Fernando Velasco (footballer)

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Velascoand the second or maternal family name is Salazar.

Fernando Velasco

Personal information
Full name	Fernando Velasco Salazar
Date of birth	(1985-01-08) 8 January 1985 (age 39)
Place of birth	Córdoba, Spain
Height	1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Marbella FC (youth coach)
Youth career
	UD Marbella
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2003–2004	Marbella	7	(0)
2004–2005	Estepona	9	(4)
2005–2007	Fuengirola	59	(16)
2007–2009	Lucena	69	(14)
2009–2011	Cádiz	37	(7)
2010	→ Ceuta (loan)	15	(1)
2011–2013	Melilla	63	(13)
2013–2015	Leganés	66	(12)
2015	Petrolul Ploiești	5	(1)
2016–2017	Fuenlabrada	38	(5)
2017–2019	El Ejido	44	(9)
2019–2020	Europa	10	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 29 February 2020

Fernando Velasco Salazar (born 8 January 1985) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.

He made 31 appearances and scored four goals in the Segunda División for Cádiz and Leganés, but spent most of his career in Segunda División B, playing 317 games and scoring 57 goals for eight clubs.

Football career

Born in Córdoba, Andalusia, Velasco began his career in the lower leagues, playing in Segunda División B with UD Marbella and Lucena CF. In June 2009, after scoring seven goals for the latter, he signed for Cádiz CF. ^[1]

Velasco made his professional debut on 30 August 2009 as the Segunda División season began with a 1–0 loss at home to UD Salamanca; he was a 64th-minute substitute for Enrique Ortiz. Having added only four more games – one in the Copa del Rey – he was loaned back to the third tier with AD Ceuta. ^[2]

After spending the 2010–11 season back at Cádiz in the third division, Velasco returned to North Africa, this time joining UD Melilla. ^[3] On 1 November 2012, he scored the only goal from a penalty kick at home to La Liga team Levante UD in the last 32 of the cup; the Valencians advanced with a 4–1 win in the second leg. ^[4]

In July 2013, Velasco joined CD Leganés again in the third tier. ^[5] He scored twice on 11 September in a 5–1 home win over former club Lucena in the second round of the cup, ^[6] and on 12 January 2014 he scored a hat-trick in a 4–0 league win over SD Amorebieta. ^[7] After winning promotion, he scored four goals in the second division, starting with the only one of a win over Real Betis at the Estadio Municipal de Butarque on 19 October. ^[8]

After a brief spell in the Romanian Liga I with FC Petrolul Ploiești – scoring once off the bench to equalise in a 1–1 draw at home to SSU Politehnica Timișoara ^[9] – Velasco returned to his country's third tier and the Community of Madrid, signing for CF Fuenlabrada in January 2016. ^[10] Eighteen months later, he moved to CD El Ejido in the same division. ^[11] Following their relegation in 2019, he moved to Europa F.C. in the Gibraltar Premier Division, taking part in his first European campaign by reaching the first qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League against Legia Warsaw. ^[12]

Later career

Velasco retired as footballer in 2020, and started his own player agency. ^[13]

Ahead of the 2023-24 season, Velasco started coaching at the academy of Marbella FC.

References

1. "El Cádiz hace oficial el fichaje de Velasco" [Cádiz make official the signing of Velasco]. Diario de Cádiz (in Spanish). 30 June 2009. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
2. "Velasco dice en su presentación que quiere ascender con el Ceuta" [Velasco says in his presentation that he wants to win promotion with Ceuta]. Diario de Cádiz (in Spanish). 5 February 2010. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
3. "PRESENTACIÓN de Rubén Cruz y Solabarrieta" [PRESENTATION of Rubén Cruz and Solabarrieta.]. El Faro de Melilla (in Spanish). 28 July 2011. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
4. "Gesta de un épico Melilla, que tumba con diez al EuroLevante" [Heroic feat by an epic Melilla, who fall with ten men to EuroLevante]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 1 November 2012. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
5. "El marbellí Velasco continuará en Segunda B con el CD Leganés" [Marbella-born Velasco will continue in Segunda B with CD Leganés] (in Spanish). Marbella 24 Horas. 19 July 2013. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
6. "La Copa tampoco es bálsamo" [The cup is not a comfort either]. El Día de Córdoba (in Spanish). 12 September 2013. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
7. Martín, J. (12 January 2018). "¿Qué hacÍa [sic] el Leganés hoy hace 4 años? Un milagro en imágenes" [What were Leganés doing 4 years ago today? A miracle in images]. Diario AS (in French). Retrieved 4 February 2023.
8. "Velasco: "El gol fue un momento de los más bonitos de mi carrera"" [Velasco: "The goal was one of the most beautiful moments of my career"]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 21 October 2014. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
9. Vrabie, Valentin (5 October 2015). ""Lupii galbeni" se scufundă. Petrolul Ploiești – ACS Poli Timișoara 1–1. Llorente a deschis scorul cu un șut superb, Velasco a egalat" [The "Yellow Wolves" sink. Petrolul Ploiești – ACS Poli Timisoara 1–1. Llorente opened the scoring with a superb shot, Velasco equalised]. ProSport (in Romanian). Retrieved 4 February 2023.
10. "Fernando Velasco es nuevo jugador del CF. Fuenlabrada" [Fernando Velasco is new CF. Fuenlabrada player] (in Spanish). Onda Fuenlabrada. 29 January 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
11. "El CD Ejido ficha a Velasco y golea al Atlético Malagueño" [CD Ejido sign Velasco and thrash Atlético Malagueño]. Diario de Almería (in Spanish). 30 July 2017. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
12. "Fernando Velasco deja El Ejido y firma por el Europa de Gibraltar" [Fernando Velasco leaves El Ejido and signs for Europa of Gibraltar] (in Spanish). Marbella 24 Horas. 17 June 2019. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
13. "Hoy es un día muy importante para mi..." fernando_velasco11 Instagram. Archived from the original on 2021-12-26. Retrieved 5 April 2021.

External links

• Fernando Velasco at BDFutbol
• Fernando Velaso at LaPreferente.com (in Spanish)
• Fernando Velasco at Soccerway