Born in Tarifa in Spain and arrived in France at a very young age, Luis Fernandez established himself at Paris Saint-Germain as a tireless defensive midfielder, ball catcher and leader of men. Captain of a PSG which won its first French championship title in 1986, he also quickly became indispensable in the French team.
Alongside Michel Platini, Alain Giresse and Jean Tigana, he formed the famous Magic Square of the French midfielder, the keystone of the coronation at Euro 1984. Later, converted to the bench, it was again he who guided Paris Saint-Germain to the European summit by winning the Coupe des Coupes (C2) in 1996, a historic feat for the capital club.
If his career is rich in trophies, a specific moment surpasses the mark he left in the collective memory. On June 21, 1986, during the legendary quarter-final of the World Cup in Mexico against Brazil, the score was 1-1 after extra time.
A comment for posterity
After the failures of Socrates and Michel Platini during the penalty shootout, the fate of the France team rests on the shoulders of Fernandez. Socks pulled down on his ankles, a determined approach, he advances towards the ball in the stifling heat of the Jalisco stadium. With a cross shot from the right, he wrong-footed the Brazilian goalkeeper Carlos and sent the Blues to the semi-final, triggering the legendary tirade from commentator Thierry Roland: “Come on, my little guy!…Yesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss »
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Luis Fernandez often looks back with humility and fervor on this moment that changed his life. “When I walk towards the penalty spot, I don’t think about anything other than pushing that ball in. I see the cage, I see the goalkeeper, but above all I feel all the strength of the group behind me. It wasn’t just my shot, it was that of a whole generation who wanted to go all the way.” he said afterwards.
For Joël Bats, hero of the match in the French cages, Luis’ determination was in no doubt. “Luis was courage incarnate. When he went to take that last shot on goal, we all knew he had the shoulders. He had this aggressiveness and this self-confidence which carried the team. That day, he definitively entered the legend of French football. said the other great hero of this legendary match.
Luis Fernandez trapped the Brazilians
Same story in the mouth of Alain Giresse, his partner in the magic square. “Luis brought this passion, this aggressiveness and this carefree attitude which was good for the team,” he explained. In a match of such dramatic intensity, at the end of fatigue and stress, it took a temperament like his to take the last shot on goal. He didn’t doubt it for a second. »
And according to Philippe Bergeroo, Luis Fernandez had prepared his move well. “The day before the match we went for a training session behind closed doors and I noticed that there was a hidden camera in the stands. It must have belonged to the Brazilians… I had reported it to Luis Fernandez, the former doorman had said. And he told me: “Stay with me at the end of training, I’ll take you penalties.” I’m going to pull them all to the left and tomorrow I’ll hit them to the right. » He took five penalties at me on the left and the next day it ended in penalties and when it was Luis to shoot, the goalkeeper went completely to the left. Luis therefore takes him on the wrong foot and France wins. »
“I did not have a single doubt when appointing him or seeing him take his responsibilities. Luis had extraordinary strength of character, had for his part greeted Henri Michel. For the fifth shot on goal, someone had to have guts and a mind of steel. Luis came to me and said, “Coach, I’ll take him.” » He had this self-confidence that transcended others. He took his responsibilities as a man and a great player. »
