Federico Santander

This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Santander and the second or maternal family name is Mereles.
Federico Santander
Personal information
Full name Federico Javier Santander Mereles
Date of birth (1991-06-04) 4 June 1991
Place of birth San Lorenzo, Paraguay
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing position Striker
Club information
Current team
 F.C. Copenhagen
Number 19
Youth career
2005–2008 Guaraní
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008–2012 Guaraní 57 (18)
2010–2011 → Toulouse (loan) 23 (5)
2012 Racing Club 15 (0)
2012–2013 → Tigre (loan) 18 (1)
2014–2015 Guaraní 40 (16)
2015– Copenhagen 46 (19)
National team‡
2009 Paraguay U20 12 (6)
2010– Paraguay 6 (1)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 3 December 2016.

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 28 September 2014

Federico Javier Santander Mereles (born 4 June 1991) is a Paraguayan footballer who plays for F.C. Copenhagen and the Paraguay national football team.

Santander ranked number 3 in a list of the most expensive players in Paraguayan football for 2015 published by Diario Extra.[1]

Career

Santander started in the youth divisions of Guaraní where he excelled and was part of the under-20 squad that won the international friendly championship held in Valencia, Spain. After winning the U20 tournament with Guaraní he attracted the interest of several clubs and had a trial with A.C. Milan.[2] In 2008, at the age of 16, he made his debut with the senior squad of Guaraní by scoring a goal in the 5–2 win against Tacuary.[3] On 31 August 2010, He sign to the French Toulouse FC.

On February 2012, he moved to Racing Club on a three-year contract with a purchase option for 20% of his sports rights.[4][5]

In July 2012, Santander joined Argentine Primera División side Tigre on a one-year loan deal despite that Guaraní had intentions to bring him back to Paraguay.[6][7] He was handed the number #24 shirt for the 2012–13 season and debuted in a 2–1 home defeat against Estudiantes de La Plata on 6 August 2012.[8]

Copenhagen

2015–16 season

On 14 June 2015, Santander signed a five-year contract with the Danish Superliga team F.C. Copenhagen.[9][10] He joined the club after completing Copa Libertadores with Guaraní. He made his league debut on 2 August 2015 against SønderjyskE making two assist, assisting Thomas Delaney and William Kvist. Three days later, he scored his first goal in a 2–3 defeat against FK Jablonec as Copenhagen failed to qualify for the UEFA Europa League group stage.[11] On 16 May 2016, he netted twice to give his club a 2–0 win against Nordsjaelland which crowned Copenhagen league champions.[12] In his first season in Copenhagen he became the third highest goalscorer with 14 goals and 4 assists.

2016–17 season

On 24 August 2016, Santander's goal in Copenhagen's qualification match versus Cypriot club APOEL secured his club's position in the 2016–17 Champions League.[13][14][15]

International career

On 28 September 2009, at the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Egypt, Santander scored the first goal for the Paraguay U-20 squad against home team Egypt, giving the Paraguayans a 1–0 lead.

Wearing the number 9 as a replacement for Roque Santa Cruz, he debuted for Paraguay on 9 October 2010 in a 1–0 loss against Australia in Sydney.[16]

International goals

Goal Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition Ref.
1. 4 June 2011 Estadio Ramón Tahuichi Aguilera, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia  Bolivia 0–2 0–2 Friendly

Honours

Club

Copenhagen

References

  1. ↑ "Los jugadores más caros del fútbol paraguayo". Diario Extra (in Spanish). 19 July 2015. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  2. ↑ Guaraní se jacta de ser la mejor conexión para el fútbol europeo - Diario La Nación
  3. ↑ Guaraní fulminó con goles a Tacuary y eleva su cotización - Diario La Nación
  4. ↑ "Basile tendrá en el banco los goles de Santander". Diario Popular (in Spanish). 10 February 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  5. ↑ "Federico Santander va al Racing de Avellaneda" [Federico Santander goes to Racing de Avellaneda]. Paraguay.com (in Spanish). 3 February 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  6. ↑ "Tigre apuesta por los goles del paraguayo Santander" [Tigre bets on goals from Paraguayan Santander]. La Nación (in Spanish). 19 July 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  7. ↑ "Tigre: firmó el paraguayo Santander" [Tigre: signed Paraguayan Santander]. ESPN Deportes (in Spanish). 20 July 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  8. ↑ http://www.soccerway.com/matches/2012/08/07/argentina/primera-division/club-atletico-tigre/estudiantes-de-la-plata/1338704/
  9. ↑ "F.C. København køber Federico Santander". F.C. København (in Danish). 14 June 2015. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  10. ↑ "Federico Santander va al Copenhague de Dinamarca". La Nación (in Spanish). 11 June 2015. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  11. ↑ "FCK fliegt gegen Jablonec raus". Nordschleswiger (in German). 6 August 2015. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  12. ↑ O'Connor, Phillip (16 May 2016). "Santander fires FC Copenhagen to Danish title". Reuters. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
  13. ↑ Vou, Andreas. "Late Copenhagen strike breaks APOEL hearts". Cyprus Mail. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  14. ↑ "Santander es Champions". Diario ABC Color (in Spanish). 24 August 2016. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  15. ↑ "Champions: Federico Santander da clasificación al Copenhague". D10.com.py (in Spanish). 24 August 2016. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  16. ↑ http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/scoreboard/0000470389/scoreboard.html
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