The footballer from Extremadura was the star of the emerging Villarreal that became a permanent fixture in the top flight
With LaLiga being temporary suspended, here at Villarreal CF, we’ve decided to periodically relive moments, teams and people which have stood out in the club’s history. This Tuesday, we look at Víctor Fernández, a unique striker who was a key man in his era with the Yellows.
Víctor Manuel Fernández Gutiérrez (Mérida, 17th April 1974) was one of the stars of an emerging Villarreal, who, on their return to the top flight, consolidated their position in the elite of Spanish football.
In the 2000/01 season, the Yellows were strengthened with the arrival of Víctor Fernández. After four excellent seasons at Real Valladolid, the Badajoz-born striker made the move to the Submarine, becoming at the time the most expensive signing in the history of Villarreal CF. With the yellow shirt, ‘Chingu’ played 167 games, scoring an impressive 44 goals in all competitions.
During his time as a Villarreal player, ‘Chingu’ won two Intertoto Cups (2003 and 2004), playing a crucial part in the first one, in which he scored an important goal in the first leg of the final against Heerenveen (1-2). In that match, the other goal was scored by the current men’s first team manager, Javi Calleja, with whom Fernández formed a memorable duo that gave much joy to the Submarine fans.
Cheeky, smart and fast. These are some of the qualities that best describe Víctor Fernández, without overlooking his excellent goalscoring ability. In his first three seasons he was the team’s top goalscorer in all competitions, scoring 15, 14 and nine goals during the 2000/01, 2001/02 and 2002/03 seasons. His 44 goals as a ‘Groguet’ make him one of the top goalscorers of all-time for Villarreal.
His impressive double at Camp Nou remains engraved in the eyes of the Yellows fans. Two beautiful goals with which Villarreal CF achieved a historic victory against FC Barcelona (1-2) during the 2000/01 season.
#HistoriaGrogueta
