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Gelson da Conceição Tavares Fernandes (born 2 September 1986) is a Swiss former professional
footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...
who played as a
defensive midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundari ...
.


Club career


FC Sion

Fernandes started his football career at
FC Sion Football Club de Sion, commonly known as simply FC Sion or Sion, is a Swiss football team from the city of Sion. The club was founded in 1909, and play their home matches at the Stade Tourbillon. They have won the Swiss Super League twice, and ...
when he first joined the club at age seven years old. Fernandes was promoted to the first team in 2004 after being called by manager
Gilbert Gress Gilbert Gress (born 17 December 1941) is a French football coach and a former player. He was the mentor of Arsène Wenger. Club career Gress was born in Strasbourg. He began his professional football career in the city of his birth with R ...
. Having previously made a total of five appearances in the 2004–05 season, the 2005–06 season proved to be the breakout year for the player as he got more playing time for Sion, playing in the central midfielder position for the side. Fernandes also led his team win the Swiss Cup in a penalty shootout (5–3) against Young Boys. In his first full season at the club, he went on to make 22 league appearances and scoring none. In the 2006–07 season, Fernandes continued to remain in the first team for Sion, playing in the midfield position. He then scored his first goals of the season, in a 3–1 win against FC Naters in the first round of the Swiss Cup. Fernandes then made his European debut for Sion in a 0–0 draw against
Bayer Leverkusen Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fußball GmbH, also known as Bayer 04 Leverkusen (), Bayer Leverkusen, or simply Leverkusen, is a professional football club based in Leverkusen in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The club competes in the Bundesliga, t ...
, in a 0–0 draw in the first round of the UEFA Cup first leg. In the return leg, he scored his first European Cup goal against Leverkusen which Sion lost 3–1 on aggregate. On 14 October 2006, Fernandes scored his first league goal for Sion in a 1–1 draw against Luzern. On the final league game of the 2006–07 season, he received a second bookable offense in the 90th minute after receiving a yellow card in a first half, which turned out to be his last appearance for Sion as Sion won 3–0 against
St. Gallen , neighboring_municipalities = Eggersriet, Gaiserwald, Gossau, Herisau (AR), Mörschwil, Speicher (AR), Stein (AR), Teufen (AR), Untereggen, Wittenbach , twintowns = Liberec (Czech Republic) , website = ...
. At the end of the 2006–07 season, Fernandes went on to make forty–one appearances (35 in the league) and scoring four times in all competitions.


Manchester City

Fernandes signed for Manchester City from Sion on 14 July 2007 for an undisclosed fee, believed to be around €6 million (£4.2 million), which would make his sale the second highest transfer in the history of the Swiss League. Following his signing, Sven-Göran Eriksson commented that he thought Fernandes was the "best young player in Switzerland." Upon joining the club, he was given a number twenty–eight shirt. Fernandes made his Manchester City debut, starting the whole game, in a 2–1 win against
Bristol City Bristol City Football Club is a professional football club based in Bristol, England, which compete in the , the second tier of English football. They have played their home games at Ashton Gate since moving from St John's Lane in 1904. The ...
in the second round of the League Cup. Two months later on 20 October 2007, he made his league debut after coming on for
Elano Elano Blumer (born 14 June 1981), known as Elano, is a Brazilian football manager and former player who played as an attacking midfielder. Known for his accurate passing and precise set pieces, Elano started his senior career at Santos, and sp ...
in the 89th minute in a 1–0 victory over
Birmingham City Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football, football club based in Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, it was renamed Small Heath in 1888, Birmingham in 1905, and Birmingham City in 1943. Sin ...
. By November, Fernandes soon established himself in the starting eleven, playing in the midfield position. He scored his first goal in a 2–0 victory against Newcastle United on 2 January 2008, after coming on as a substitute for Stephen Ireland and it took just 40 seconds for Fernandes and
Kelvin Etuhu Kelvin Peter Etuhu (born 30 May 1988) is a Nigerian former professional footballer. Etuhu has two older brothers, Dickson Etuhu, also a professional footballer, and Michael Etuhu. He played as a striker or as a winger. Club career Early ca ...
to combine for the former to finish from the edge of the box. It wasn't until on 2 February 2008 when he scored his second goal in the 1–3 loss to Arsenal at the City of Manchester Stadium when
Vedran Ćorluka Vedran Ćorluka (; born 5 February 1986) is a Croatian football coach and former player who played as a centre-back. He is an assistant to Zlatko Dalić in the Croatia national team. Ćorluka graduated from the Dinamo Zagreb Youth Academ ...
took advantage of a Gaël Clichy defensive error, who slipped in a pass into the six-yard box for Fernandes to tuck home. The goal was not enough to secure any points for Manchester City, but showed the City fans that Fernandes was also capable of having an eye for goal like fellow youth midfielder, Michael Johnson. At the end of the 2007–08 season, he went on to make thirty–two appearances and scoring two times in all competitions. At the start of the 2008–09 season, Fernandes switched number shirt from number 28 to number 19 after his previous number was taken by
Daniel Sturridge Daniel Andre Sturridge (; born 1 September 1989) is an English professional footballer who last played as a striker. As well as representing England, he has played in the Premier League for Manchester City, Chelsea, Bolton Wanderers, Liverpool ...
. He then scored his first goal of the season against
Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dens ...
on 21 September 2008, as Manchester City won 6–0. Three days later on 24 September 2008, Fernandes scored his second goal of the season against
Brighton & Hove Albion Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club (), commonly referred to simply as Brighton, is an English professional football club based in the city of Brighton and Hove. They compete in the Premier League, the top tier of the English football league ...
in the second round of the League Cup, as the club lost 5–3 on penalties following a 2–2 draw throughout the 120 minutes match. He found his playing time, mostly coming from the substitute bench after
Mark Hughes Leslie Mark Hughes (born 1 November 1963) is a Welsh football coach and former player who is the manager of Bradford City. During his playing career he usually operated as a forward or midfielder. He had two spells at Manchester United, an ...
took over as manager. As the 2008–09 season progressed, Fernandes found himself away from the first team further, due to being on the substitute bench and his own injury concern. At the end of the 2008–09 season, he went on to make twenty–seven appearances and scoring two times in all competitions. Following this, it was expected that Fernandes would be leaving Manchester City, as clubs from Europe were interested in signing him.


Saint-Étienne

On 9 July 2009, Fernandes passed a medical to complete a £2 million move to Ligue 1 side Saint-Étienne and the move was confirmed the next day, signing a two-year contract for an undisclosed fee. He made his league debut in the opening game of the season against
Nice Nice ( , ; Niçard dialect, Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department in France. The Nice urban unit, agg ...
, starting a match and played 64 minutes before being substituted, in a 0–2 loss. Since joining the club, Fernandes quickly established himself playing in the defensive midfield position. At one point, he played in the right–back position, coming against
Sochaux Sochaux () is a commune in the Doubs department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in eastern France. Geography Sochaux lies east of Montbéliard, and southeast of Paris. Population Inhabitants are known as ''Sochaliens''. Economy S ...
on 5 December 2009. His time at Saint Etienne had a difficult start and Fernandes moved little-by-little in the middle with some fighting and a good state of mind without being convincing. Despite this, he later helped the club avoid relegation and finished seventeenth place in the league. At the end of the 2009–10 season, Fernandes went on to make thirty–eight appearances in all competitions for Saint-Étienne in his first season.


Loan spells

After fallen out of favour by Manager
Christophe Galtier Christophe Galtier (born 23 August 1966) is a French professional football coach and former player who is the head coach of Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain. A defender, Galtier was a journeyman professional who spent many of his 15 years as ...
and was told that he can leave Saint-Étienne on loan, it was announced on 30 August 2010, it was announced that Fernandes would be going out on loan with an option to purchase to
Chievo Chievo (4,500 inhabitants) is a frazione of Verona located to the west of the city, around from the historic city centre, on the shores of the river Adige. It is best known for its football team, A.C. ChievoVerona, which competes in the second ...
. He made his debut for the club, coming on as a 59th-minute substitute, in a 3–1 win over
Genoa Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian census, the Province of ...
on 12 September 2010. Since joining Chievo, Fernandes became involved in a number of matches in the first team for the club. He scored his first goal for the club, in a 3–1 win over
Napoli Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
on 22 September 2010. On 31 October 2010, Fernandes received a red card after a second bookable offense against
Parma Parma (; egl, Pärma, ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, music, art, prosciutto (ham), cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,292 inhabitants, Parma is the second mos ...
. It wasn't until on 20 February 2011 when he scored his second goal for Chievo, in a 2–1 loss against
A.C. Milan Associazione Calcio Milan (), commonly referred to as AC Milan or simply Milan, is a professional Association football, football club in Milan, Italy, founded in 1899. The club has spent its entire history, with the exception of the 1980–81 ...
. Despite facing suspensions on five occasions throughout the 2010–11 season, Fernandes went on to make thirty appearances and scoring two goals for Chievo in all competitions. Following this, the club decided against signing him on a permanent basis. On 4 August 2011, Fernandes signed for
Championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this system ...
club
Leicester City Leicester ( ) is a city, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city lies on the River Soar and close to the eastern end of the National ...
on a season long loan, subject to international clearance, and he was joined by Sven-Göran Eriksson who signed him at Manchester City. Following his return move to England on loan, Fernandes revealed he was told that his move will become permanent, but only if the club gain promotion to the Premier League. Fernandes made his debut for Leicester City in a 1–0 away win over
Coventry City Coventry City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Coventry, West Midlands, England. The team currently compete in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. The club is nicknamed t ...
on 6 August 2011. Two weeks later on 20 August 2011, he scored his first goal for the club, as well as, setting up Leicester City's first goal of the game, in a 2–2 draw against
Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest Football Club is an association football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. Nottingham Forest was founded in 1865 and have been playing their home games at the City Ground, on the banks of the River Tren ...
on 20 August. Since making his debut for the club, Fernandes became a first team regular for the side, playing in the midfield position. This lasted until his Eriksson's sacking due to poor results, and was replaced by
Nigel Pearson Nigel Graham Pearson (born 21 August 1963) is an English football manager and former professional player, currently the manager of Championship club Bristol City. During his playing career, he was a defender and played for Shrewsbury Town, Shef ...
, who didn't play Fernandes until on 3 December 2011 and made his last appearance for Leicester City in a 2–1 loss against
Hull City Hull City Association Football Club is a professional football club based in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England, that compete in the . They have played home games at the MKM Stadium since moving from Boothferry Park in 2002. The club's t ...
. On 30 December 2011, he asked for his loan contract at the club to be terminated and to return to France. Six days later on 4 January, it was announced that Fernandes's loan deal with Leicester City had been cancelled by mutual consent. By the time he left the club, Fernandes made eighteen appearances and scoring once in all competitions for Leicester City. After his loan deal at Leicester City ended, Fernandes was then sent out for another loan deal, but this time he signed for current
Serie A The Serie A (), also called Serie A TIM for national sponsorship with TIM, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and the winner is awarded the Scudetto and the Cop ...
frontrunners
Udinese Udinese Calcio, commonly referred to as Udinese, is a professional Italian football club based in Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, that currently plays in Serie A. It was founded on 30 November 1896 as a sports club, and on 5 July 1911 as a ...
until the end of the season to strengthen the squad after some of the players went to play at the African Cup of Nations. So Udinese wanted a player who could acclimatise quickly. On 22 January 2012, Fernandes made his debut for the club in a 2–1 win over Catania in the
Coppa Italia The ("Italy Cup") is an annual knockout cup competition in Italian football organized by the FIGC until the 2009–10 season and the Lega Serie A ever since. History The beginning of the tournament was turbulent, due to the complexity of ...
. Since making his debut for Udinese, he became a first team regular, starting in the next ten matches, playing in the midfield position. This lasted until Fernandes was dropped to the substitute bench for the next four matches. It wasn't until on 11 April 2012 when he returned to the starting line–up and scored his first goal, on his return, in a 3–1 loss against Roma. At the end of the 2011–12 season, Fernandes made seventeen appearances and scoring once in all competitions. Following this, he returned to his parent club after the club decided against signing him permanently.


Sporting Clube de Portugal

Ahead of the 2012–13 season, Fernandes once again not featured for the Saint-Étienne's pre-season training, putting his future at the club in doubt. It was announced on 4 July 2012 he signed a four-year contract with Sporting Clube de Portugal, with a €25 million buy-out clause. Fernandes made his debut for the club, starting the whole game, in a 0–0 draw against
Vitória de Guimarães Vitoria or Vitória may refer to : People * Francisco de Vitoria (c. 1483–1546), a Spanish Renaissance theologian * Alberto Vitoria (1956–2010), Spanish footballer * Rui Vitória (born 1970), Portuguese retired footballer * Steven Vitória ...
in the opening game of the season. He then helped Sporting Lisbon beat AC Horsens in the second round of the UEFA Europa League Play–Off Round, in a 5–0 win. However, his first team opportunities was limited, having been placed on the substitute bench and was restricted to twelve appearances in all competitions for the club. After his loan spell at Sion ended, Fernandes was among with many players to be sold.


FC Sion (loan)

On 21 December 2012, it was confirmed that he returned to Sion, signing a loan until the end of the 2012–13 season with an option to sign him at the end of the loan. Fernandes made his debut for the club, starting the match and played 81 minutes before being substituted, in a 3–0 win against
SC Kriens SC Kriens is a football club based in Kriens, Switzerland, who currently play in the Swiss Challenge League. They currently play at the Stadion Kleinfeld and form a local rivalry with FC Lucerne. SC Kriens women's team plays in the Nationallig ...
on 3 February 2013. Since joining FC Sion, he quickly became the club's first team regular for the rest of the season. However, towards the end of the season, Fernandes faced restrictions, as he faced suspension on two occasions and suffered an injury that will keep him out for the remainder of the 2012–13 season. At the end of the 2012–13 season, Fernandes made sixteen appearances in all competitions. Following this, his options to join FC Sion permanently has ended after the club have to pay the price to sign Fernandes.


SC Freiburg

It was announced on 27 June 2013 that Fernandes signed with
Bundesliga The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of the German football league system, the Bundesliga is Germany's primary footba ...
side
SC Freiburg Sport-Club Freiburg e.V., commonly known as SC Freiburg () or just Freiburg, is a German football club, based in the city of Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg. It plays in the Bundesliga, having been promoted as champions from the 2. Bund ...
on long-term contract, with a fee of €400,000. He made his league debut in the opening game of the season, as SC Freiburg lost 3–1 against
Bayer Leverkusen Bayer 04 Leverkusen Fußball GmbH, also known as Bayer 04 Leverkusen (), Bayer Leverkusen, or simply Leverkusen, is a professional football club based in Leverkusen in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The club competes in the Bundesliga, t ...
. This was followed up by setting up the club's only goal of the game, losing 2–1 against
Mainz 05 1. Fußball- und Sportverein Mainz 05 e. V., usually shortened to 1. FSV Mainz 05, Mainz 05 () or simply Mainz (), is a German sports club, founded in 1905 and based in Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate. 1. FSV Mainz 05 play in the Bundesliga, the top ...
. Since joining SC Freiburg, Fernandes became a first team regular, playing as a defensive midfielder. His first goal came on 23 November 2013, in a 1–0 victory over Eintracht Braunschweig. After the match, he said: ''"I am totally happy for the young team. These were three very important points, but we have only eleven, that's not much."'' As the season progressed, Fernandes continued to remain in the starting eleven despite being placed on the substitute bench on five occasions. At the end of the 2013–14 season, he went on to make thirty–eight appearances and scoring once in all competitions. Following this, it was announced that Fernandes would leave Freiburg despite still having contract until 2016 ahead of the 2014–15 season.


Stade Rennais

It was announced on 4 August 2014 that Fernandes signed a four-year contract until 2018 with French Stade Rennais, as Freiburg received a transfer fee believed to be €1.6 million, which still can be increased by additional performance-related payments. Upon joining the club, he was given a number six shirt. Fernandes made his Stade Rennais debut in the opening game of the season against
Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, third-largest city and Urban area (France), second-largest metropolitan area of F ...
, coming on as a 63rd-minute substitute, in a 2–0 loss. Since joining the club, he quickly established himself in the first team, playing in the defensive midfield position. This lasted until Fernandes suffered a hamstring injury that saw him sidelined for a month. It wasn't until on 10 January 2015 when he returned to the first team, starting the whole game, in a 1–1 draw against
Evian Evian ( , ; , stylized as evian) is a French company that bottles and commercialises mineral water from several sources near Évian-les-Bains, on the south shore of Lake Geneva. It produces over 2 billion plastic bottles per year. Today, Evia ...
. Following this, Fernandes continued to regain his first team place for the rest of the 2014–15 season. In his first season at Stade Rennais, he went on to make thirty–six appearances in all competitions. At the start of the 2015–16 season, Fernandes started in the next first four league matches of the season. This lasted until he was suspended for picking up five yellow cards, having picked up three bookings in the last three matches. After serving a one match suspension, Fernandes returned to the starting line–up against
Lille Lille ( , ; nl, Rijsel ; pcd, Lile; vls, Rysel) is a city in the northern part of France, in French Flanders. On the river Deûle, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France region, the prefecture of the N ...
on 19 September 2015, as Stade Rennais drew 2–2. However, his return was short–lived in a follow–up match against
Gazélec Ajaccio Gazélec Football Club Ajaccio ( co, Gazélec Football Club Aiacciu), commonly referred to as GFC Ajaccio, GFCA, Gazélec Ajaccio or simply Gazélec (), is a French football club from Ajaccio, Corsica. Founded in 1960, Gazélec plays in the Champ ...
when he suffered a muscle injury and was substituted in the 22nd minute, as the club drew 1–1. After the match, it was announced that Fernandes was sidelined between three to four weeks. It wasn't until on 18 October 2015 when he returned to the starting line–up against Nice, as Stade Rennais lost 4–1. Fernandes then captained the club for the first time in his career against
FC Lorient Football Club Lorient Bretagne Sud (; commonly referred to FC Lorient or simply Lorient) is a French association football club based in Lorient Lorient (; ) is a town ('' commune'') and seaport in the Morbihan department of Brittany in we ...
on 24 October 2015 and helped the side draw 1–1. Two weeks later on 6 November 2015, he scored his first goal for Stade Rennais, in a 2–0 win against
Angers SCO Angers Sporting Club de l'Ouest, commonly referred to as Angers SCO or simply Angers (), is a French professional football club based in Angers in Pays de la Loire in western France. The club was founded in 1919 and plays in Ligue 1, the first ...
. Fernandes then made his 50th appearance for the club, starting the whole game, in a 1–0 loss against
Marseille Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Fra ...
on 3 December 2015. Since returning from injury, Fernandes continued to establish himself in the starting eleven, playing in the midfield position. Despite missing two more matches later in the 2015–16 season, due to suspension, Fernandes went on to make thirty–seven appearances and scoring once in all competitions. At the start of the 2016–17 season, Fernandes appeared in the first eight league matches of the season, including captaining two matches. This lasted until he was sidelined two occasions for Stade Rennais, due to suspension and then suffered an injury. Following this, Fernandes continued to remain involved in the first team for the club despite finding himself placed on the substitute bench towards the end of the 2016–17 season. Despite this, Fernandes was able to make his 100th appearance for Stade Rennais, coming against
SM Caen Stade Malherbe Caen (; commonly known as SM Caen, SMC, or simply Caen) is a French professional football team, based in the city of Caen in Normandy, that competes in the Ligue 2. The club was founded on 17 November 1913 by the merger of ''Clu ...
on 14 May 2017, in a 1–0 win. At the end of the 2016–17 season, he went on to make twenty–eight appearances in all competitions.


Eintracht Frankfurt

On 2 June 2017, Fernandes joined
Bundesliga The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of the German football league system, the Bundesliga is Germany's primary footba ...
side
Eintracht Frankfurt Eintracht Frankfurt e.V. () is a professional sports club based in Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany. It is best known for its football club, which was founded on 8 March 1899. The team is currently playing in the Bundesliga, the top tier of the Germa ...
on a two-year deal. Fernandes made his debut for the club, starting the whole game, in a 3–0 win against TuS Erndtebrück in the first round of the DFB–Pokal. He then appeared in the first two months for the Eintracht Frankfurt, playing in the midfield position. However, Fernandes tore his hamstring during a match against
RB Leipzig RasenBallsport Leipzig e.V. (), commonly known as RB Leipzig, and colloquially referred to as Red Bull Leipzig, is a German professional football club based in Leipzig, Saxony. The club was founded in 2009 by the initiative of the company Red Bul ...
on 23 September 2017 and was substituted in the 27th minute, as the club lost 2–1. Following this, it was announced he would be out for several weeks with a hamstring injury and didn't play for two months. It wasn't until on 15 November 2017 when Fernandes returned to the first team, coming on as a 75th-minute substitute, in a 1–1 draw against TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. Since returning to the first team from injury, he, however, found himself in and out of the starting line–up for Eintracht Frankfurt. In the semi–finals of the DFB–Pokal against
Schalke 04 Fußballclub Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04 e. V., commonly known as FC Schalke 04 (), Schalke 04 (), or abbreviated as S04 (), is a professional German football and multi-sports club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine ...
, Fernandes was sent–off for a straight red card, having come on as a substitute three minutes before, as the club won 1–0 to advance to the next round. He watched from the sidelines, as Eintracht Frankfurt won 3–1 against Bayern Munich to advance to the next round. At the end of the 2017–18 season, Fernandes went on to make twenty–two appearances in all competitions. In the opening game of the 2018–19 season against SC Freiburg, Fernandes was given the captaincy for the time in his Eintracht Frankfurt's career in the absence of David Abraham, as the club drew 1–1. It wasn't until on 23 September 2018 when he scored his first goal for the club, in a 1–1 draw against RB Leipzig. Fernandes was involved in the first team for the first two months to the season until he suffered a knock that saw him miss one match. Following his return from injury, he continued to remain in the first team regular, playing in the midfield position. As a result, Fernandes signed a one–year contract extension with Eintracht Frankfurt, keeping him until 2020. In continuous absent of Abraham due to injury, Fernandes resumed as the captain of Eintracht Frankfurt between December and April. However, he later missed five matches in the second half of the season, including a second bookable offence, in a 3–1 loss against
FC Augsburg Fußball-Club Augsburg 1907 e. V., commonly known as FC Augsburg () or Augsburg, is a German football club based in Augsburg, Bavaria. FC Augsburg play in the Bundesliga, the top tier of the German football league system. The team was founded as ...
on 14 April 2019. At the end of the 2018–19 season, Fernandes went on to make thirty–seven appearances and scoring once in all competitions. In the 2019–20 season, Fernandes played in both legs of the UEFA Europa League play–off round against RC Strasbourg, as he helped Eintracht Frankfurt win 3–1 on aggregate to send them through to the Group Stage. However, he found his first team place limited following an increase in the midfield position and was placed on the substitute bench as a result. By mid–September, Fernandes received seven starts for the club by the end of the year despite facing sidelined with suspension and injury. In the second half of the season, he was plagued by injuries that saw him sidelined for months. The five-months interruption because of the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
gave him time to recover, and returned to training. It was announced 14 May 2020 that Fernandes would retire at the end of the season, bringing an end to a 15-year career. It wasn't until on 23 May 2020 when he made his first appearances for the Eintracht Frankfurt since December, captaining the club, as they lost 5–2 against Bayern Munich. Fernandes previously captained Eintracht Frankfurt earlier in the 2019–20 season, coming against Vitória de Guimarães on 3 October 2019. However, he suffered a calf injury that saw him sidelined for the rest of the season. Following this, Fernandes went on to make twenty–two appearances in all competitions. Two months after his retirement, he had an interview with
Berner Zeitung ''Berner Zeitung'' (literally: "Journal of Bern"), also branded as ''BZ'', is a Swiss German-language daily newspaper, published by Tamedia in Bern. History and profile ''Berner Zeitung'' was first issued on 3 January 1979. Four different pape ...
and spoke about his retirement.


International career

Fernandes was eligible to play for Switzerland and Cape Verde. His progress attracted interests from the Switzerland Youth Team, playing from the U16 to U21 sides. On 26 April 2006, he made his Switzerland U21 debut, in a 3–3 draw against Romania U21. Fernandes was captain of the Switzerland U-21 that played against the
England U21 The England national under-21 football team, also known as England under-21s or England U21(s), is considered to be the feeder team for the England national football team. This team is for England players aged under 21 at the start of the calen ...
side in their Euro 2007 qualifying match, becoming the first player with African roots to do so. He went on to make nine appearances for the U21 side. He made his first full international appearance for Switzerland against the
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
on 22 August 2007. Fernandes was named in the Swiss squad for their co-hosting of
UEFA Euro 2008 The 2008 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2008 or simply Euro 2008, was the 13th UEFA European Championship, a quadrennial football tournament contested by the member nations of UEFA (the Union of European ...
. He played in all three of the national side's fixtures in the tournament, as Switzerland were eliminated in the Group Stage. Following the end of the tournament, Fernandes continued to be involved in both friendly and
World Cup Qualification The FIFA World Cup qualification is a competitive match that a national association football team takes in order to qualify for one of the available berths at the final tournament of the (men's) FIFA World Cup. Qualifying tournaments are hel ...
matches for the national side. On 28 March 2009, Fernandes scored his first goal for Switzerland, heading in a corner to seal a 2–0 win against
Moldova Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The unrecognised state of Transnistr ...
. He then helped Switzerland qualify for the
FIFA World Cup The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the ' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament ha ...
after beating
Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
on 14 October 2009. In May 2010, Fernandes was called up to the national team squad for the World Cup in
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...
. He scored his first
2010 World Cup , image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg , size = 200px , caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
goal for Switzerland against eventual winners
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...
on 16 June 2010, which Switzerland went on to win 1–0. After this, he was considered as a national hero in Switzerland. However, Switzerland did not advance to the round of 16, after a loss to
Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
and a draw to Honduras. The next four years saw manager
Ottmar Hitzfeld Ottmar Hitzfeld (; born 12 January 1949) is a German former professional football player ( striker) and manager. He accumulated a total of 18 major titles, mostly in his tenures with Grasshopper Club Zürich, Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich. ...
continue to select Fernandes for the national team squad but he was barred in the midfield by
Valon Behrami Valon Behrami (born 19 April 1985) is a Swiss former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Behrami was capped 83 times at international level by the Switzerland national team, playing at four FIFA World Cups, UEFA Euro 2008 and UE ...
,
Granit Xhaka Granit Xhaka (born 27 September 1992) is a Swiss professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Arsenal and the Switzerland national team. Xhaka began his career at hometown club FC Basel, winning the Swiss Super League in each of ...
and
Blerim Džemaili Blerim Džemaili ( sq, Blerim Xhemaili, ; mk, Блерим Џемаили; born 12 April 1986) is a Swiss professional footballer who plays for Super League club Zürich as a midfielder. He began his career at FC Zürich, where he won the Swi ...
. Fernandes played 22 minutes and helped Switzerland qualify for the World Cup after winning 2–1 against
Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
on 11 October 2013. Manager
Vladimir Petković Vladimir Petković (; born 15 August 1963) is a Bosnian-born Swiss professional football manager and former player who was most recently the head coach of French side Bordeaux, having previously managed the Switzerland national team, a string o ...
named him in the 23-man squad for the finals in Brazil, having made it on two occasions. His only appearance in the tournament came on 1 July 2014 against
Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
in the Round of 16, playing 54 minutes, as the national side lost 1–0. Following the end of the tournament, Fernandes spent the two years on the substitute bench under the new management of
Vladimir Petković Vladimir Petković (; born 15 August 1963) is a Bosnian-born Swiss professional football manager and former player who was most recently the head coach of French side Bordeaux, having previously managed the Switzerland national team, a string o ...
. During which, he made his 50th appearance for Switzerland, coming against
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
on 18 November 2014, as the national side drew 2–2. In May 2016, Manager Petković chose Fernandes in the 23-man squad for the finals in France ahead of the
UEFA Euro 2016 The 2016 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2016 (stylised as UEFA EURO 2016) or simply Euro 2016, was the 15th UEFA European Championship, the quadrennial international men's football championship of Europe ...
tournament. In two of the three group games, he came on from the substitute bench in the remaining ten minutes of the match. In the Round of 16 against Poland, Fernandes came on as a substitute and played the whole match, leading up to the penalty shoot-out, which, as the national side lost on penalties. Following the end of the UEFA Euro 2016 tournament, he was featured in five matches for the next two years. Despite missing out in
play-offs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
, Switzerland went on to qualify for the World Cup after beating
Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
1–0 on aggragate. Fernandes was included in the Switzerland national football team 23 man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. However, he was featured as an unused substitute, as the national side was eliminated from the tournament, losing 1–0 against Sweden in the last 16. Following this, Fernandes announced his retirement from international football.


Post-playing career

After retiring Fernandes went into football administration. From July 2021 to July 2022, he served as the Vice-president of his former club
FC Sion Football Club de Sion, commonly known as simply FC Sion or Sion, is a Swiss football team from the city of Sion. The club was founded in 1909, and play their home matches at the Stade Tourbillon. They have won the Swiss Super League twice, and ...
.i In April 2022, FIFA announced the appointment of Fernandes as Director Member Associations Africa effective 1 August 2022. In his role as director, his responsibility is to oversee the services to strengthen the growth and development of the African member associations through the FIFA Forward Programme. In March 2023, in his capacity as Director, he took a two-day working visit to
Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
, where he engaged the
Ghana Football Association The Ghana Football Association (GFA) is a governing body of association football, based in Accra. Founded in 1957, it was dissolved with "immediate effect", according to Minister of Sport, Isaac Kwame Asiamah, on 7 June 2018, after the uncover ...
and its stakeholders including the
Ministry of Youth and Sports A Ministry of Sports or Ministry of Youth and Sports is a kind of government ministry found in certain countries with responsibility for the regulation of sports, particularly those participated in by young people. The Ministry of Youth and Sp ...
and the
Parliament of Ghana The Parliament of Ghana is the legislative body of the Government of Ghana. History Legislative representation in Ghana dates back to 1850, when the country was a British colony known as Gold Coast. The body, called the Legislative Council, ...
Select Committee on Youth, Sports and Culture.


Personal life

Fernandes arrived in Switzerland with his mother at the age of five from the Cape Verde islands, the family settling in
Sion Sion may refer to * an alternative transliteration of Zion People * Sion (name) or Siôn, a Welsh and other given name and surname, including a list of people and fictional characters with the name * Shion or Sion, a Japanese given name Pl ...
, as his father works for FC Sion as a groundskeeper. Regarding on his nationality, he said: "That is important to me. Look at me, you know immediately where I come from. This is my culture, this is where my roots are. By the way, there is not a single day that I am not on the other side of the ocean for a few moments travel. A little Zouc or Funana, and I'll take off. In moments like this, nothing can disturb me." Fernandes natively speaks Portuguese, the official language of his birthplace, Cape Verde. In addition to speaking Portuguese, Fernandes also speaks Creole, French, German, Italian, Spanish and English. He's currently learning Chinese, stating it's “for fun”. Fernandes also the cousin of the footballers Manuel Fernandes, Adilson Cabral, Edimilson Fernandes, Elton Monteiro and
Ulisses Garcia Ulisses Alexandre Garcia Lopes (born 11 January 1996) is a professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Swiss Super League club Young Boys. Born in Portugal, he represents the Switzerland national team. Club career Early career Ga ...
. Fernandes is married to his wife, Tiffany, and they have a daughter, Sienna. He has another daughter in a previous relationship.


Career statistics

:''Scores and results list Switzerland's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Fernandes goal.''


Honours

FC Sion * Swiss Cup: 2005–06 Eintracht Frankfurt *
DFB-Pokal The DFB-Pokal ( is a German knockout football cup competition held annually by the German Football Association (DFB). Sixty-four teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2. Bundesliga. It is considered ...
: 2017–18


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fernandes, Gelson 1986 births Living people Sportspeople from Praia People from Valais People from Santiago, Cape Verde Swiss men's footballers Switzerland international footballers Cape Verdean footballers Cape Verdean emigrants to Switzerland Swiss sportspeople of African descent Swiss expatriate sportspeople in Italy Expatriate footballers in England Expatriate footballers in France Expatriate footballers in Italy Expatriate footballers in Portugal Expatriate footballers in Germany Swiss expatriate footballers Swiss expatriate sportspeople in England Swiss expatriate sportspeople in France Swiss expatriate sportspeople in Portugal Swiss expatriate sportspeople in Germany Association football midfielders FC Sion players Manchester City F.C. players AS Saint-Étienne players A.C. ChievoVerona players Leicester City F.C. players Udinese Calcio players Sporting CP footballers SC Freiburg players Stade Rennais F.C. players Eintracht Frankfurt players Swiss Super League players Premier League players English Football League players Ligue 1 players Serie A players Primeira Liga players Bundesliga players UEFA Euro 2008 players 2010 FIFA World Cup players 2014 FIFA World Cup players UEFA Euro 2016 players 2018 FIFA World Cup players Swiss people of Cape Verdean descent