Bye, Hierro

[Gismo]

Even a Barca fan like myself has big respect for this historic defender. :star:

Fernando Hierro has had a fine season at Bolton
Hero Hierro calls it a day
Tuesday, 10 May 2005
By Andy Hall

Bolton Wanderers FC centre-back Fernando Hierro has announced he will retire from professional football at the end of the season. "I'm clear about the decision," the former Spain and Real Madrid CF defender said. "I want to quit while I'm still playing at a high level."

Major honours
Hierro has enjoyed a glittering 18-year career, most notably with Madrid where he won five Primera División titles and three UEFA Champions League crowns. He was also capped 89 times by his country. Hierro, who turned 37 in March, made his Spanish top-flight debut on 4 October 1987 in a 1-0 home win for Real Valladolid against RCD Espanyol. After two terms with Valladolid, he joined Madrid where he would spend the next 14 seasons.

Leadership skills
Madrid landed the league title in 1989/90 with Hierro missing just one game in his debut campaign. More trophies followed and, in acknowledgement of his leadership skills on and off the field, he was named one of the team's four captains. At the Santiago Bernabéu, Hierro claimed one Copa del Rey and four Spanish Super Cups to add to his championship medals, but his greatest achievements came helping return the club to the pinnacle of European football.

Champions League triumphs
Madrid won their first Champions League tournament and seventh European Champion Clubs' Cup by defeating Juventus FC in May 1998. They repeated the feat two years later against Valencia CF and again in 2002 against Bayer 04 Leverkusen - this time Hierro lifted the trophy.

Bolton success
Hierro unexpectedly left Madrid in June 2003 - the day after they clinched their 29th league title - to play one season at Qatar-based Al Rayyan before signing for Bolton at the start of the current campaign. While Madrid have not won a major trophy since, Hierro has scored one goal in 28 Premiership appearances for Bolton to help the English side qualify for Europe for the first time.

Spain captain
On the international scene, Hierro made his debut in a 1-0 victory against Poland on 20 September 1989, the first of his 89 Spain caps. He retired from the national team after FIFA World Cup 2002 having scored a record 29 goals - a feat only recently bettered by his former Madrid team-mate Raúl González.

 

[Hammoudi]

Great player and a great leader. One of the best defenders in my books, Madrid won alot thanx to his defensive abilities, although he didn't have the best supporting cast with him.

It was also classless the way they got rid of him :fero: But they suffered, what goes around, comes around.

 

[snake]

when i heard i was livid. i mean i love Bolton and i love Sam Allardyce, one of the smartest managers out there.

and instead of staying with them to help in Europe next season he bloody retired! lol

anyway he knows the right choice. good on him, i wish him good luck inless he becomes a manager for a team i dont like :dielaugh:

 

[Hammoudi]

They still have Jaziri, Ben Haim, and N'Gotty as defender. I think the emergence of Ben Haim hastened his departure.

But I respect him for that. He didn't want to sit around and collect the high wages when he isn't needed.

 

[snake]

They still have Jaziri, Ben Haim, and N'Gotty as defender. I think the emergence of Ben Haim hastened his departure.

But I respect him for that. He didn't want to sit around and collect the high wages when he isn't needed.

if u watched them, youd no his not jsut sitting around doing 'nothing' actually hamed, Hierro never played as a defender. All the defenders u mentioned always played and so did Hierro.

but Hierro always played as a DM, infront of those defenders

 

[Hammoudi]

Damn, my EPL knowledge is being shattered by Helal everytime I speak :depress: I really didn't know that, I thought he was purely a CD!!! So if he was the DM, what was Campo's position?

 

[snake]

Damn, my EPL knowledge is being shattered by Helal everytime I speak :depress: I really didn't know that, I thought he was purely a CD!!! So if he was the DM, what was Campo's position?

Camp lately did not feature much. But there still is room for the both of them.

At times, they play something like this.


-------Campo---Hierro-------
Stelios-------------------Diouf
------------JayJay------------

 

[snake]

Allardyce Hoping For Hierro U-Turn
5/12/2005 11:45:00 AM
Bolton boss Sam Allardyce is hoping that he can persuade Fernando Hierro not to hang up his boots at the end of the season.
The former Spanish international recently announced his decision to retire, despite an impressive season in the Bolton midfield.

"After Frank Lampard he has been the best midfielder in the country since Christmas," Allardyce told the club’s website, www.bwfc.co.uk.

"The guy has been phenomenal. He has won three European Cups so maybe the UEFA Cup is not so big to him.

"But I thought we might have done enough to persuade him (to stay). I only know what I have read so I want to talk to him."

but eithery way like i said, im very disappoined that he retired. i mean just one more season in europe, they're relying on him.