Gatito Fernández

Gatito Fernández
	Fernández with Cerro Porteño in 2014
Personal information
Full name	Roberto Júnior Fernández Torres
Date of birth	29 March 1988 (age 33)
Place of birth	Asunción, Paraguay
Height	1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team	Botafogo
Number	1
Youth career
2000–2007	Cerro Porteño
Senior career*
Years	Team
2007–2014	Cerro Porteño
2009–2010	→ Estudiantes (loan)
2010–2011	→ Racing (loan)
2011–2012	→ Utrecht (loan)
2014–2015	Vitória
2016	Figueirense
2017–	Botafogo
National team‡
2007	Paraguay U20
2011–	Paraguay
Honours
Representing Paraguay
Copa América
	* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 5 September 2020; ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 14 October 2020

Roberto Júnior "Gatito" Fernández Torres (born 29 March 1988) is a Paraguayan footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Brazilian club Botafogo.

He is known as Gatito (English: little cat) for being the son of former Paraguayan 1986 World Cup goalkeeper Roberto Fernández, nicknamed Gato (English: cat). Because of his father, who was goalkeeper of brazilian clubs, such as Internacional and Palmeiras, Gatito had lived in Brazil before his professional days.^[1]

Career[]

Club career[]

Fernández started his professional career with Paraguayan Primera División club Cerro Porteño in 2007. He became Paraguayan champion with the club in the 2009 Apertura. Following the achievement, he joined Argentine Primera División side Estudiantes de La Plata. After a season in the club without any first team appearance, he joined Racing.^[2]

Utrecht (loan)[]

In August 2011, Utrecht announced to have signed Fernández on loan for one year to cover a possible departure of Michel Vorm. ^[3]

Botafogo[]

On 26 November 2016 Fernandéz signed with Botafogo, on a free transfer, a two-year contract until December 2018.^[4]

On 9 April 2018, after good performances in the 2017 Copa Libertadores and 2018 Campeonato Carioca, Botafogo extended contract with Fernandéz until December 2021.^[5]^[6]

International career[]

He debuted with the Paraguayan U20 national team in the 2007 South American Youth Championship replacing injured . He was selected for Paraguay senior squad for the 2011 Copa América. He was an un-used substitute for the squad as they finished the tournament as the runner-up.

Career statistics[]

Club[]

As of 9 February 2022.^[7]

Club	Season	League			Cup		Continental		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Cerro Porteño	2007	Paraguayan Primera División	12	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	12	0
	2008		35	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	35	0
	2009		22	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	22	0
Estudiantes (loan)	2009–10	Argentine Primera División	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Racing (loan)	2010–11	Argentine Primera División	15	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	15	0
Utrecht (loan)	2011–12	Eredivisie	13	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	13	0
Cerro Porteño	2012	Paraguayan Primera División	5	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	7	0
	2013		37	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	39	0
	2014		11	0	0	0	8	0	0	0	19	0
	Cerro Porteño total		122	0	0	0	12	0	0	0	134	0
Vitória	2014	Série A	15	0	0	0	4	0	0	0	19	0
	2015	Série B	24	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	24	0
	Total		39	0	0	0	4	0	0	0	43	0
Figueirense	2016	Série A	28	0	1	0	2	0	18	0	49	0
Botafogo	2017	Série A	31	0	5	0	13	0	9	0	58	0
	2018		8	0	0	0	1	0	9	0	18	0
	2019		30	0	4	0	6	0	8	0	48	0
	2020		8	0	6	0	0	0	8	0	22	0
	2021	Série B	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	2022	Série A	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	3	0
	Total		77	0	15	0	20	0	39	0	149	0
Career total			294	0	15	0	38	0	55	0	403	0

International[]

As of match played 14 October 2020.

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team	Year	Apps
Paraguay	2011	0
	2012	0
	2013	1
	2014	3
	2015	0
	2016	0
	2017	1
	2018	1
	2019	10
	2020	1
	2021	0
Total		17

Honors[]

Club[]

Cerro Porteño

Primera División: 2009

Estudiantes de la Plata

2009 FIFA Club World Cup - Runner-up

Botafogo

International[]

Paraguay

Copa América: Runner-up 2011

Individual[]

Copa do Brasil Best Goalkeeper: 2017
Troféu EFE Brasil: 2017 ^[8]

References[]

^ Inquieto, Gatito dava problema na escola e morou no RS por causa do pai
^ "Llegó el arquero Fernández a Racing". ESPN Deportes (in Spanish). 16 July 2010. Retrieved 16 July 2010.
^ FC Utrecht rondt komst van doelman Fernández af - Voetbal International (in Dutch)
^ "Gatito Fernández assina por dois anos e acerta com o Botafogo até 2018". Globoesporte.com. 26 November 2016. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
^ "Um dos heróis do título, Gatito renova com o Botafogo por mais três anos". Globoesporte.com. 9 April 2018. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
^ "Botafogo renova com Gatito Fernández até o final de 2021". ESPN.com.br. 9 April 2018. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
^ https://www.ogol.com.br/player.php?id=87584%7Caccessdate=29 January 2019
^ [1] - UOL (in Portuguese)

External links[]

Argentine Primera statistics at Fútbol XXI (in Spanish)
Roberto Junior Fernandez at BDFA (in Spanish)
Gatito Fernández at Soccerway

[1] Inquieto, Gatito dava problema na escola e morou no RS por causa do pai

[2] "Llegó el arquero Fernández a Racing". ESPN Deportes (in Spanish). 16 July 2010. Retrieved 16 July 2010.

[3] FC Utrecht rondt komst van doelman Fernández af - Voetbal International (in Dutch)

[4] "Gatito Fernández assina por dois anos e acerta com o Botafogo até 2018". Globoesporte.com. 26 November 2016. Retrieved 12 November 2019.

[5] "Um dos heróis do título, Gatito renova com o Botafogo por mais três anos". Globoesporte.com. 9 April 2018. Retrieved 12 November 2019.

[6] "Botafogo renova com Gatito Fernández até o final de 2021". ESPN.com.br. 9 April 2018. Retrieved 12 November 2019.

[7] ttps://www.ogol.com.br/player.php?id=87584%7Caccessdate=29 January 2019

[8] [1] - UOL (in Portuguese)

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