Cristian Tello

Cristian Tello
Tello playing for Porto in 2014
Personal information
Full name Cristian Tello Herrera
Date of birth (1991-08-11) 11 August 1991 (age 32)
Place of birth Sabadell, Spain
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Forward, winger
Team information
Current team
Al Fateh
Number 37
Youth career
1999–2002 Can Rull
2002–2008 Barcelona
2007–2008Damm (loan)
2008–2010 Espanyol
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010 Espanyol B 4 (1)
2010–2012 Barcelona B 39 (9)
2011–2017 Barcelona 59 (11)
2014–2016Porto (loan) 36 (7)
2016–2017Fiorentina (loan) 51 (6)
2017–2022 Betis 140 (17)
2022 Los Angeles FC 5 (0)
2023– Al Fateh 33 (11)
International career
2010 Spain U19 3 (0)
2011 Spain U20 5 (1)
2012–2013 Spain U21 12 (2)
2012 Spain U23 6 (0)
2013 Spain 1 (0)
2013– Catalonia 3 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:45, 9 March 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 25 May 2022

Cristian Tello Herrera (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈkɾistjan ˈteʎo eˈreɾa]; born 11 August 1991) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a forward or winger for Saudi Pro League club Al Fateh.

He spent his youth at Espanyol and Barcelona, playing for both clubs' reserves before breaking through into the first team of the latter. He also spent one and a half seasons in Portugal with Porto and as many in Italy with Fiorentina. He returned Spain with Betis in 2017, where he made 172 total appearances and scored 24 goals, winning the Copa del Rey in 2022.

Tello represented Spain at the 2012 Olympics, and was part of the under-21 squad which won the European Championship in 2013. He won his only full cap in 2013.

Club career

Espanyol

Born in Sabadell, Barcelona, Catalonia, Tello started playing at the age of eight with CFU Can Rull, moving to FC Barcelona shortly after and being loaned to another club in the region, CF Damm, for one year.

In 2008, his contract expired and RCD Espanyol signed him. He made his senior debut in the 2009–10 season, playing four games with the B team and being relegated from the Segunda División B.

Barcelona

In June 2010, Tello moved back to FC Barcelona Atlètic, who competed in the Segunda División. On 9 November 2011 he made his debut for Barça's main squad, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–0 away win against CE L'Hospitalet in the round of 32 of the Copa del Rey; he scored a brace in the second leg, a 9–0 demolition.

Tello made his first La Liga appearance on 28 January 2012, coming on as a substitute for Adriano in the 75th minute of a 0–0 draw at Villarreal CF. The following weekend, in his first league start, he opened the score in the eighth minute of a 2–1 home victory over Real Sociedad after a through ball by Lionel Messi.

Tello in action for Barcelona in the 2011–12 Champions League

On 7 March 2012, Tello replaced Andrés Iniesta early into the second half of a match against Bayer 04 Leverkusen at the Camp Nou, taking his bow in the UEFA Champions League: he scored his first goal within two minutes, after Cesc Fàbregas played him through over the top and he ran from the halfway line to net from just inside the penalty area for the 4–0; six minutes later, from a similar position, he made it 6–0 for the hosts in an eventual 7–1 win (10–2 on aggregate).

Even though his future initially seemed uncertain, Tello managed to convince new manager Tito Vilanova and stayed in roster for the 2012–13 campaign, inclusively going on to start in several games. On 19 September 2012 he scored the opener and assisted Messi in the second goal, in a 3–2 home defeat of FC Spartak Moscow in the Champions League group stage, where he was also chosen as Player of the match.

On 13 December 2012, Tello signed a new contract with Barcelona, keeping him with the Blaugrana until June 2016. Nine days later, he scored after only 30 seconds on the pitch in the last play of the 3–1 away win over Real Valladolid.

Tello fell further down the offensive pecking order in 2013–14, following the arrival of Neymar. He scored his first goal of the season on 11 December in a 6–1 home rout of Celtic in the Champions League group phase, and six days later he also found the net, in a 3–0 victory against FC Cartagena in the domestic cup (7–1 on aggregate). In the quarter-finals of the latter competition, away to Levante UD, he profited from three Messi assists to score his first hat-trick as a professional as his team won 4–1.

Tello was loaned to FC Porto of the Primeira Liga on 16 July 2014, in a two-year deal. He scored his first goal for the club on 25 November, entering as a substitute for Ricardo Quaresma and concluding a 3–0 win at FC BATE Borisov in the group stage of the Champions League. Five days later, he netted his first league goal, the opener in a 5–0 home win over Rio Ave FC. On 1 March 2015, he scored all of his side's goals as they beat Sporting CP 3–0.

On 22 January 2016, Barcelona and ACF Fiorentina reached an agreement for the loan of Tello until 30 June 2016. He made his Serie A debut on 3 February, starting a 2–1 defeat of Carpi F.C. 1909 at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, and scored his first goal 18 days later in a 3–2 victory at Atalanta BC.

On 16 August 2016, the loan was renewed for the upcoming season.

Betis

On 30 June 2017, Tello joined Real Betis on a five-year deal for €4 million. He made his debut from the bench on 25 August in a 2–1 home win over RC Celta de Vigo, and scored his first goal on 15 October as a consolation in a 6–3 loss to Valencia CF also at the Estadio Benito Villamarín. On 30 November, he netted twice in a 5–3 defeat (6–5 aggregate) to fellow Andalusians Cádiz CF in the last 32 of the domestic cup.

Tello scored four league goals in each of his first two seasons. In 2019–20 he rarely started under manager Rubi and was linked to January moves to Espanyol or Celta; he stayed and scored the late winner against Real Madrid on 8 March.

Tello scored five goals in 2020–21. On 22 May 2021, as the campaign ended with qualification for the UEFA Europa League via a 3–2 comeback win at Celta, he came on as a half-time substitute and received the first sending-off of his career for two yellow cards in as many minutes.

Tello contributed six appearances and one goal as his side won the 2021–22 Spanish Cup. This included nine minutes of the final against Valencia CF.

Los Angeles FC

Tello signed a three-year deal with Los Angeles FC on 26 August 2022, with his $1.78 million salary being one of the highest in Major League Soccer. He made his debut on 13 September as a substitute in a 1–1 draw at Minnesota United FC, as his team ended the season with the Supporters' Shield. In the championship game, he came on in extra time as LAFC defeated the Philadelphia Union in a penalty shootout for their first MLS Cup; he took and missed the first attempt.

Al Fateh

On 25 January 2023, Tello joined Saudi Arabian club Al Fateh SC on an 18-month contract.

International career

Tello playing for Spain at the 2012 Olympics

Tello was a member of the Spanish squad that participated in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, playing all three games in an eventual group stage exit. He made his only appearance with the full side on 14 August 2013, starting in a 2–0 friendly win in Ecuador.

Tello also represented the unofficial Catalonia team, making his debut on 2 January 2013 in a 1–1 draw with Nigeria.

Career statistics

As of match played 9 March 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup League cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Espanyol B 2009–10 Segunda División B 4 1 1 0 5 1
Barcelona B 2010–11 Segunda División 23 4 23 4
2011–12 16 5 16 5
Total 39 9 39 9
Barcelona 2010–11 La Liga 0 0 0 0 0 0
2011–12 15 3 4 2 3 2 22 7
2012–13 22 7 6 0 4 1 2 0 34 8
2013–14 22 1 6 3 2 1 0 0 30 5
Total 59 11 16 5 9 4 2 0 86 20
Porto (loan) 2014–15 Primeira Liga 25 7 1 0 3 0 8 1 37 8
2015–16 11 0 3 1 1 0 5 1 20 2
Total 36 7 4 1 4 0 13 2 57 10
Fiorentina (loan) 2015–16 Serie A 15 2 0 0 0 0 15 2
2016–17 36 4 0 0 5 0 41 4
Total 51 6 0 0 5 0 56 6
Betis 2017–18 La Liga 32 4 1 2 33 6
2018–19 29 4 6 0 6 1 41 5
2019–20 27 2 3 1 30 3
2020–21 29 5 4 0 33 5
2021–22 23 2 6 1 6 2 35 5
Total 140 17 20 4 12 3 172 24
Los Angeles FC 2022 Major League Soccer 5 0 1 0 6 0
Al Fateh 2022–23 Saudi Pro League 15 4 1 0 16 4
2023–24 18 7 2 1 20 8
Total 33 11 3 1 36 12
Career total 365 61 43 10 4 0 39 8 4 0 456 78
  1. ^ Includes Copa del Rey, Taça de Portugal, King Cup
  2. ^ Includes Taça da Liga
  3. ^ Appearance in Segunda División B relegation play-offs
  4. ^ a b c d e Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  5. ^ Appearances in Supercopa de España
  6. ^ a b c Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  7. ^ Appearance in MLS Cup Playoffs

Honours

Barcelona

Betis

Los Angeles FC

Spain U21

Individual


This page was last updated at 2024-03-13 16:43 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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