Mário Figueira Fernandes (Russian: Марио Фигейра Фернандес, pronounced [ˈmarʲɪo fʲɪˈɡʲejrə fʲɪrˈnandɨs]; born 19 September 1990) is a professional footballer who plays as a right-back. Born in Brazil, he played for the Russia national team.[3]
 Fernandes playing for CSKA Moscow in 2021 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Mário Figueira Fernandes | ||
| Date of birth | 19 September 1990[1] | ||
| Place of birth | São Caetano do Sul, Brazil | ||
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Right-back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2006–2009 | São Caetano | ||
| 2009 | Grêmio | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2009–2012 | Grêmio | 87 | (3) |
| 2012–2022 | CSKA Moscow | 259 | (9) |
| 2023 | Internacional | 5 | (0) |
| 2023–2024 | Zenit Saint Petersburg | 12 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2014 | Brazil | 1 | (0) |
| 2017–2021 | Russia | 33 | (5) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 9 March 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 1 September 2021 | |||
Club career
editGrêmio
editFernandes joined Grêmio in March 2009, signing until 2014. A few days later, he disappeared, and Brazilian police were called in to search for him. He was found some days later in São Paulo state, after having withdrawn cash in Londrina, Porto Alegre and Florianópolis. Fernandes made his debut for the club against Sport on 28 June 2009. Fernandes established himself as Grêmio's first-choice right back.[4]
CSKA Moscow
editOn 25 April 2012, the Grêmio president announced that a 15 million euro deal had been agreed with CSKA Moscow and Fernandes was set to join them pending a medical examination, with CSKA announcing the arrival on 4 May 2012.[5]
During the 2013–14 campaign he suffered a knee injury ruling him out for the first four months of the season.[6]
In 2015, he was a key player in the Champions League 3rd qualifying round – CSKA Moscow won the second leg against Sparta Prague 3–2. Fernandes played 90 minutes, after 64 minutes (2:2) and after a run of the mill challenge Fernandes made a simulated dive, referee Paolo Mazzoleni showed Marek Matějovský the red card. Russian daily Kommersant wrote it was "An important theatre piece". Czech newspapers claimed the play was certainly not card worthy and Fernandes lacked fair play.[7]
On 29 June 2017, Fernandes signed a new contract with CSKA, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2022.[8]
On 18 May 2022, Fernandes announced that he would be suspending his contract with CSKA following their last game of the 2021–22 season against Rostov on 21 May 2022 for personal reasons.[9] On 11 December 2022, CSKA announced that Fernandes had decided to resume his playing career, whilst also remaining in Brazil for 2023.[10]
Internacional
editOn 13 December 2022, Internacional announced the signing of Fernandes from CSKA Moscow for the 2023 season.[11] CSKA Moscow announced the transfer as a year-long loan.[12] In the summer of 2023 CSKA and Internacional negotiated about a transfer that would return Fernandes to CSKA, but the talks stalled due to CSKA's refusal to pay Internacional for the departed player – formally the move to Internacional was a permanent transfer, and not a loan per se.
Zenit
editOn 17 July 2023, Fernandes signed a one-year contract with Zenit St.Petersburg, with the option of an additional year.[13] On 24 July 2024, Fernandes left Zenit by mutual agreement.[14]
International career
editBrazil
editIn 2011, Fernandes was called to the Brazil squad for the Superclásico de las Américas, which he rejected, citing personal issues. Fernandes went on to make his debut, and only appearance for Brazil in a 4–0 friendly victory against Japan on 14 October 2014.[15]
Russia
editAfter acquiring Russian citizenship, he was called up to the Russia national football team for the friendly games in 2016, against Turkey on 31 August and Ghana on 6 September.[16] However, at that point, he had only been a CSKA Moscow player since April 2012, which meant he had not lived in Russia continuously for at least five years yet. Thus, he was not eligible to play for Russia until April 2017.[citation needed]
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On 23 March 2017, it was announced that he would make his debut for Russia on 24 March in a friendly against Ivory Coast.[17] He did not appear in that game. He made his debut for Russia on 7 October 2017 in a friendly game against South Korea.[18]
On 11 May 2018, he was included in Russia's extended 2018 FIFA World Cup squad.[19] On 3 June 2018, he was included in the finalized World Cup squad.[20] He played a key role in Russia's performance at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. In the quarter finals against Croatia, he scored an equalising goal in extra time, which sent the match to a penalty shootout. However, Russia was eliminated after losing the shootout, where he missed his penalty.[21]
On 11 May 2021, he was included in the preliminary extended 30-man squad for UEFA Euro 2020.[22] On 2 June 2021, he was included in the final squad.[23] He played the full match in Russia's opening game against Belgium on 12 June 2021 as Russia lost 0–3.[24] He started the second group game against Finland but got injured and substituted in the 26th minute after landing awkwardly contesting an aerial ball.[25][26] He recovered for the last group game against Denmark on 21 June and played a full game as Russia lost 1–4 and was eliminated.[27]
On 13 September 2021, he announced his retirement from the national team.[28]
Personal life
editFernandes was born in São Paulo. Right after signing his first professional contract with Grêmio, Fernandes found it hard to adjust to a new home and fell into depression, prompting him to disappear to his uncle. The police found him in a dishevelled state nearly 700 miles away from Porto Alegre, hungry and exhausted. In a later interview he refused to disclose why he made no attempt to contact the club during this time, but pointed out the difficulties of settling at the beginning of a career, citing the example of Jesús Navas.[4] He underwent psychotherapy to deal with his depression, which helped his performances, but still drank heavily, regularly went out clubbing, and neglected his diet and fitness, saying "I would drink so much that I would sometimes show up drunk to training". During this time he lived alone, and in an interview admitted to "eating pizza and McDonald's every day", which led to action on the part of the Gremio dietitian.[29]
Fernandes had spoken with CSKA CEO Roman Babaev about the possibility of receiving Russian citizenship in 2015, before he had been called up to the Brazil squad. His talks about receiving Russian citizenship resumed in the autumn of the same year, at which point he had decided and had the full support of his family to do so.[30] On 13 July 2016, he received Russian citizenship via presidential decree from Vladimir Putin, which according to him made him more determined to start for Russia in the World Cup.[31] His younger brother, Jô, is also a footballer.[32]
As of 2017, Fernandes spoke very little Russian, but stated his intent to learn the language and the national anthem.[30]
Career statistics
editClub
edit- As of match played 13 March 2024[33]
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Grêmio | 2009 | Série A | 19 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0[a] | 0 | 19 | 0 | |
| 2010 | Série A | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | — | 16[a] | 1 | 25 | 1 | ||
| 2011 | Série A | 33 | 1 | — | 3[b] | 0 | 12[a] | 1 | 48 | 2 | ||
| 2012 | Série A | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 5[a] | 0 | 5 | 0 | ||
| Total | 54 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 33 | 2 | 97 | 3 | ||
| CSKA Moscow | 2012–13 | Russian Premier League | 28 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2[c] | 0 | — | 33 | 0 | |
| 2013–14 | Russian Premier League | 12 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0[d] | 0 | 0[e] | 0 | 15 | 1 | |
| 2014–15 | Russian Premier League | 29 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6[d] | 0 | 1[e] | 0 | 39 | 0 | |
| 2015–16 | Russian Premier League | 27 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 9[d] | 0 | — | 41 | 1 | ||
| 2016–17 | Russian Premier League | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5[d] | 0 | 1[e] | 0 | 36 | 0 | |
| 2017–18 | Russian Premier League | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12[f] | 0 | — | 37 | 0 | ||
| 2018–19 | Russian Premier League | 28 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6[d] | 0 | 1[e] | 0 | 35 | 1 | |
| 2019–20 | Russian Premier League | 29 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6[c] | 0 | — | 36 | 3 | ||
| 2020–21 | Russian Premier League | 23 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2[c] | 0 | — | 27 | 2 | ||
| 2021–22 | Russian Premier League | 28 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 30 | 3 | |||
| Total | 259 | 9 | 19 | 2 | 48 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 329 | 11 | ||
| Internacional | 2023 | Série A | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0[b] | 0 | 5[a] | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Zenit Saint Petersburg | 2023–24 | Russian Premier League | 12 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | — | 18 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 325 | 10 | 32 | 2 | 51 | 0 | 41 | 2 | 449 | 14 | ||
- ^ a b c d e Appearances in Campeonato Gaúcho
- ^ a b Appearances in Copa Libertadores
- ^ a b c Appearances in UEFA Europa League
- ^ a b c d e Appearances in UEFA Champions League
- ^ a b c d Appearances in Russian Super Cup
- ^ Ten appearances in the UEFA Champions League, two appearances in the UEFA Europa League
International
editAppearances and goals by national team and year
- As of 1 September 2021[34]
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil[34] | 2014 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | |
| Russia | 2017 | 3 | 0 |
| 2018 | 11 | 1 | |
| 2019 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 3 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 8 | 2 | |
| Total | 33 | 5 | |
| Career total | 34 | 5 | |
- As of match played 30 March 2021. Russia score listed first, score column indicates score after each Fernandes goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 July 2018 | Fisht Olympic Stadium, Sochi, Russia | 10 |  Croatia |
2–2 | 2–2 (3–4 p) | 2018 FIFA World Cup |
| 2 | 9 September 2019 | Kaliningrad Stadium, Kaliningrad, Russia | 20 |  Kazakhstan |
1–0 | 1–0 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualification |
| 3 | 6 September 2020 | Puskás Aréna, Budapest, Hungary | 24 |  Hungary |
3–0 | 3–2 | 2020–21 UEFA Nations League B |
| 4 | 24 March 2021 | National Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta | 26 |  Malta |
2–0 | 3–1 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 5 | 30 March 2021 | Anton Malatinský Stadium, Trnava, Slovakia | 28 |  Slovakia |
1–1 | 1–2 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Honours
editGrêmio
CSKA Moscow
- Russian Premier League: 2012–13, 2013–14, 2015–16
- Russian Cup: 2012–13
- Russian Super Cup: 2014, 2018[35]
Zenit Saint Petersburg
Individual
- Silver Ball: 2011
- Campeonato Gaúcho Team of the Championship: 2010
- CSKA Fans' Player of the Year: 2018–19[38]
- Russian Premier League Right back of the Year: 2013–14, 2014–15, 2016–17, 2018–19, 2020–21, 2021–22
References
edit- ^ Mário Fernandes – FIFA competition record (archived)
- ^ "2018 FIFA World Cup: List of players" (PDF). FIFA. 17 June 2018. p. 24. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 August 2018. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
- ^ Фернандес стал армейцем (in Russian). PFC CSKA Moscow. 4 May 2012. Archived from the original on 9 September 2012.
- ^ a b "Who is Mario Fernandes? Russia's Brazilian World Cup star who overcame depression and snubbed Real Madrid | Goal.com". Retrieved 9 July 2018.
- ^ Фернандес стал армейцем. pfc-cska.com (in Russian). PFC CSKA Moscow. 4 May 2012. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
- ^ "Защитник ЦСКА Фернандес вернётся в строй через три месяца" (in Russian). Championat. Retrieved 26 November 2019.
- ^ "Dal zase gól, ale nestačilo to. Zklamaní je obrovské, hlesl Krejčí". iDNES.cz. 5 August 2015.
- ^ Марио Фернандес в ПФК ЦСКА до 2022 года!. pfc-cska.com (in Russian). PFC CSKA Moscow. 29 June 2017. Retrieved 2 July 2017.
- ^ "Марио Фернандес приостанавливает карьеру". pfc-cska.com/ (in Russian). PFC CSKA Moscow. 18 May 2022. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
- ^ "Марио Фернандес проведет 2023 год в Бразилии". pfc-cska.com/ (in Russian). PFC CSKA Moscow. 11 December 2022. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
- ^ "Mário Fernandes é o novo reforço do Internacional". internacional.com.br/ (in Portuguese). Sport Club Internacional. 13 December 2022. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
- ^ "Марио Фернандес проведет 2023 год в Бразилии" (in Russian). PFC CSKA Moscow. 11 December 2022. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
- ^ "Mario Fernandes in a Zenit player". en.fc-zenit.ru/. FC Zenit Saint Petersburg. 17 July 2023. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
- ^ "Mario Fernandes leaves Zenit". fc-zenit.ru. FC Zenit Saint Petersburg. 24 July 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
- ^ "JAPAN VS. BRAZIL 0 – 4". soccerway. 14 October 2014.
- ^ Состав на Турцию и Гану (in Russian). Russian Football Union. 16 August 2016.
- ^ Фернандес готов к дебюту за Россию. Главное — в обзоре дня. championat.com (in Russian). Retrieved 24 March 2017.
- ^ Уверенно победили Южную Корею (in Russian). Russian Football Union. 7 October 2017.
- ^ Расширенный состав для подготовки к Чемпионату мира (in Russian). Russian Football Union. 11 May 2018.
- ^ Заявка сборной России на Чемпионат мира FIFA 2018 (in Russian). Russian Football Union. 3 June 2018.
- ^ Gonzalez, Roger (7 July 2018). "Croatia vs. Russia final score, recap: Rakitic's penalty kick sends Croatia to World Cup semifinals". CBS. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
- ^ Расширенный состав сборной России для подготовки к ЕВРО [Extended national team line-up for Euro preparations] (in Russian). Russian Football Union. 11 May 2021.
- ^ "Состав сборной России на ЕВРО-2020" [Russia national team line-up for EURO-2020] (in Russian). Russian Football Union. 2 June 2021.
- ^ "Belgium v Russia game report". UEFA. 12 June 2021.
- ^ "Finland vs Russia UEFA EURO 2020". UEFA. 16 June 2021.
- ^ "Russia player Fernandes hospitalized after fall at Euro 2020". The Sports Network. 16 June 2021.
- ^ "Russia v Denmark game report". UEFA. 21 June 2021.
- ^ "Открытое письмо Марио Фернандеса болельщикам сборной" [Mario Fernandes open letter to the national team fans] (in Russian). Russian Football Union. 13 September 2021.
- ^ McDonnel, David (7 July 2018). "Mario Fernandes on swapping Brazil for Russia, getting 'kidnapped', drink problems, living on pizza and World Cup 2018". Mirror. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
- ^ a b Марио Фернандес: Всегда прошу маму, чтобы она приготовила мне борщ. Российская газета (in Russian). 8 October 2017. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
- ^ "President of Russia decree on citizenship" (in Russian). President of Russia. 13 July 2016.
- ^ Grêmio contrata atacante Jô, irmão de Mário Fernandes (Grêmio signs forward Jô, brother of Mário Fernandes); Globo Esporte, 8 June 2011 (in Portuguese)
- ^ Mário Fernandes at Soccerway
- ^ a b "Mário Figueira Fernandes". National-Football-Teams.com. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
- ^ "2018 Russian Super Cup game report" (in Russian). Russian Premier League. 27 July 2018. Archived from the original on 28 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
- ^ ""Зенит" завоевал золотые медали Мир РПЛ в шестом сезоне подряд!" [Zenit won the gold medals of MIR RPL for the sixth season in a row!] (in Russian). Russian Premier League. 25 May 2024.
- ^ "Суперфинал FONBET Кубка России LIVE. Гол Алипа приносит "Зениту" победу" [Russian Cup Superfinal: Alip goal gives Zenit the victory] (in Russian). Russian Football Union. 2 June 2024.
- ^ "Болельщики ЦСКА признали Фернандеса лучшим игроком сезона". Sports.ru. 8 July 2019.
External links
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