Míchel Salgado

Spanish footballer (born 1975) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Míchel Salgado

Miguel Ángel "Míchel" Salgado Fernández (born 22 October 1975) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a right-back.

Quick Facts Personal information, Full name ...
Míchel Salgado
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Salgado playing in a legends match in 2018
Personal information
Full name Miguel Ángel Salgado Fernández[1]
Date of birth (1975-10-22) 22 October 1975 (age 49)[2]
Place of birth As Neves, Spain
Height 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)[2]
Position(s) Right-back
Team information
Current team
Saudi Arabia (under-15)
Youth career
1990–1992 Cristo Victoria
1992–1994 Celta
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1994–1995 Celta B 20 (1)
1995–1999 Celta 92 (3)
1996–1997Salamanca (loan) 36 (1)
1999–2009 Real Madrid 251 (4)
2009–2012 Blackburn Rovers 66 (0)
2018 Independiente 1 (0)
Total 466 (9)
International career
1994 Spain U18 7 (0)
1995 Spain U19 2 (0)
1995 Spain U20 5 (1)
1996–1998 Spain U21 10 (0)
1998–2006 Spain 53 (0)
2005 Galicia 1 (0)
Managerial career
2016–2017 Galicia
2022 Pafos (interim)
2023 Pafos (interim)
2024– Saudi Arabia (under-15)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals
Close

Nicknamed Il Due[3] ("two" in Italian), he was known for his combative tackling and attacking play. After excellent displays at Celta, he spent an entire decade at Real Madrid, where former teammate Steve McManaman attested to his aggressive style by describing him as "the hardest person in the world....a genuine psychopath, even in training."[4] He also played three seasons in England with Blackburn Rovers.

Salgado, who played 341 La Liga matches and scored seven goals, represented the Spain national team over eight years, collecting more than 50 caps and appearing in one World Cup and one European Championship.

Club career

Summarize
Perspective

Celta

Born in As Neves, Province of Pontevedra, Galicia,[5] Salgado began his professional career with hometown's RC Celta de Vigo,[6] making his La Liga debut on 22 January 1995 in a 4–0 away loss against Real Madrid.[7] He was loaned for a season to UD Salamanca in the Segunda División, and after his return became the first-choice in his position.[8]

Whilst at Celta, Salgado was involved in an incident with Atlético Madrid's Juninho Paulista in February 1998: after a dangerous challenge, the Brazilian was sidelined for six months and missed that year's FIFA World Cup.[9][10][11]

Salgado scored a career-best three goals in the 1998–99 campaign,[12][13][14] helping his team to finish fifth and qualify for the UEFA Cup.[15][6][9]

Real Madrid

In 1999, Salgado was purchased by Real Madrid for 11,000,000,[9] playing 29 league games in his first season while also helping the club win the UEFA Champions League.[16] He was the capital side's starter during his first seven years, but was relegated to the bench by former Sevilla FC youngster Sergio Ramos in 2006–07.[17]

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Real Madrid fans show their appreciation of Salgado's ten years service to the club

Salgado was only able to contribute 16 matches to the Merengues' 30th national title, mainly due to injuries.[18] In the following two campaigns he featured very rarely (only 17 appearances), being sent off in the final game of 2008–09, a 2–1 loss at CA Osasuna on 31 May 2009 as Madrid slumped to a fifth consecutive league defeat.[19]

Salgado was released in early August 2009, with the team already midway into pre-season.[20]

Blackburn Rovers

Salgado moved to Blackburn Rovers of the Premier League on 19 August 2009, signing a two-year deal after impressing manager Sam Allardyce whilst on trial. He went on to say he was happy to be playing for his new club, intending to retire at Ewood Park.[21][22]

Salgado made his competitive debut on 12 September 2009, against Wolverhampton Wanderers as a late substitute (3–1 home win).[23] On 27 October he scored his only goal for his new team, in a 5–2 victory over Peterborough United in the Football League Cup.[24]

On 27 January 2011, the 35-year-old Salgado agreed to a contract extension.[25] He was first choice in the first games of the 2011–12 season, until picking up an injury.[26]

Blackburn manager Steve Kean revealed in December 2011 that Salgado was being omitted from the squad as his contract stated that the player was entitled to a new deal if he played nine more matches in the campaign, the club not being able to afford fresh terms.[27][28]

Futsal and later years

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Salgado in a charity match in Tehran in 2015

Aged 40, Salgado came out of retirement to join Kochi 5s in India's Premier Futsal as a marquee player.[29] He later was part of the board of Heritage Sports Holdings, which owned the football clubs Gibraltar United F.C. and UD Los Barrios.[30][31]

Salgado came out of retirement again in April 2018, starting for Independiente F.C. in a 1–1 draw against C.D. Plaza Amador in the quarter-finals of the Panamanian Clausura tournament.[32] He settled in Dubai, United Arab Emirates after retiring, and in 2020 helped to found Fursan Hispania FC, initially as an academy.[33]

On 5 February 2021, Salgado was appointed director of football of Cypriot First Division side Pafos FC.[34] On two occasions, he acted as their caretaker manager.[35]

International career

Salgado won the first of his 53 caps for Spain[36] on 5 September 1998, in an infamous 3–2 loss in Cyprus for the UEFA Euro 2000 qualifiers.[37] He was part of the nation's squads at Euro 2000[38] and the 2006 FIFA World Cup.[39]

Due to last-minute injuries, Salgado missed out on the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2004.[40] He also represented the Galician autonomous side, which he later coached alongside Deportivo de La Coruña's Fran.[41][42]

On 4 September 2018, Salgado was named assistant manager to the Egyptian national team.[43] In June 2024, following rumours that he would be taking over TFF First League club Sakaryaspor,[44] he became head coach of the Saudi Arabia under-15 national team.[45]

Personal life

Salgado married Malula Sanz, daughter of former Real Madrid president Lorenzo Sanz, on 5 July 2000.[46] They have three children, daughter Malu (born 2003) and sons Miguel (2005) and Alán (2009).[47] Malu is a singer,[48][49] while her brothers are also footballers.[50][51][52][53][54]

Salgado is brother-in-law of former Real Madrid players Fernando Sanz and Paco Sanz, as well as of basketball player Lorenzo Sanz Durán.[55][56] He is an avid chess fan.[57][58][59]

Career statistics

Club

More information Club, Season ...
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[60][61]
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Celta B 1993–94 Segunda División B 2010000201
Celta 1994−95 La Liga 1401000150
1995−96 1805000230
1997−98 2505000300
1998−99 3532070443
Total 923130701123
Salamanca (loan) 1996–97 Segunda División 3612000381
Real Madrid 1999−2000 La Liga 29000170460
2000−01 27100110381
2001−02 35010140500
2002−03 35000161511
2003−04 35110100461
2004−05 3020090392
2005−06 2701050330
2006−07 1600010170
2007−08 803020130
2008−09 900010100
Total 2514608613435
Blackburn 2009–10 Premier League 2101041261
2010–11 3602000380
2011–12 90000090
Total 6603041731
Independiente 2017–18 Panamanian Football League 10000010
Career total 46692404193158711
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International

More information National team, Year ...
Appearances and goals by national team and year[62]
National teamYearAppsGoals
Spain 199830
199990
200050
200100
200250
2003100
200480
200580
200650
Total530
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Honours

Real Madrid[1][61]

Spain U21

References

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