | ||
1995–1996 | River Ebro | ||
1996–2003 | Athletic Bilbao | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2003–2004 | Baskonia | 33 | (12) |
2004–2005 | Bilbao Athletic | 16 | (4) |
2005–2013 | Athletic Bilbao | 0 | (193759175018401740175901) |
2013– | Juventus | 0 | (193758108410749194) |
International career‡ | |||
2003 | Spain U17 | 3 | (2) |
2005 | Spain U20 | 4 | (5) |
2005–2006 | Spain U21 | 9 | (5) |
2008– | Spain | 23 | (7) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 30 May 2015 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 02:00, 20 November 2013 (UTC) |
Fernando Javier Llorente Torres (locally [ferˈnando ʝoˈɾente ˈtorres]; born 26 February 1985), nicknamed El Rey León ("The Lion King" in Spanish),[2] is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Italian club Juventus F.C. as a striker.
Llorente started his career with Athletic Bilbao, working his way through the various youth ranks, and becoming one of the most important offensive players for the club in the following decade, since making his first team debut in 2005. He scored 29 goals for the club in all competitions in the 2011–12 season, and was described as a "Bilbao legend".[3] In 2013 he signed with Juventus, winning the Serie A in his first year.
A Spanish international since late 2008, Llorente was a member of the squads which won the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012.
Early years
Though born in Pamplona, Llorente grew up in the municipality of Rincón de Soto in La Rioja.[4][5] He joined Athletic Bilbao's youth system in 1996 at the age of 11, being eligible through his Navarrese roots.
Club career
Athletic Bilbao
Llorente spent several seasons in the various junior levels of the club, moving in 2003 to CD Baskonia of Tercera División,[6] effectively an Athletic youth side and also a feeder club since 1997. He gradually paved his way for promotion to Bilbao Athletic – Athletic's reserve team – in Segunda División B.[7]
After scoring four goals for the B's in the first half of the season, Llorente was awarded with a contract extension until June 2008.[8] On 16 January 2005, he made his first-team – and La Liga – debut in a 1–1 home draw against RCD Espanyol.[9] Three days later, in a Copa del Rey match with UD Lanzarote, he scored a hat-trick in a 6–0 victory,[10] and would go on to feature in all but five of the 19 remaining league games while scoring three goals, and also featuring in four domestic cup matches and the UEFA Cup round-of-32 game against FK Austria Wien.
Before 2005–06, Llorente's squad number was promoted from number 32 to 9.[11] He scored in the opening day, a Basque derby 3–0 win against Real Sociedad[12] but, throughout the campaign, found goals hard to come by, which could be partly attributed to a series of injuries including a knee strain,[13] gastroenteritis[14] and a muscle injury.[15] He ended the season with just four goals, two in the league and as much in the Cup, against CE L'Hospitalet.[16]
On 13 July 2006 Llorente signed a new contract with Athletic until June 2011, which included a buy-out clause of between €30 and 50 million.[17] He started the season as arguably the club's fourth-choice striker, behind Aritz Aduriz, Joseba Etxeberria and veteran Ismael Urzaiz. Athletic's poor form and lack of goals led to coach Félix Sarriugarte rotating the players, allowing Llorente to force his way back into the side; he ended the campaign with only two goals in 23 matches, although he did score an important one in the closing minutes of a 1–1 draw at Valencia CF.[18]
In preparation for 2007–08, Llorente scored six goals in as many pre-season games, and another against CD Numancia in the Caja Duero Trophy. His form led to him becoming Athletic's first-choice forward, and although he started the campaign poorly, he ended it with a total of 11 league goals for a side that finished in mid-table. His tally included four goals in two games against Valencia, both impressive wins,[19][20] and further strikes against FC Barcelona,[21] Villarreal CF[22] and Atlético Madrid.[23]
Prior to 2008–09, Llorente was confident of a successful season. "I know that I am capable of scoring goals and having a good year and I want to start this term in the same form that I ended the last one in" he said.[24] Despite the team's modest start he netted 14 league goals – a career-best – with another four in the Cup, helping his team reach the final against Barcelona (1–4 loss).
In the 2009–10 season, Llorente again reached double figures. He led all scorers in the Europa League for a lengthy period, with eight goals and added 14 in the league as Athletic finished in eighth position.
On 28 August 2010 Llorente scored the first goal of the 2010–11 campaign, in a 1–0 win at Hércules CF.[25] His form continued in the next ten league fixtures as he found the net seven times, eventually finishing the season with 18 goals (19 overall) as Athletic qualified to the Europa League.
In January/February 2012, in two away games separated by only four days, Llorente scored five goals: he started with a hat-trick in a 3–2 win against Rayo Vallecano,[26] adding two in Athletic's 2-1 win over CD Mirandés in the Spanish Cup semifinals.[27] In the next two matches, both at home, he netted three more, one against Espanyol in the league[28] and two against Mirandés.[29]
Llorente scored in both legs of the 2011–12 Europa League round-of-16 against Manchester United, as Athletic won both games and went through 5–3 on aggregate.[30][31] In the next round he netted twice at FC Schalke 04 in a 4–2 win,[32] helping the team eventually reach the final.
In August 2012 Llorente refused to sign a new deal with Athletic Bilbao, fuelling speculation that he might be leaving the club.[3] Following a 0–2 derby loss at Real Sociedad on 29 September, in which he was a late substitute, he got into an argument with manager Marcelo Bielsa; two days later he walked out of training early and was sent to practice with the youth squad[33] and, as a result, his relationship with the club's supporters and president Josu Urrutia further deteriorated.[34]
On 3 January 2013, Athletic confirmed that Llorente would be holding contract talks with Juventus.[35] On the 21st the Italians' sporting director, Giuseppe Marotta, revealed that he was "very optimistic" that the player would join on 1 July, with Bilbao president Josu Urrutia believed to be unwilling to allow him to leave in the January transfer window.[36] Three days later the club formalized the signing, and announced he would sign a four-year contract on 1 July when his contract with Bilbao expired;[37] Juventus also paid his agent €3.038 million.[38]
Llorente scored just five goals in 36 official matches in his final year with Athletic, playing mainly as a back-up for Aduriz.[39][40]
Juventus
Llorente officially became a Juventus player on 1 July 2013 after passing a medical at the club.[41][42] He was given the number 14 jersey,[40][43] and netted his first goal in Serie A on 22 September, starting in a 2–1 home win against Hellas Verona FC.
In his second and third ever appearances in the UEFA Champions League Llorente managed to find the net, on both occasions against Real Madrid for the 2013–14 group stage (1–2 away loss, 2–2 home draw).[44][45] On 1 December he scored in injury time for the game's only goal at home against Udinese Calcio,[46] a few weeks after speaking in an exclusive interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport about his relationship with former manager Bielsa.[47]
Llorente's first two goals of 2014 came on 12 January, scoring from a header and from close range as Juventus defeated 4–1 Cagliari Calcio away to extend its winning league run to 11 matches.[48] On 7 April, he netted both of his team's goals in a 2−0 home success over A.S. Livorno Calcio, confirming a top-two finish;[49] on the final day of the season, again against Cagliari, he contributed with one goal as the hosts won it 3–0 to become the team with the most points in a single Serie A campaign with 102.[50]
On 6 June 2015, Llorente played five minutes in the final of the Champions League, lost 1–3 to Barcelona at Berlin's Olympiastadion.[51]
International career
Llorente represented Spain at the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship, his five goals winning him the silver boot as the competition's second highest scorer.[52] He was also capped at under-18 and under-19 levels.
On 14 November 2008, senior national team manager Vicente del Bosque called Llorente up for a friendly against Chile.[53] He was brought on as a substitute in the 72nd minute of the 3–0 win.[54] He scored his first goal in a 2–0 friendly win over England on 11 February 2009, coming off the bench to score in the 64th minute.[55] After netting 14 goals for Athletic in 2008–09, del Bosque named Llorente in his 23-man squad for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup: he was used as a substitute against hosts South Africa, and scored in a 2–0 victory.[56]
During the 2009–10 season, Llorente was not called-up once, as del Bosque favoured Álvaro Negredo. He would, however, be selected for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, also in South Africa, as third-choice striker, where he played in one match for the eventual champions, the last 30 minutes of the 1–0 round-of-16 win against Portugal.
On 8 October 2010, benefiting from an injury to Fernando Torres, Llorente started in a UEFA Euro 2012 qualifier against Lithuania, in Salamanca. With two headers – his strongest asset – he contributed prominently in a 3–1 win. Four days later, as a substitute, he scored the winner against Scotland in a 3–2 success at Hampden Park. He was selected for the final stages in Poland and Ukraine, being an unused squad member as Spain won another tournament.
Llorente was one of seven players cut from Spain's final squad for the 2014 World Cup.[57] He represented the Basque Country national team five times, making his debut against Cameroon in 2005, and scored one goal for the Euskadi, in a match against Catalonia at the Camp Nou played the following year; his last appearance was in December 2007.[58]
International goals
No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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1[59] | 11 February 2009 | Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium, Seville, Spain | England | 2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2[60] | 20 June 2009 | Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein, South Africa | South Africa | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2009 Confederations Cup | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
3[61] | 28 May 2010 | Tivoli-Neu, Innsbruck, Austria | Saudi Arabia | 3–2 | 3–2 | Friendly | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
4[62] | 7 September 2010 | Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti, Buenos Aires, Argentina | Argentina | 3–1 | 4–1 | Friendly | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
5[63] | 8 October 2010 | Estadio El Helmántico, Salamanca, Spain | Lithuania | 1–0 | 3–1 | Euro 2012 qualifying | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
6[64] | 8 October 2010 | Estadio El Helmántico, Salamanca, Spain | Lithuania | 2–1 | 3–1 | Euro 2012 qualifying | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
7[65] | 12 October 2010 | Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland | Scotland | 2–3 | 2–3 | Euro 2012 qualifying
Style of playA physical player, Llorente's main trait is his heading ability.[66] In addition, he is also gifted with good skills, which allows him to play with his back to goal and hold up the ball for his team mates to create space and scoring opportunities.[67] HonoursClub
Country
IndividualDecorationsStatisticsClub
International
Representative
References
External linksWikimedia Commons has media related to Fernando Llorente.
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- Use dmy dates from January 2013
- 1985 births
- Living people
- Sportspeople from Pamplona
- Spanish footballers
- Basque footballers
- Navarrese footballers
- Association football forwards
- La Liga players
- Segunda División B players
- Tercera División players
- CD Basconia footballers
- Bilbao Athletic footballers
- Athletic Bilbao footballers
- Serie A players
- Juventus F.C. players
- Spain youth international footballers
- Spain under-21 international footballers
- Spain international footballers
- 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup players
- 2010 FIFA World Cup players
- UEFA Euro 2012 players
- FIFA World Cup-winning players
- UEFA European Championship-winning players
- Spanish expatriate footballers
- Expatriate footballers in Italy
- Spanish expatriates in Italy