Daniel Fonseca

Club career

Fonseca, nicknamed el castor ("the beaver"), started his football career at Nacional, his local team in Uruguay, in 1988. In his first two seasons (1988–1990) with Nacional, he made 14 appearances and scored three goals.

In 1990, he moved to Cagliari, scoring 17 goals in 50 appearances, playing mostly on the left rather than in his more habitual central position.

In 1992 Napoli signed him and Fonseca managed a more impressive strike rate, scoring 31 goals in two seasons in Naples, including 5 goals in a 5–1 win against Valencia in the first knock-out round of the UEFA Cup on 16 September 1992. His form and performances drew attention from Roma, who promptly signed him in 1994.

According to interviews, Fonseca sometimes wore lighter-coloured Uruguay national team socks during Napoli matches, citing them as a personal good-luck charm.

However, his three seasons (from 1994 to 1997) were far from successful. Fonseca usually played as a second striker, supporting the Argentine centre forward Abel Balbo, but, because of the many injuries he suffered, he played discontinuously.

Juventus signed Fonseca in 1997, but he was once again played out of position on the left wing, as he had been at Cagliari and Roma. His goalscoring record in Serie A was very good considering he was not always a first choice player with Roma and Juventus. Fonseca was always regarded as a "super sub", and scored several important goals coming off the bench. During his time with the Turin club, he won one Serie A title, a Champions League runner-up medal and the Supercoppa Italiana.

Injuries sidelined him for nearly the entire 1999–2000 season, with only two brief cup appearances, before his transfer to River Plate in 2000. There, he infamously played only during the club's 2000 pre-season. His only match was a pre-season encounter against archrivals Boca Juniors, and Fonseca helped his club to earn a win by scoring the final penalty in the shootout. A few days later, Fonseca would resign from his contract and join Como in 2001. He retired in 2003 after the coach told him that he was no longer a part of the first team's plans.

International career

Fonseca represented the Uruguay national football team on 30 occasions between 1990 and 1997, scoring 11 goals. He was a member of the team that took part at the 1990 FIFA World Cup, scoring in injury time in the final group game against South Korea, and was also in the squad that won the 1995 Copa América.

Style of play

Fonseca combined pace and work-rate with dribbling ability, vision, and a powerful shot. Playing as a striker he both scored and created goal opportunities for teammates.

After football

Fonseca currently works as a football agent, and has represented several of his compatriots, including Martín Cáceres, Fernando Muslera, and Luis Suárez.

Personal life

Daniel is the father of footballers Nicolás Fonseca and Matías Fonseca.

Controversies

In April 2016, he was named in the Panama Papers.

Career statistics

International

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

Honours

;Nacional

• Recopa Sudamericana: 1989
• Copa Interamericana: 1989
• Primera División Uruguaya: 2002

;Juventus

• Serie A: 1997–98
• Supercoppa Italiana: 1997 Runner-up: 1998
• UEFA Champions League Runner-up: 1997–98
• UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1999

;International ;Uruguay

• Copa América: 1995

References

References

1. (11 February 2003). "Fonseca about deciding to quit football". Soccerway.
2. "Daniel Fonseca".
3. (18 September 2013). "Gli eroi in bianconero: Daniel FONSECA". Tutto Juve.
4. (21 September 1992). "Italian Football: Juventus are rescued by Platt's strike". The Independent.
5. (13 September 2016). "Il giorno di un campione del mondo, di un procuratore 'all'attacco' e del sostituto mancato di Platini". calciomercato.com.
6. (10 July 2003). "Totti quiere ser como Roberto Carlos". ESPN FC.
7. (7 October 1999). "Nella Juve si rivede Fonseca "Sto meglio, avrò il mio spazio"". La Gazzetta dello Sport.
8. {{NFT player
9. (31 May 2011). "Copa América, storia di un mito – Uruguay 1995". Calcio Sudamericano.it.
10. (12 June 1990). "AL CAGLIARI FONSECA, CENTRAVANTI URUGUAYANO". La Repubblica.
11. (14 February 1999). "La Juve dei piccoli ritocchi". La Gazzetta dello Sport.
12. (30 June 2016). "Who is Matias Fonseca, the promising striker who has just signed for Inter". www.calciomercato.com.
13. (6 July 1995). "VENEZUELA NO PUDO HACER EL MILAGRO". El Tiempo.
14. (8 April 2016). "Fonseca, il Napoli e quell'orizzonte che porta a Caceres". Il Corriere dello Sport.
15. (11 October 2010). "Muslera frustrated over new deal". www.eurosport.com.
16. (8 April 2016). "Barcelona's Luis Suarez 'a liar' over owed money - ex-agent Daniel Fonseca". ESPN FC.
17. (7 April 2016). "Panama Papers: Daniel Fonseca, ex calciatore". [[L'espresso]].
18. {{NFT player. 12628
19. "South Korea vs. Uruguay".
20. "Uruguay vs. Peru".
21. "Uruguay vs. Brazil".
22. "Uruguay vs. Bolivia".
23. "Spain vs. Uruguay".
24. "Uruguay vs. New Zealand".
25. "Uruguay vs. Venezuela".
26. "Uruguay vs. Bolivia".
27. "Daniel Fonseca". Eurosport.