Nelson Fernandes (L) during the laying of the foundation stone for the modernization of the national technical center of Côte d’Ivoire (Photo by FIFA)
It has been over 30 years since Gelson Fernandes left Cape Verde in search of a better life. Since then, he’s played football in Switzerland, England, Italy, Germany, France and Portugal, whilst he’s also represented Switzerland in five international tournaments. However, he has never once forgotten his African roots.
Gelson became the first player of African descent to wear the captain’s armband for Switzerland’s U-21 team, paving the way for other players like Manuel Akanji and Breel Embolo to follow in his footsteps. Two decades later, he’s helping to bring African football into the 21st century as FIFA’s Director Member Associations Africa.
“I have African blood and whenever I travel across Africa, I always feel at home,” stated Gelson in an exclusive RG interview. “I am an African who had the opportunity to have a fantastic education in Switzerland. A lot of players of African descent have played after me, and if I could’ve been an example for these players, that’s great. The most important thing is to believe and to show that it’s possible, and I’m glad I did that.”
Making the Move from Africa to Europe
Gelson was born in Cape Verde, an archipelago located off the coast of West Africa which consists of ten volcanic islands. Both of his parents left in search of a better life – his father Francisco headed north for Switzerland when he was still a fetus, whilst his mother Maria moved to Europe when Gelson was just two years old. Francisco initially worked as a cowhand at a military barracks before trying his luck as a floor installer and a locksmith. He eventually settled on a role as the groundskeeper for Swiss club FC Sion in 2004, a position he still holds to this day. His mother, meanwhile, would wake up at the crack of dawn every morning and clean houses.
For the first years of Gelson’s life, he lived with his grandmother in Cape Verde. Gelson had no running water or electricity, and his first-ever football pitch was a concrete field with a goal painted on the wall. This changed when he was five years old, with Gelson joining his parents in Switzerland and eventually making his way towards FC Sion’s academy in 1995.
“It wasn’t easy. I was five years old when I left Cape Verde.
I was living with my grandmother at the time, my dad had left for Switzerland when I wasn’t even born, my mom when I was two years old, so the first time that I remember seeing them was in Europe,” said Fernandes. “I had to go far away from my space in Cape Verde and adjust to the cold weather, but I thank God that Switzerland gave us fantastic conditions of living and education. I’m very glad we had these conditions.”
He spent the following decade ascending the ranks at Sion before eventually being promoted to the first team in 2004 by manager Gilbert Gress. After making five appearances during the 2004/05 campaign, Gelson enjoyed a breakthrough 2005/06 campaign, becoming an indispensable fixture in midfield and steering them all the way to the Swiss Cup Final. After drawing 1-1 to Young Boys, the match ended in a penalty shootout, where Sion prevailed 4-3 to secure their first trophy in nine years.
After 12 years at Sion, Gelson finally left in 2007 and joined Manchester City for €6 million, with City manager Sven-Göran Eriksson dubbing him the ‘best young player in Switzerland’ upon his arrival.
Gelson quickly imposed himself in Eriksson’s starting line-up, but his playing time would start to wane with the arrival of Mark Hughes as manager in June 2008. And on September 1, 2008, the Abu Dhabi United Group Investment and Development Limited completed a takeover of Manchester City for a reported £200 million and proceeded to spend astronomical fees on big-name players like Robinho, Nigel de Jong, and Craig Bellamy. This newfound competition would cause Gelson’s importance to dwindle even further, and in 2009, he packed his bags for France and joined Saint-Ètienne, where he helped Les Verts avoid relegation.
Representing Switzerland on the Biggest Stages
Whilst earning his stripes in European football, Gelson was also making an impact at the international level. He represented Switzerland from the U16 to the U21 level, laying the foundations for a fruitful career for Switzerland’s senior team. Gelson made his international debut in 2007 and played in all three matches for the Rossocrociati as they co-hosted the 2008 European Championship alongside Austria, and in 2010, he was called up for the FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
His first test came against one of the greatest teams of all time – Spain, winners of the 2008 Euros, the 2010 World Cup, and the 2012 Euros. During that four-year stretch, the only game that they lost in a major tournament was the opening match of the 2010 World Cup. The score was level until the 52nd minute, when Gelson bundled the ball into the back of the net to give Switzerland the lead and secure a 1-0 victory. This goal would end Spain’s run of 12 straight victories and give La Roja their second loss in 50 matches. And whilst it wasn’t enough to secure their passage to the next round, with the Nati proceeding to lose to Chile and draw to Honduras, it nevertheless made Gelson into a cult hero in Switzerland.
Even when his path to the starting line-up was blocked by Valon Behrami, Granit Xhaka and Blerim Džemaili, Gelson still remained an important leader for the national team. Sensing that the team was a bit too laid back and relaxed on the eve of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Gelson delivered a handwritten letter to the entire Switzerland squad in order to motivate them – they proceeded to finish second in their group before narrowly losing to eventual runners-up Argentina in the Round of 16. All told, Gelson played in 67 matches for Switzerland between 2007 and 2018, participating in five major tournaments along the way.
Putting His Iron Foot to Good Use
After one year in France, Gelson spent one year in Serie A with Chievo Verona, before heading back to England and reuniting with Eriksson at Championship side Leicester City. He quickly emerged as one of the first names on the team sheet, only to fall out of favor under new manager Nigel Pearson and return to Italy, joining Udinese on loan. In 2012, Gelson left Saint-Ètienne and made the move to Portuguese side Sporting CP on a permanent transfer. However, with playing time hard to come by in Lisbon, he returned to Sion for a mid-season loan.
Gelson’s globetrotting career has also resulted in him becoming a polyglot. He doesn’t just speak Portuguese – the official language of Cape Verde – but Creole, French, German, Italian, Spanish and English, whilst he’s also learning Chinese for fun.
Having plied his trade in Switzerland, England, France, Italy, and Portugal, Gelson headed to Germany in 2013 and joined Freiburg. He spent a year at the Black Forest club before moving to Ligue 1 side Rennes, where he managed to find the stability that had eluded him for the first decade of his playing career.
Gelson made a name for himself thanks to his fearlessness and aggression. Never one to shy away from a physical duel or pull out of a challenge, Gelson was tasked with playing as the 6 in Rennes’ 4-2-3-1, protecting their backline and allowing the other midfielder in the double pivot to push forward. His job was to make life as difficult as possible for the opponent, to keep the backline organized and compact, and to send a message to the opposition that, if they wanted to make it to the final third, they’d have to go through him. In 2015, Gelson made the most successful slide tackles (125) in Europe, prompting the Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport to name him the “Piede di Ferro,” or Iron Foot.
“I had fantastic stamina, I was a team player who gave my everything for the squad. I was a decent holding midfielder who was capable of winning balls,” said Fernandes. “I wasn’t the greatest, but I certainly wasn’t a bad player.”
He played 101 times for Rennes, emerging as an essential cog at the defensive midfielder position, before departing in 2017. He rejected offers from China and Saudi Arabia and decided to return to the Bundesliga, joining Eintracht Frankfurt on a two-year deal. Gelson was able to win the second trophy of his career with Die Adler – the 2017/18 DFB-Pokal – and emerge as the anchor in midfield. He aged like fine wine in Germany, becoming a regular choice for the captain’s armband, putting his tough-tackling skills and aggressive nature on display, and earning the love and affection of Eintracht’s fanbase.
Life After Retirement
Gelson ended his playing career in 2020 and quickly moved into administration, serving as FC Sion’s Vice President between July 2021 and July 2022, before eventually taking up a new role with FIFA in August 2022 as Director Member Associations Africa. Today, Gelson balances his time taking care of his two young daughters whilst helping to oversee services to strengthen the development of the African member associations through the FIFA Forward Programme.
In March 2023, for example, Gelson took a two-day working trip to Ghana and engaged with the Ghana Football Association as well as Ghana’s Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Parliament of Ghana Select Committee on Youth, Sports and Culture. Together, they discussed the pathways for player development, strategic plans for grassroots and youth development, putting the right structures in course to develop young Ghanaian players, and coaching education.
“It’s a big honor, and I’m very proud to join FIFA,” stated Fernandes upon his appointment in 2022. “I am an African and if you get an offer like this, you must do it because it is a way of giving something back to Africa as an African. I see it as my obligation to work for Africa and its football. This mission that I will start in August includes all aspects around my roots and this continent, showing my gratitude and support and giving my all for African football.”
On November 1, 2024, Gelson was promoted to the position of Deputy Chief Member Associations Officer, as his upward trajectory in the field of football administration continues to grow at pace, in what has been a relatively short period since he hung up his playing boots.
Stay tuned for Part Two.
Zach Lowy
