Fernando Ortiz (footballer)


Fernando Ortiz is an Argentine retired football defender and current football coach. He is currently in charge of Sportivo Luqueño.

Career

Ortiz was spotted by Argentine giants Boca Juniors in 1997. He made his debut in 1998, and helped Boca to win the Primera División 1998 Apertura championship. He played 8 games for Boca in all competitions, scoring 3 goals.
In 1999, he was loaned to RCD Mallorca in Spain, where he played half-a-season for their B team. He returned that same year to Argentina to play for San Lorenzo. Subsequently, he had spells at Unión de Santa Fe and Banfield, before joining Estudiantes de La Plata in 2004.
Ortiz helped Estudiantes to win the 2006 Apertura. He was a starter in the championship playoff played against his former club Boca Juniors on December 13, that Estudiantes won 2-1. Shortly after being crowned champion in Argentina, Ortiz signed with Mexican side Santos Laguna along with other players in order to help the team avoid relegation. He left Santos Laguna to join Club América on December 17, 2008.
In August 2010, Ortiz returned to Argentina to play for Vélez Sársfield. Ortiz was a regular starter along Sebastián Domínguez in Vélez Sársfield's centre back during his two-year stay at the club, in which he won with the team the 2011 Clausura and reached the semifinals of the 2011 Copa Libertadores and quarter-finals of the 2012 Copa Libertadores.
Aged 34, Ortiz did not renew his contract with Vélez after it expired in June 2012, signing instead for Racing. However, despite a "free agent", Racing had to pay a fee to Sud América, a proxy club for an unknown third parties. Racing received a warning for the transfer.

Honours

Club

;Boca Juniors
;Estudiantes LP
;Santos Laguna
;Vélez Sársfield