Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Gabriel Matías Fernández Leites | ||
Date of birth | 13 May 1994 | ||
Place of birth | Montevideo, Uruguay | ||
Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) [1] | ||
Position(s) | Forward [2] | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Cruz Azul | ||
Number | 27 | ||
Youth career | |||
Club Atlético Pablan | |||
Bella Vista | |||
Defensor Sporting | |||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | ( Gls) |
2013–2014 | Defensor Sporting | 4 | (0) |
2013 | → Cerro Largo (loan) | 12 | (2) |
2014–2018 | Racing Club | 49 | (15) |
2018–2019 | Peñarol | 40 | (17) |
2019–2023 | Celta | 20 | (1) |
2020–2021 | → Zaragoza (loan) | 30 | (0) |
2021–2023 | → Juárez (loan) | 47 | (12) |
2023 | UNAM | 20 | (7) |
2024– | Cruz Azul | 6 | (2) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10 February 2024 |
Gabriel Matías Fernández Leites (born 13 May 1994), commonly known as "Toro Fernández", is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a forward for Liga MX club Cruz Azul.
Fernández had youth stints with Club Atlético Pablan, Bella Vista and Defensor Sporting, featuring for the latter at the 2012 U-20 Copa Libertadores in Peru; where they finished as runners-up to Argentina's River Plate. [3] On 8 January 2013, Fernández completed a loan move to fellow Primera División team Cerro Largo. [1] He made his bow on 23 February against Montevideo Wanderers, which preceded his first goals arriving in March versus Progreso and Racing Club. [1] Fernández returned to his parent club for 2013–14, making four appearances before leaving to join Racing Club. [1] [4] Braces followed in season one over Atenas and Sud América. [1]
After spending three further seasons with Racing Club, participating in forty-nine matches and netting fifteen goals, Fernández switched teams in January 2018 by agreeing to sign for Peñarol. [1] [5] He scored his first goal on 24 February during a win over Liverpool, a club he later notched his first career hat-trick against in the following August on the way to Peñarol's fiftieth league title. [1]
On 26 January 2019, Fernández secured a transfer to La Liga side Celta; effective from the following July, pending the outcome of his court case. [1] [6] [7] The deal was confirmed on 4 July by Celta. [8] His debut arrived in a home defeat to Real Madrid on 17 August. [1] He got his opening goal for them on 24 August, scoring with a backheel flick to earn Celta a 1–0 win over Valencia in La Liga. [9]
On 11 September 2020, Fernández was loaned to Segunda División side Real Zaragoza for the 2020–21 season. [10]
In 2023, Fernández joined Universidad Nacional (the Pumas) for the 2023 Apertura tournament. [11] [12]
On 29 December 2018, Fernández was involved in a traffic collision in Montevideo which left Romina Fernández, 18, in a vegetative state, he had allegedly been speeding at 60km/h in a 45 speed limit zone. [7] [13] [14] [15] After testifying in court in May, the judge prohibited him from leaving the country without permission; with a work-dependent curfew also being set. [7] [13] [14] [15] Celta, who Fernández signed a pre-contract agreement with in the subsequent January, added a clause to the transfer that would see it cancelled if he was found guilty. [7] In June 2019, his passport was returned and a settlement was reached with Romina's family which allowed Fernández to travel to officialise his transfer to Celta. [16]
Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Defensor Sporting | 2012–13 | Primera División | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
2013–14 | 4 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |||
Total | 4 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |||
Cerro Largo (loan) | 2012–13 | Primera División | 12 | 2 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 12 | 2 | ||
Racing Club | 2014–15 | 14 | 5 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 14 | 5 | |||
2015–16 | 16 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | ||||
2016 | 15 | 8 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 15 | 8 | ||||
2017 | 4 | 2 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | ||||
Total | 49 | 15 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 49 | 15 | ||||
Peñarol | 2018 | Primera División | 28 | 12 | — | 7 [a] | 1 | 1 [b] | 0 | 36 | 13 | |
2019 | 12 | 5 | — | 5 [a] | 0 | 1 [c] | 0 | 18 | 5 | |||
Total | 40 | 17 | — | 11 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 53 | 18 | |||
Celta | 2019–20 | La Liga | 20 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 22 | 1 | |
Zaragoza (loan) | 2020–21 | Segunda División | 17 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | |
Career total | 142 | 35 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 160 | 36 |
Peñarol [1]
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Gabriel Matías Fernández Leites | ||
Date of birth | 13 May 1994 | ||
Place of birth | Montevideo, Uruguay | ||
Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) [1] | ||
Position(s) | Forward [2] | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Cruz Azul | ||
Number | 27 | ||
Youth career | |||
Club Atlético Pablan | |||
Bella Vista | |||
Defensor Sporting | |||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | ( Gls) |
2013–2014 | Defensor Sporting | 4 | (0) |
2013 | → Cerro Largo (loan) | 12 | (2) |
2014–2018 | Racing Club | 49 | (15) |
2018–2019 | Peñarol | 40 | (17) |
2019–2023 | Celta | 20 | (1) |
2020–2021 | → Zaragoza (loan) | 30 | (0) |
2021–2023 | → Juárez (loan) | 47 | (12) |
2023 | UNAM | 20 | (7) |
2024– | Cruz Azul | 6 | (2) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10 February 2024 |
Gabriel Matías Fernández Leites (born 13 May 1994), commonly known as "Toro Fernández", is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a forward for Liga MX club Cruz Azul.
Fernández had youth stints with Club Atlético Pablan, Bella Vista and Defensor Sporting, featuring for the latter at the 2012 U-20 Copa Libertadores in Peru; where they finished as runners-up to Argentina's River Plate. [3] On 8 January 2013, Fernández completed a loan move to fellow Primera División team Cerro Largo. [1] He made his bow on 23 February against Montevideo Wanderers, which preceded his first goals arriving in March versus Progreso and Racing Club. [1] Fernández returned to his parent club for 2013–14, making four appearances before leaving to join Racing Club. [1] [4] Braces followed in season one over Atenas and Sud América. [1]
After spending three further seasons with Racing Club, participating in forty-nine matches and netting fifteen goals, Fernández switched teams in January 2018 by agreeing to sign for Peñarol. [1] [5] He scored his first goal on 24 February during a win over Liverpool, a club he later notched his first career hat-trick against in the following August on the way to Peñarol's fiftieth league title. [1]
On 26 January 2019, Fernández secured a transfer to La Liga side Celta; effective from the following July, pending the outcome of his court case. [1] [6] [7] The deal was confirmed on 4 July by Celta. [8] His debut arrived in a home defeat to Real Madrid on 17 August. [1] He got his opening goal for them on 24 August, scoring with a backheel flick to earn Celta a 1–0 win over Valencia in La Liga. [9]
On 11 September 2020, Fernández was loaned to Segunda División side Real Zaragoza for the 2020–21 season. [10]
In 2023, Fernández joined Universidad Nacional (the Pumas) for the 2023 Apertura tournament. [11] [12]
On 29 December 2018, Fernández was involved in a traffic collision in Montevideo which left Romina Fernández, 18, in a vegetative state, he had allegedly been speeding at 60km/h in a 45 speed limit zone. [7] [13] [14] [15] After testifying in court in May, the judge prohibited him from leaving the country without permission; with a work-dependent curfew also being set. [7] [13] [14] [15] Celta, who Fernández signed a pre-contract agreement with in the subsequent January, added a clause to the transfer that would see it cancelled if he was found guilty. [7] In June 2019, his passport was returned and a settlement was reached with Romina's family which allowed Fernández to travel to officialise his transfer to Celta. [16]
Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Defensor Sporting | 2012–13 | Primera División | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
2013–14 | 4 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |||
Total | 4 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | |||
Cerro Largo (loan) | 2012–13 | Primera División | 12 | 2 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 12 | 2 | ||
Racing Club | 2014–15 | 14 | 5 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 14 | 5 | |||
2015–16 | 16 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | ||||
2016 | 15 | 8 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 15 | 8 | ||||
2017 | 4 | 2 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | ||||
Total | 49 | 15 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 49 | 15 | ||||
Peñarol | 2018 | Primera División | 28 | 12 | — | 7 [a] | 1 | 1 [b] | 0 | 36 | 13 | |
2019 | 12 | 5 | — | 5 [a] | 0 | 1 [c] | 0 | 18 | 5 | |||
Total | 40 | 17 | — | 11 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 53 | 18 | |||
Celta | 2019–20 | La Liga | 20 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 22 | 1 | |
Zaragoza (loan) | 2020–21 | Segunda División | 17 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | |
Career total | 142 | 35 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 160 | 36 |
Peñarol [1]