Introduction
Luis Fernando Muriel Fruto (Spanish pronunciation: [lwiz muˈɾjel]; born 16 April 1991) is a Colombian striker. He currently plays for Serie A club Sampdoria.
During his first season with Udinese, Muriel won the Serie A Best Young Revelation along with Stephan El Shaarawy.
Muriel is currently a Colombian international having represented his nation at a full international level since 2012. Considered to be a member of the current golden generation of Colombia, Muriel is regarded as the future of the national team. He made his senior debut in June 2012, in a World Cup qualifying match against Ecuador. The following year, Muriel scored his first goal, against Guatemala.
His technique with the ball has led to many comparisons to that of Brazilian legend Ronaldo. Most noticeably hailed in Italy.
Club career
Deportivo Cali
2009–10
In January 2009, he was signed by Deportivo Cali and immediately joined their youth side. After spending a year with the youth side of Deportivo, he was promoted to the Categoría Primera A team. On 12 July 2009, he made his debut for his new side against Envigado FC.
Udinese
On 30 June 2010, Udinese Calcio signed the 19-year-old Colombian striker from Deportivo Cali after he had scored 9 goals in 10 games in the Colombian league.
Granada & Lecce (loan)
He was loaned to Granada CF of Spain's Second Division to get European experience on 12 July 2010. In order to borrow non-European Union registration quota from Lecce, Muriel was "signed" outright by Lecce from Granada in 2011 as a de facto loan deal, then sold back to Udinese outright.
Return to Udinese
On 1 July 2012, Muriel returned to Udinese. On 12 September 2012 Muriel signed a new 5-year contract with Udinese, which will keep him at the club until 2017. He made his debut in a 2–1 defeat against Fiorentina, providing the assist for the opening goal. Muriel was awarded Serie A Best Young Revelation for 2012, which he shared with Stephan El Shaarawy.
In the qualifying playoff rounds of the 2013–14 UEFA Europa League, Muriel scored 2 goals in a 3–1 victory over Široki Brijeg. It's also noted that he was wearing the number 9 jersey by this point for the club.
In his first league match of the season, Muriel scored against Coppa Italia champions, Lazio in a 2–1 loss. On 1 September, he converted a goal from the penalty spot in a 3–1 win over Parma. Muriel saved Udinese from a 1–0 loss against Bologna by providing a wonderful assist.
Days later, Muriel signed a 5-year extension on his contract, keeping him with the club until 2018.
Sampdoria
Luis Muriel and Andrea Coda joined Sampdoria on 22 January 2015 from Udinese in temporary deals, with an obligation to buy at the end of season for €12 million in total. Muriel signed a contract which lasts until 30 June 2019.
International career
Muriel played for the Colombian U-20 national team.
Muriel made his debut for the senior squad in the 2014 World Cup Qualification match against Ecuador in a 0–1 loss on 10 June 2012. He scored his first goal against Guatemala on 6 February 2013.
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Final | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 6 February 2013 | Sun Life Stadium, Miami Gardens, United States |  Guatemala |
|
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Friendly |
Style of play
He has been praised often during his time in Italy, which led him to win the award for best young player in the Serie A league in 2012. Many figures in Italy such as fellow Udinese teammate Antonio Di Natale, praised Muriel for his technique on the ball and potential.
Muriel stated that his comparison to Brazilian legend Ronaldo by his playing style, is likely because he was a main supporter of Ronaldo during his time in Inter Milan. Muriel went on to say that he supported Inter Milan because Ronaldo was playing for them at the time. Coincidentally, Muriel also stated that he also suffers weight issues (like Ronaldo during his time) and had to lose five kilos at one point. This meant that he had to be consistent with fitness, which explained his similar style to the Brazilian legend and high quality in terms of athletic stature.
Honours
Individual
- Gran Galà del Calcio AIC Serie A Best Young Revelation: 2012