1. Overview
Augusto Matías Fernández (born April 10, 1986) is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a central midfielder. Born in Pergamino, Buenos Aires, he began his youth career at River Plate, making his professional debut in 2006. Over his career, Fernández played for several prominent clubs across Argentina, France, Spain, and China, including Saint-Étienne, Vélez Sarsfield, Celta de Vigo, Atlético Madrid, Beijing Renhe, and Cádiz CF. He achieved domestic league titles with both River Plate and Vélez Sarsfield. Internationally, Fernández represented the Argentina national team, notably being part of the squads that finished as runner-up in the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the Copa América Centenario in 2016. He announced his retirement from professional football on May 21, 2021.
2. Early life and youth career
Augusto Matías Fernández was born on April 10, 1986, in Pergamino, Buenos Aires, Argentina. He started his football journey as a youth graduate at River Plate, one of Argentina's most prestigious clubs.
3. Club career
Augusto Matías Fernández's professional career spanned over a decade, playing for clubs in Argentina, France, Spain, and China.
3.1. River Plate
Fernández joined the River Plate youth system before making his first-team debut on January 29, 2006. He appeared as a substitute for Jonathan Santana in a commanding 5-0 away victory against Tiro Federal. His first professional goal for the club came on April 8, 2007, an equalizer in a 1-1 home draw against Belgrano.
During his time at River Plate, Fernández played a significant role in the club's success, particularly under coach Diego Simeone. He was part of the squad that won the 2008 Clausura title, making 15 appearances out of 19 games, including 9 starts. In the 2007 Peace Cup, River Plate faced Shimizu S-Pulse, where Fernández delivered an assist for Fernando Belluschi's goal, though he also had a goal disallowed for offside in the 39th minute.
3.2. Saint-Étienne
On August 28, 2009, Fernández made a loan move to the French club AS Saint-Étienne, following his compatriot Gonzalo Bergessio's transfer to the same club. His rights were reportedly owned by Israeli businessman Pinhas Zahavi, a common practice known as third-party ownership at the time. Fernández debuted in Ligue 1 on September 13, 2009, starting in a 0-1 loss against Stade Rennais. Approximately a month later, he scored his first goal in the league in a 3-1 home victory against FC Girondins de Bordeaux. Despite this, he only featured in 12 matches during the 2009-10 season, as Saint-Étienne narrowly avoided relegation.
3.3. Vélez Sarsfield
Fernández returned to Argentina on July 9, 2010, signing a three-year contract with Argentine Primera División side Vélez Sarsfield. The club acquired 100% of his rights from Pinhas Zahavi for a transfer fee of 1.50 M USD. In his inaugural tournament with Vélez, the 2010 Apertura, he played 12 games, all as a starter, contributing to Vélez's runner-up finish.
His most successful period at Vélez Sarsfield came during the 2011 Clausura campaign, where he played 17 out of 19 games and scored 4 goals, leading his team to a league championship. He also played a crucial role in their Copa Libertadores semi-final run, appearing in 10 out of 12 games and scoring 4 goals. Notably, within a 57-day period, he scored twice as many goals (3 in Copa Libertadores and 3 in the Argentine league) as he had in his entire professional career prior. This included his first double against L.D.U. Quito in the Copa Libertadores round of 16.
3.4. Celta de Vigo
On August 8, 2012, Fernández moved to Spain, joining newly promoted La Liga club Celta de Vigo on a four-year deal. He made his La Liga debut ten days later, starting in a 0-1 home defeat against Málaga CF.
Fernández scored his first goal in Spanish top-flight football on September 22, 2012, opening the scoring in a 2-1 home victory over Getafe CF. He became an ever-present figure for the Galician club during the 2012-13 season, playing in 36 matches and scoring six goals, which helped Celta narrowly avoid relegation. He maintained his first-choice status in the subsequent campaigns, as the team consistently achieved mid-table finishes. On October 3, 2014, he was appointed captain of the club, succeeding Borja Oubiña. During his three and a half years at Celta, he played in 122 official matches.
3.5. Atlético Madrid
On January 1, 2016, Fernández transferred to Atlético Madrid on a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee. His primary role was to provide cover for the injured Tiago. He made his debut five days later, playing 57 minutes in a Copa del Rey draw away to Rayo Vallecano before being substituted. His first league appearance for Atlético came on January 11 against his former team, Celta de Vigo. Fernández later started in the 2016 UEFA Champions League Final but was substituted off at half-time. Following this, his appearances became limited, featuring in only 8 matches during the subsequent seasons with the Rojiblancos.
3.6. Beijing Renhe
On January 31, 2018, Fernández transferred to Chinese Super League club Beijing Renhe for an undisclosed fee. He played for the club for two seasons before his return to Spanish football.
3.7. Cádiz
Fernández returned to Spain on June 23, 2020, signing with Segunda División side Cádiz CF for the remainder of the 2019-20 season. After Cádiz achieved promotion to La Liga, he signed an extension for the following season. This marked the final chapter of his professional career.
4. International career
Augusto Matías Fernández had a notable international career with the Argentina national team. He made his full international debut on September 15, 2011, starting in a 0-0 home draw against Brazil in the Superclásico de las Américas. In March 2008, he was included in the 56-man provisional squad for the Beijing Olympics, but was ultimately not selected for the final 18-man roster.
His first international goal for Argentina came on June 14, 2013, in a friendly match against Guatemala, where he scored the second goal in a 4-0 victory.
On June 2, 2014, he was named in Alejandro Sabella's final 23-man squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Although he was part of the squad that reached the final, he remained an unused substitute throughout the tournament. In May 2016, Fernández was selected for Gerardo Martino's 23-man Argentina squad for the Copa América Centenario. He was a regular starter for most of the tournament until he sustained an injury in the semi-final match, which forced him to miss the final.
5. Retirement
On May 21, 2021, Augusto Matías Fernández announced his retirement from professional football. His decision came after helping Cádiz CF secure its position in the first division for the upcoming season, marking an honorable end to his playing career.
6. Honours
Augusto Matías Fernández accumulated several significant honors throughout his club and international career.
6.1. Club
- River Plate
- Argentine Primera División: 2008 Clausura
- Vélez Sarsfield
- Argentine Primera División: 2011 Clausura
- Atlético Madrid
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2015-16
6.2. International
- Argentina
- FIFA World Cup runner-up: 2014
- Copa América runner-up: 2016
7. Career statistics
7.1. Club
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | International | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| River Plate | 2005-06 | Argentine Primera División | 13 | 0 | - | 2 | 0 | 15 | 0 | |
| 2006-07 | Argentine Primera División | 13 | 2 | - | 6 | 0 | 19 | 2 | ||
| 2007-08 | Argentine Primera División | 31 | 1 | - | 8 | 0 | 39 | 1 | ||
| 2008-09 | Argentine Primera División | 21 | 0 | - | 2 | 0 | 23 | 0 | ||
| 2009-10 | Argentine Primera División | 1 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 0 | |||
| Total | 79 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 97 | 3 | ||
| Saint-Étienne | 2009-10 | Ligue 1 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 0 | - | 14 | 1 | |
| Vélez Sarsfield | 2010-11 | Argentine Primera División | 29 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 4 | 40 | 8 |
| 2011-12 | Argentine Primera División | 29 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 3 | 46 | 10 | |
| Total | 58 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 7 | 86 | 18 | ||
| Celta de Vigo | 2012-13 | La Liga | 36 | 6 | 3 | 0 | - | 39 | 3 | |
| 2013-14 | La Liga | 33 | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | 33 | 2 | ||
| 2014-15 | La Liga | 30 | 1 | 4 | 0 | - | 34 | 1 | ||
| 2015-16 | La Liga | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | 16 | 1 | ||
| Total | 114 | 10 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 122 | 7 | ||
| Atlético Madrid | 2015-16 | La Liga | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| 2016-17 | La Liga | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2017-18 | La Liga | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 | |
| Total | 21 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 34 | 0 | ||
| Beijing Renhe | 2018 | Chinese Super League | 22 | 2 | 1 | 0 | - | 23 | 2 | |
| 2019 | Chinese Super League | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | 11 | 1 | ||
| Total | 33 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 3 | ||
| Cádiz | 2019-20 | Segunda División | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 4 | 0 | |
| 2020-21 | La Liga | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 12 | 0 | ||
| Total | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | ||
| Career Total | 333 | 28 | 17 | 0 | 53 | 7 | 403 | 32 | ||
7.2. International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 2011 | 2 | 0 |
| 2012 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2014 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 6 | 0 | |
| Total | 16 | 1 | |
7.2.1. International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | June 14, 2013 | Estadio Mateo Flores, Guatemala City, Guatemala | Guatemala | 2-0 | 4-0 | Friendly |
8. Legacy and influence
Augusto Matías Fernández is remembered as a diligent and influential central midfielder during his career, particularly during his time at Vélez Sarsfield and Celta de Vigo. His contributions were vital to Vélez Sarsfield's 2011 Clausura triumph and Celta de Vigo's stability in La Liga, where he rose to become captain. His dedication and performance earned him a move to Atlético Madrid, one of Europe's top clubs, underscoring his standing in the sport. Although injuries limited his later career at Atlético, his participation in the Champions League final highlights his competitive achievements. His consistent presence in the Argentina national team, including appearances in a FIFA World Cup and Copa América final, demonstrates his importance to the national side during that period.