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

180px
Personal information
Full name	Federico Javier Santander Mereles
Date of birth	(1991-06-04) 4 June 1991
Place of birth	San Lorenzo, Paraguay
Height
Position(s)	Striker
Team 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	30	(14)
International career‡
2009	Paraguay U20	12	(6)
2010–	Paraguay	6	(1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 29 May 2016 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 28 September 2014

Federico Javier Santander Mereles, (born 4 June 1991 in San Lorenzo) is a Paraguayan footballer who plays for F.C. Copenhagen.

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

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 AC Milan of Italy. 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 rout against Tacuary. On 31 August 2010, He sign to the French Toulouse FC.

On February 2012, he was signed to Racing Club for 3 years contract with purchase option for 20% of his sports rights.

In July 2012, Santander joined Primera División Argentina side Tigre on a one-year loan deal despite that Guaraní had intentions to bring him back to Paraguay. 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.

He signed a contract with the Danish Alka Superligaen team F. C. Copenhagen He signed a 5 year contract and will join the club after Copa Libertadores is finished. Santander made his league debut the 02/08/2015 against SønderjyskE making two assist, assisting Thomas Delaney and William Kvist first league goal since his return to Copenhagen

Santander scored his debut goal in a 2-3 defeat against FK Jablonec. In his fist season in Copenhagen he became the third highest goalscorer with 14 goals and 4 assists.

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 October 9, 2010 in a 1-0 loss against Australia in Sydney.

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

• Danish Superliga: 2015–16
• Danish Cup: 2015–16

External links

• Federico Santander at Soccerway
• Federico Santander at National-Football-Teams.com
• Profile at BDFA