Fernando Daniel Belluschi (Spanish pronunciation: [beˈlustʃi], Italian: [belˈluski]; born 10 September 1983) is an Argentine former professional player. During his playing career, Belluschi was a midfielder. Belluschi played for clubs as River Plate or San Lorenzo in Argentina, Olympiacos in Greece or Porto in Portugal.
Club career
Belluschi began playing professionally at Newell's Old Boys in 2002, with whom he won the 2004 Apertura Championship. He moved to River Plate in 2006 and with the departure of Marcelo Gallardo to Paris Saint-Germain following the 2006 Apertura, he was named team captain, a position he would fill for two years. He then joined Olympiacos for reported €6.5 million in early 2008.[2]
On 6 July 2009, Porto purchased Belluschi's playing rights and 50% of his economic rights[3] for €5 million.[4] The other 50% was owned by private investment company Rio Football Services Ltd.[5] He signed a contract until 2013 with a release clause of €30 million.[4]
In 2012, Belluschi was sent on to Genoa under a purchasing option of €3.5 million, or €5 million if the club qualified for the UEFA Europa League.[6] In summer 2012, Porto sold its 50% ownership of his economic rights for €1.05 million.[7]
On 10 July 2015, Cruz Azul signed Belluschi on a free transfer. His salary was set at €1.1 million. He debuted for the side as a substitute in the 61st minute for an injured Marc Crosas in the Clasico Joven. He did not receive his international pass until the Clasico Joven, which was why he did not participate in any league matches up to that point. He failed to score for Cruz Azul, having a penalty saved by Atlas goalkeeper Miguel Ángel Fraga on matchday 11.
On 26 January 2016, San Lorenzo signed the then-32-year-old Belluschi on a free transfer.
Career statistics
- As of match played 25 November 2023[8]
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Newell's Old Boys | 2002–03 | Argentine Primera División | 10 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 10 | 0 | ||||
| 2003–04 | Argentine Primera División | 12 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 12 | 1 | |||||
| 2004–05 | Argentine Primera División | 33 | 8 | — | — | 2[a] | 0 | — | 35 | 8 | ||||
| 2005–06 | Argentine Primera División | 35 | 11 | — | — | 9[b] | 0 | — | 44 | 11 | ||||
| Total | 90 | 20 | — | — | 11 | 0 | — | 101 | 20 | |||||
| River Plate | 2006–07 | Argentine Primera División | 36 | 6 | — | — | 12[c] | 0 | — | 48 | 6 | |||
| 2007–08 | Argentine Primera División | 12 | 7 | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | 12 | 7 | ||||
| Total | 48 | 13 | — | — | 12 | 0 | — | 60 | 13 | |||||
| Olympiacos Piraeus | 2007–08 | Super League Greece | 11 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | 2[d] | 0 | — | 16 | 1 | ||
| 2008–09 | Super League Greece | 25 | 5 | 6 | 1 | — | 8[e] | 2 | — | 39 | 8 | |||
| Total | 36 | 6 | 9 | 1 | — | 10 | 2 | — | 55 | 9 | ||||
| Porto | 2009–10 | Primeira Liga | 27 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4[d] | 0 | 1[f] | 0 | 40 | 5 |
| 2010–11 | Primeira Liga | 26 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 13[g] | 1 | 1[f] | 0 | 46 | 3 | |
| 2011–12 | Primeira Liga | 16 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5[d] | 0 | 2[h] | 0 | 27 | 1 | |
| Total | 69 | 6 | 11 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 22 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 113 | 9 | ||
| Genoa (loan) | 2011–12 | Serie A | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 14 | 1 | |||
| Bursaspor | 2012–13 | Süper Lig | 30 | 5 | 3 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 33 | 6 | ||
| 2013–14 | Süper Lig | 27 | 3 | 9 | 1 | — | 1[g] | 0 | — | 37 | 4 | |||
| 2014–15 | Süper Lig | 32 | 3 | 9 | 1 | — | 1[g] | 0 | — | 42 | 4 | |||
| Total | 89 | 11 | 21 | 3 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 112 | 14 | ||||
| Cruz Azul | 2015–16 | Liga MX | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 8 | 0 | |||
| San Lorenzo | 2016 | Argentine Primera División | 14 | 2 | 4 | 1 | — | 11[i] | 1 | 1[j] | 1 | 30 | 5 | |
| 2016–17 | Argentine Primera División | 26 | 6 | 2 | 0 | — | 10[k] | 2 | — | 38 | 8 | |||
| 2017–18 | Argentine Primera División | 15 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 17 | 2 | |||
| 2018–19 | Argentine Primera División | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3[k] | 0 | — | 16 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20 | Argentine Primera División | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 9 | 1 | |||
| Total | 77 | 11 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 110 | 16 | ||
| Lanús | 2019–20 | Argentine Primera División | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6[a] | 0 | — | 11 | 0 | |
| 2020–21 | Argentine Primera División | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | ||
| Total | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | 17 | 0 | |||
| Newell's Old Boys | 2021 | Argentine Primera División | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[a] | 0 | — | 12 | 0 | |
| Estudiantes RC | 2022 | Primera Nacional | 22 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 22 | 2 | ||||
| 2023 | Primera Nacional | 24 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 25 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 46 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 47 | 3 | |||||
| Career totals | 497 | 71 | 50 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 89 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 649 | 85 | ||
- 1 2 3 Appearances in Copa Sudamericana
- ↑ Seven appearances in Copa Libertadores, two appearances in Copa Sudamericana
- ↑ Six appearances in Copa Libertadores, six appearances in Copa Sudamericana
- 1 2 3 Appearances in UEFA Champions League
- ↑ One appearance and one goal in UEFA Champions League, seven appearances and one goal in UEFA Cup
- 1 2 Appearance in Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira
- 1 2 3 Appearance(s) in UEFA Europa League
- ↑ One appearance in Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira, one appearance in UEFA Super Cup
- ↑ Five appearances in Copa Libertadores, six appearances and one goal in Copa Sudamericana
- ↑ Appearance in Supercopa Argentina
- 1 2 Appearances in Copa Libertadores
International career
Belluschi has won six caps for Argentina, all in friendlies. In November 2017, after six years away from the national team, Belluschi was named in coach Jorge Sampaoli's squad for friendlies against Russia and Nigeria in the former.[9]
Personal life
Belluschi is married to Florencia, whom he met in his home city of Los Quirquinchos. They began dating when he was 17 years old and have been together since. He is best friends with fellow professional footballer Ignacio Scocco, and both served as best men at each other's wedding.
Belluschi also holds an Italian passport due to his Italian ancestry from the province of Pavia, where his paternal great-grandfather emigrated to Argentina from.[10]
Honours
- Newell's Old Boys
- Olympiacos
- Porto
- Primeira Liga: 2010–11, 2011–12
- Taça de Portugal: 2009–10, 2010–11
- Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2009, 2010, 2011
- UEFA Europa League: 2010–11
- San Lorenzo
- Argentina
Individual
References
- ↑ Olympiakos profile Archived 13 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ "Olympiacos switch thrills Belluschi". UEFA. 8 January 2008. Retrieved 30 March 2010.
- ↑ Economic rights stand for the portion of the future transfer fee that Porto will receive
- 1 2 "Comunicado da FC Porto – Futebol, SAD" (in Portuguese). fcporto.pt. 6 July 2009. Archived from the original on 1 March 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2009.
- ↑ "Asamblea aprobada" (in Spanish). Club Atlético River Plate. 24 August 2012. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
- ↑ "FC Porto revela valores dos empréstimos de Belluschi e Guarín". Público. 31 January 2012.
- ↑ "Relatório e Contas Consolidado 2011/2012" [Consolidated financial statements and report 2011–12] (PDF) (in Portuguese). FC Porto. 18 October 2012. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
- ↑ Fernando Belluschi at Soccerway. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
- ↑ "Jorge Sampaoli definió los convocados del fútbol argentino para los amistosos con Rusia y Nigeria" [Jorge Sampaoli names the call-ups from Argentine football for the friendlies against Russia and Nigeria]. La Nación (in Spanish). 2 November 2017. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
- ↑ "Si scrive Belluschi, si legge Bellus-ci". canalegenoa.it. 6 February 2012. Retrieved 10 May 2013.
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External links
- Guardian statistics at the Wayback Machine (archived 8 September 2010)
- Fernando Belluschi at National-Football-Teams.com
- Player Profile on the River Plate Website (in Spanish)
- Argentine Primera statistics at Fútbol XXI (in Spanish)