Fernando Álvarez (footballer, born 1925)
Fernando Alvarez | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Born | Fernando Giménez Alvarez October 15, 1925 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Died | February 16, 2013 United States | (aged 87)|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Fernando "Nando" Giménez Alvarez (October 15, 1925 – February 16, 2013) was a Filipino
Early life
Fernando Giménez Alvarez was born on October 15, 1925[1] to Fernando García Alvarez Sr. and Adelina Acosta Giménez who were both Spanish immigrants in the Philippines. He had seven siblings although he and a brother were the only ones to live up to adulthood.[2]
Alvarez attended De La Salle College where he spent most of his studies and transferred to San Beda College shortly prior to the outbreak of World War II. After the war, he finished his studies at the University of the East.[2]
Military service
During World War II he joined the Hukbalahap, a resistance group which fought against the Imperial Japanese occupiers. He also later served in the United States Army which later lead to him being given United States citizenship.[2] He was part of the United States Merchant Marine until 1947 when he was honorably discharged from the organization.[3]
Football career
As a player
As a student, Alvarez played for
At the club level, he was a mainstay of the Turbo Salvajes of the Manila Football League in the late 1940s which won four of the first five league titles since the league's resumption in 1947.[4]
As coach
Alvarez was the head coach of the Philippines which finished last in the 1962 Asian Games.[1]
As a referee
Alvarez was given
Alvarez is credited for increasing the profile of American soccer referees. In the 1990s, the inclusion of
From 1990 to 2009, Alvarez worked as a referee for Cal North, a youth soccer organization in Northern California. Under Cal North, he served as the mentor of various American referees including Kari Seitz who has officiated matches in the FIFA Women's World Cup and the Olympics.[7]
He was also involved in the referee program of the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) helping the association set up a referee exchange program with other national-level federations.[7] For twelve years under the United States association, he served as a member of the FIFA Referees Committee[5]
As a sports executive
Alvarez also held executive positions not specific to refereeing. From 1978 to 1988, he was a Vice President of the
Honors
He received recognition for his contributions to association football. He was conferred with the
In 1973, FIFA conferred him a Special Referee Award in 1973, and was the only Asian referee to be given the distinction. The Asian Football Confederation has also given him the AFC Distinguished Service Award and the Philippine Football Federation awarded him a special award under the "International Achievements" category in 2004.[5]
Personal life
Alvarez was married to María Lourdes Rotaeche. They got married on June 30, 1951 and had four children. In 1990, after most of their children have moved to San Francisco, the couple migrated to the United States to join their children in California.[2] Alvarez died on February 16, 2013[1] shortly after the death of his wife in late 2012.[2]
References
- ^ ISBN 978-621-8002-29-6.
- ^ a b c d e "Fernando Alvarez Obituary". Duggan's Serra Mortuary. Archived from the original on June 8, 2019. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
- ^ "Fernando Alvarez". World Referee. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
- ISBN 978-621-8002-29-6.
- ^ a b c d "Prieto, Alvarez honored in 'Football Night'". The Philippine Star. March 16, 2004. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
- ^ a b c "U.S. Soccer Presents Highest FIFA Award to U.S. Referee Assessor Fernando Alvarez". US Soccer. January 1, 2005. Archived from the original on November 12, 2005.
- ^ a b Lusca, Emanuel. "2016 Hall of Fame Inductees: Albertin Montoya and Fernando Alvarez". Cal North. California Youth Soccer Association. Archived from the original on June 8, 2019. Retrieved June 8, 2019.