Fernando Redondo Career Biography and Statistics

Bio:
Soccer is not only a game of determination and hard work, but also a game of grace and beauty. There are many soccer players that play the game hard and with much skill, but only a select few can play it with a style that dazzles. Fernando Redondo was such a soccer player.
          
Redondo was born on July 6, 1979 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In 1990, he began his career at the age of 21 with CD Tenerife, with whom he made 103 appearances and scored eight goals. He then moved on to Real Madrid, making 155 appearances and scoring four goals. After Madrid, Redondo played with A.C. Milan, playing only 16 games over four years due to multiple injuries. While at Milan he demonstrated impressive morals by refusing to accept pay for the time he was hurt. Redondo also made 29 appearances for the Argentina international team between 1992 and 1999. He scored only one goal for Argentina, due his desire to create opportunities instead of scoring the points himself.
          
Redondo was also famous for his refusal of call-ups to play for the international team due to disagreements and inconsistencies with coaches. Redondo enjoyed a free style of soccer—soccer as an art form—and a few of the international coaches did not have the same philosophy.
          
Redondo’s greatest success came during his years at Real Madrid where he was a two-time La Liga league champion, two-time European Champion, and the 1999-2000 UEFA Champions League Most Valuable Player. He established himself as one of the premier midfielders in the world. He could control a game with his amazing ability to be a destructive force to the opposition, but at the same time a constructive force for his team.
          
In 2003, Redondo’s career came to close after another knee injury. He was a magnificent player who continually baffled defenders and enthralled crowds. However, due to his few appearances in World Cup and international games, Redondo does not get nearly the recognition he deserves.