 Nadal in 2016 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Miguel Ángel Nadal Homar[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1966-07-28)28 July 1966 (age 59)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Manacor, Spain[1] | ||
| Height | 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Defender,midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1980–1983 | Manacor | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1983–1986 | Manacor | 61 | (13) |
| 1986–1987 | Mallorca B | 20 | (1) |
| 1987–1991 | Mallorca | 130 | (22) |
| 1991–1999 | Barcelona | 208 | (13) |
| 1999–2005 | Mallorca | 155 | (6) |
| Total | 574 | (55) | |
| International career | |||
| 1991–2002 | Spain | 62 | (3) |
| 2002 | Balearic Islands | 1 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2010–2011 | Mallorca (assistant) | ||
| 2011 | Mallorca (caretaker) | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Miguel Ángel Nadal Homar (Spanish pronunciation:[miˈɣelˈaŋxelnaˈðaloˈmaɾ],Catalan:Miquel Àngel Nadal Homar; born 28 July 1966) is a Spanish former professionalfootballer who played as a versatiledefender andmidfielder.
He began and ended his career withMallorca, but his greatest achievements came whilst atBarcelona during the so-calledDream Team era, winning numerous domestic and continental titles. Over 19 seasons, he played 493 matches (463 of those inLa Liga).
A part of theSpain national team's setup during the 1990s and early 2000s, Nadal represented the nation in threeWorld Cups andEuro 1996.
Born inManacor,Mallorca,Balearic Islands, Nadal made his debut inLa Liga with localRCD Mallorca, first appearing on 19 April 1987 againstFC Barcelona at theCamp Nou. In his final two seasons, after helping in a1989 promotion fromSegunda División, he scored 12 goals from 72 league appearances, thus being signed by theCatalonia club for the1991–92 campaign.[2]
WithBarça, underJohan Cruyff, Nadal was a very important part as they won five leagues, twoCopa del Rey and the1992 European Cup, playing 297 overall games and occupying several defensive positions in both the back-four and in midfield. In his last year, however, ostracised by another Dutch coach,Louis van Gaal, he only totalled five matches;[3][4] in 1996 and 1997 he was linked with a transfer toManchester United, but the move to thePremier League never materialised.[5]
Nadal returned to Mallorca subsequently, starting most of the time and also winning the2003 Spanish Cup after beatingRecreativo de Huelva.[6] He retired aged 38, with 645 competitive appearances to his credit.[7]
In July 2010, five years after his retirement, Nadal returned to Mallorca, joining the coaching staff underMichael Laudrup, his Barcelona teammate for three seasons. As theDane left the club in late September 2011 following a run-in with directorLorenzo Serra Ferrer, Nadal was in charge for one game, a 2–2 away draw againstCA Osasuna, but he too left the following week.[8]
Nadal earned 62caps forSpain,[9] his debut coming on 13 November 1991 in aUEFA Euro 1992qualifier dead rubber againstCzechoslovakia (the national team had virtually no chances of reaching the finals inSweden).[10] He went on to represent the country in threeFIFA World Cups.[11]
Additionally, Nadal missed apenalty atWembley Stadium againstEngland, in aEuro 1996shootout loss.[12] After appearing in four complete matches at the2002 World Cup, at almost 36, he retired from the international scene.[9]
Nadal also featured once for theBalearic Islands regional team, in a friendly withMalta held atSon Moix.[13]
A versatile player, Nadal was capable of playing either as a defender or midfielder; nicknamedThe Beast, he based his game on physical display.[5] He was also known for his strong aerial game and tactical sense.[14]
In 2007,The Times placed Nadal at number 47 in their list of the 50 hardest footballers in history.[15]
Nadal is the paternal uncle of professionaltennis playerRafael Nadal, whilst his brotherToni was Rafael's coach.[16][17][18]
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition[9] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16 November 1994 | Sánchez Pizjuán,Seville, Spain |  Denmark | 1–0 | 3–0 | Euro 1996 qualifying |
| 2 | 30 November 1994 | La Rosaleda,Málaga, Spain |  Finland | 1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 3 | 5 September 2001 | Rheinpark,Vaduz, Liechtenstein |  Liechtenstein | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2002 World Cup qualification |
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