Esteban Fuertes
Encyclopedia
Oscar Esteban "Bichi" Fuertes (born 26 December 1972 Coronel Dorrego
, Buenos Aires
) is an Argentine
football
striker who currently plays for Colón de Santa Fe
in his career, he is a classic journeyman footballer, having played for 10 different teams in Argentina
, France
, England
and Spain
.
Fuertes began his career at Primera División
club Independiente
in 1991, but he was soon released. He went to play for El Porvenir
and then Los Andes
in the Argentine second division.
He made his return to the Primera with Platense
in 1995, but he only stayed there for one year before moving on to Independiente's fiercest rivals Racing Club de Avellaneda
. Again he only spent one season with the club before he found his way to the club that has become his spiritual home; Colón de Santa Fe
.
It was at Colón where he became the Primera's top scorer in 2000, he was Goleador with 17 goals in the Clausura tournament, this feat earned him a lucrative transfer to Europe.
In July 1999, Fuertes was purchased for £2.3m by Jim Smith
, manager of Derby County
in England. He scored two early goals, the winner against Everton in the league and another against Swansea City in the League Cup. However, weeks later, he was refused entry back into Britain when immigration officials discovered that his Italian passport was forged. Derby were able to sell him on to Lens
in France for £2.8m. His final European club was Tenerife
in Spain.
Fuertes returned to Argentina in 2002 to join River Plate
, but again he only stayed for one season before returning to Colón. He has now become the club's all time top goalscorer with 104 goals for the club (as of July 23, 2009).
aged 36, making him the oldest player ever to make his debut for the Argentina national team
. The Argentina team made up of players based in the Primera División Argentina
won the game 3-1.
Coronel Dorrego Partido
Coronel Dorrego Partido is a partido located on the southern coast of Buenos Aires Province in Argentina.The provincial subdivision has a population of about 16,500 inhabitants in an area of , and its capital city is Coronel Dorrego, which is located around 628km from Buenos Aires.-Economy:The...
, Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires Province
The Province of Buenos Aires is the largest and most populous province of Argentina. It takes the name from the city of Buenos Aires, which used to be the provincial capital until it was federalized in 1880...
) is an Argentine
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
striker who currently plays for Colón de Santa Fe
Colón de Santa Fe
Club Atlético Colón, commonly referred to as Colón de Santa Fe, is a football team from Santa Fe, Argentina. As of Primera División Argentina 1946 the football squad plays in the highest division of Argentine football, and has done so continuously since 1995-96...
Club
Fuertes has been used as a winger and as a strikerStriker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
in his career, he is a classic journeyman footballer, having played for 10 different teams in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
.
Fuertes began his career at Primera División
Primera División Argentina
The Primera División is a professional football league in Argentina. It is the country's premier football division and is at the top of the Argentine football league system. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Primera B Nacional. The season runs...
club Independiente
Club Atlético Independiente
Club Atlético Independiente is an Argentine athletic, sports and social club, which has its headquarters and stadium in the city of Avellaneda, Buenos Aires Province. The club is best known for its football team, that plays in the Argentine Primera División....
in 1991, but he was soon released. He went to play for El Porvenir
Club El Porvenir
Club El Porvenir is an Argentine football club, located in the Gerli neighborhood, which is part of the district of Lanús Partido in the Gran Buenos Aires....
and then Los Andes
Club Atlético Los Andes
Club Atlético Los Andes is a sports club from the city of Lomas de Zamora, Greater Buenos Aires, Argentina. The football team currently plays in the Primera B Metropolitana, the regionalised third division of the Argentine Football Association....
in the Argentine second division.
He made his return to the Primera with Platense
Club Atlético Platense
Club Atlético Platense is an Argentine sports club based in Vicente López, in the north side of Greater Buenos Aires. The club nickname is Calamar after the journalist Palacio Zino said that the team moved "like a squid in its ink"....
in 1995, but he only stayed there for one year before moving on to Independiente's fiercest rivals Racing Club de Avellaneda
Racing Club de Avellaneda
Racing Club is an Argentine professional football club from Avellaneda, a suburb of Greater Buenos Aires. Founded in 1903, Racing has been historically considered one of the "big five" clubs of Argentine football...
. Again he only spent one season with the club before he found his way to the club that has become his spiritual home; Colón de Santa Fe
Colón de Santa Fe
Club Atlético Colón, commonly referred to as Colón de Santa Fe, is a football team from Santa Fe, Argentina. As of Primera División Argentina 1946 the football squad plays in the highest division of Argentine football, and has done so continuously since 1995-96...
.
It was at Colón where he became the Primera's top scorer in 2000, he was Goleador with 17 goals in the Clausura tournament, this feat earned him a lucrative transfer to Europe.
In July 1999, Fuertes was purchased for £2.3m by Jim Smith
Jim Smith (footballer)
James Michael "Jim" Smith is a retired English footballer and manager. As a player, he made 249 appearances in the Fourth Division of The Football League, representing Aldershot, Halifax Town, Lincoln City and Colchester United, and played for three-and-a-half years for Boston United of the...
, manager of Derby County
Derby County F.C.
Derby County Football Club is an English football based in Derby. the club play in the Football League Championship and is notable as being one of the twelve founder members of the Football League in 1888 and is, therefore, one of only ten clubs to have competed in every season of the English...
in England. He scored two early goals, the winner against Everton in the league and another against Swansea City in the League Cup. However, weeks later, he was refused entry back into Britain when immigration officials discovered that his Italian passport was forged. Derby were able to sell him on to Lens
RC Lens
Racing Club de Lens is a French association football club based in the northern city of Lens in the Pas-de-Calais department. Its nickname, sang et or , comes from its traditional colours of red and gold. Their primary rivals are their northern neighbors Lille OSC, whom they contest the Derby du...
in France for £2.8m. His final European club was Tenerife
CD Tenerife
Club Deportivo Tenerife, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, in Tenerife . Founded in 1922, it currently plays in Segunda División B, holding home matches at Estadio Heliodoro Rodríguez López, with a 24,000-seat capacity.-History:Club Deportivo Tenerife was founded in...
in Spain.
Fuertes returned to Argentina in 2002 to join River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate is an Argentine sports club based in the Nuñez neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently competes in Nacional B, the second tier of Argentine football....
, but again he only stayed for one season before returning to Colón. He has now become the club's all time top goalscorer with 104 goals for the club (as of July 23, 2009).
International
On 20 May 2009 Fuertes made his international debut in a friendly match against PanamaPanama national football team
The Panama national football team is the national team of Panama and is controlled by the Panamanian Football Federation. Panama reached the 2006 World Cup CONCACAF Final Round in the qualifiers and finished as runners-up at the final game of the 2005 Gold Cup...
aged 36, making him the oldest player ever to make his debut for the Argentina national team
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
. The Argentina team made up of players based in the Primera División Argentina
Primera División Argentina
The Primera División is a professional football league in Argentina. It is the country's premier football division and is at the top of the Argentine football league system. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Primera B Nacional. The season runs...
won the game 3-1.
External links
- Statistics at Irish Times BDFA profile Argentine Primera statistics