By Selcuk Bugra Gokalp
Uruguayan international goalkeeper Fernando "Nando" Muslera has become one of the most important figures in Turkish Super Lig club Galatasaray's history.
Galatasaray, which had not won the league championship for three seasons before Muslera arrived, became champions the 2011-12 season, when he joined the squad, and have won the league six times in the last 13 seasons.
- Early Career
Fernando Muslera was born on June 16, 1986 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
His name comes from the Uruguayan striker Fernando Morena, whom his parents admired.
Before the age of 8, "Nando" played as a striker and later switched to goalkeeper.
Muslera started his professional football career at Montevideo Wanderers and went through the club's youth system. Then he moved to Uruguayan powerhouse Nacional.
- European Career
In August 2007, he joined Italian Serie A side Lazio and his European career began.
After legendary Italian goalie Angelo Peruzzi hanged his gloves, Muslera seemed as the first goalkeeper choice for Lazio but things went bad for the Uruguayan.
The 5-1 Serie A defeat to Milan on Oct. 7, 2007, became the match in which he was cut from the team after putting an insecure display and conceding easy goals.
After a long spell on the bench, Nando was in goal for the 2009 Coppa Italia, while his Argentine teammate Juan Pablo Carizzo out of form, with a performance that led to the trophy.
In the final, which ended 1-1 in regular time, he saved two penalty shots of Sampdoria and brought the trophy to his team.
His good performance continued in the 2009 Supercoppa Italiana, where they defeated Inter Milan, Jose Mourinho's team that would mark a "Famous Treble" – winning domestic title, domestic cup and European cup in the same season – the following season.
- Galatasaray Career
He joined Galatasaray in 2011 and made a poor start.
He looked insecure in his first game against Istanbul Buyuksehir Belediyespor and just two games later he was sent off with a red card against Karabukspor.
However, he adapted to the team afterwards and started to put on good displays.
In the 2011-12 Super Lig season, Muslera scored his first career goal from a penalty against Manisaspor.
The same match resulted in Muslera keeping his 19th clean sheet of the season, an all-time league record.
He won a total of 15 trophies with Galatasaray, including six Turkish Super Lig titles and played in UEFA Champions League quarterfinals.
In his 13th season at Galatasaray, Uruguayan veteran is enjoying the best season of his career at the age of 37, with 14 goals conceded in 25 Super Lig matches this season, averaging 0.56 per game.
The Galatasaray captain also became the third goalkeeper to concede the fewest goals in Europe this season after PSV Eindhoven goalkeeper Walter Benitez, who conceded 10 goals and averaged 0.45, and Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer, who conceded 12 goals and averaged 0.5.
The veteran Uruguayan's goals conceded per match in Super Lig for Galatasaray over the seasons are as follows:
| Season | Games | Conceded | Goals conceded per match |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | 25 | 14 | 0,56 |
| 2022-23 | 33 | 26 | 0,79 |
| 2021-22 | 25 | 31 | 1,24 |
| 2020-21 | 22 | 20 | 0,91 |
| 2019-20 | 26 | 19 | 0,73 |
| 2018-19 | 33 | 32 | 0,97 |
| 2017-18 | 33 | 33 | 1 |
| 2016-17 | 34 | 40 | 1,18 |
| 2015-16 | 33 | 46 | 1,39 |
| 2014-15 | 32 | 34 | 1,06 |
| 2013-14 | 29 | 25 | 0,86 |
| 2012-13 | 33 | 33 | 1 |
| 2011-12 | 33 | 23 | 0,7 |
- International Career
Muslera won his first cap for Uruguay against Ecuador in the 2010 World Cup South America Qualifiers.
At the 2010 World Cup, he was the starting goalkeeper for the Uruguay national team and they finished 4th in the competition with a good performance.
In 2011, he won the Copa America with Uruguay, which had not won the trophy since 1995.
Fernando Muslera is the fourth most capped player for Uruguay with 133 appearances.
- Playstyle
Muslera has an acrobatic style in front of the goal.
He excels at shot stooping, especially in one-on-ones, and aerial ability.
Nando is capable of making unexpected saves at unexpected moments, even with his face.
His cool and calm demeanor reassures the audience.
He has made 16 penalty saves for Galatasaray and has more than 200 career clean sheets to date.