Enrique Romero
Romero in 2009
Personal information
Full name Enrique Fernández Romero[1]
Date of birth (1971-06-23) 23 June 1971 (age 52)[1]
Place of birth Jerez de la Frontera, Spain[1]
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Position(s) Left-back
Youth career
Flamenco Jerez
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1989–1991 Sanluqueño 32 (0)
1991–1993 Logroñés B 65 (6)
1992–1994 Logroñés 32 (4)
1994–1997 Valencia 91 (5)
1997–1998 Mallorca 38 (3)
1998–2006 Deportivo La Coruña 218 (2)
2006–2007 Betis 17 (0)
Total 493 (20)
International career
2000–2004 Spain 10 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Enrique Fernández Romero (born 23 June 1971) is a Spanish retired professional footballer who played as a left-back.

He played for four clubs during his professional career over 16 seasons – notably Deportivo which he helped win four major titles, including its only La Liga championship – amassing top-division totals of 396 games and 14 goals.[2]

Romero represented Spain at the 2002 World Cup.

Club career

Born in Jerez de la Frontera, Province of Cádiz, Romero started his professional career with La Rioja's CD Logroñés. He totalled only three La Liga games in his first two seasons but was first-choice in 1993–94, with the team again managing to retain their division status.

After having represented Valencia CF and RCD Mallorca, never appearing in less than 30 league matches during his spell at both clubs, Romero joined Deportivo de La Coruña in 1998. There, he blossomed into an attacking left-back, notably playing 50 UEFA Champions League matches for the Galicians[3] and contributing 34 and one goal[4] in the 1999–2000 campaign as Depor won its first national championship.[5]

In summer 2006, after being ousted by younger Joan Capdevila – although he was a very reliable defensive unit, sometimes being deployed as central defender[6]– Romero signed with Real Betis.[7] After a sole season, which coincided with the emergence of new signing Fernando Vega,[8] he opted to retire from professional football at the age of 36, having appeared in more than 500 competitive matches (nearly 400 in the Spanish top division).

International career

Romero won ten caps for Spain, his first appearance coming on 23 February 2000 in a friendly with Croatia, in Split.[9] He represented the nation at the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Japan and South Korea, playing three times for the eventual quarter-finalists.[10][11][12]

Honours

Deportivo

Mallorca

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Enrique Fernández ROMERO". El Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  2. ^ Toledano, Jesús (2 July 2015). ""Tuve una oferta del Real Madrid"" [I had an offer from Real Madrid]. Diario de Jerez (in Spanish). Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  3. ^ Antelo, Pablo (2 July 2016). "Los 10 jugadores con más partidos en Champions en la historia del Dépor" [The 10 players with more Champions League matches in the history of Dépor] (in Spanish). Riazor. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  4. ^ Hermida, Xosé (22 November 1999). "Goles del Depor para la fiesta gallega" [Depor goals for Galician party]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  5. ^ "Dos décadas de la Liga en la que el Deportivo reinó en España" [League where Deportivo ruled in Spain was two decades ago]. ABC (in Spanish). 19 May 2020. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  6. ^ "Romero, otro lateral reconvertido" [Romero, another reconverted fullback]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 7 May 2003. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
  7. ^ Torres, G.; García, E. (8 July 2006). "Enrique Romero ya pasó el reconocimiento médico" [Enrique Romero has already passed medical]. ABC (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 17 June 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  8. ^ Herrera, Juan (30 March 2007). "Betis y Villarreal, a por los tres puntos en el destierro de la Cartuja (Sáb, 18:00)" [Betis and Villarreal, out to get three points in Cartuja exile (Sat, 18:00)]. Diario Siglo XXI (in Spanish). Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  9. ^ Gascón, Javier (24 February 2000). "Molina, héroe por un día" [Molina, heroe for a day]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  10. ^ "Spain see off Slovenia". BBC Sport. 2 June 2002. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  11. ^ "Heartbreak for South Africa". BBC Sport. 12 June 2002. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
  12. ^ "Korean dream lives on". BBC Sport. 22 June 2002. Retrieved 18 February 2022.

External links

Spain squad – 2002 FIFA World Cup
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