Santiago Fernández (footballer, born 1988)

Santiago Fernández
Personal information
Full name Santiago Nicolás Fernández[1]
Date of birth (1988-03-03) 3 March 1988 (age 36)
Place of birth Olivos, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)[1]
Position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
12 de Octubre
Novena de Excursio
2003 Excursionistas
2003–2008 Ferro Carril Oeste
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008–2011 Ferro Carril Oeste 66 (5)
2012 Olaria 4 (0)
2012 Tiro Federal 2 (0)
2013–2014 Agropecuario 0 (0)
2013–2014 → Chacarita Juniors (loan) 16 (0)
2015 Juventud Unida 13 (0)
2016–2017 Unión Aconquija 14 (0)
2018 Racing de Colon 0 (0)
Total 115 (5)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Santiago Nicolás Fernández (born 3 March 1988) is an Argentine former footballer who played as a midfielder.[2][3]

Career

Early career

Born in Olivos, in the Buenos Aires Province, Fernández began his career with local sides 12 de Octubre and Novena de Excursio.[4]

Camino a la Gloria

Fernández decided to try out for Camino a la Gloria (Road to Glory), a show broadcast in 2002 on Canal 13 looking for the next young Argentine footballing star, with the prize being a trial with Spanish side Real Madrid.[5] He was one of over 12,000 young footballers between the ages of fourteen and seventeen to try out, and was notably almost removed from the competition by his mother, as she was upset that, if he won, he would move away from home.[5] After player advisor, and former Brazilian international footballer, Delém was able to convince her to let him compete, he eventually finished second to Aimar Centeno.[5]

Professional career

Fernández states that he was told trials with Boca Juniors and River Plate would follow the show, but these did not materialise, and he instead went on to join Excursionistas.[6] He later received a call from agent, and then-manager of Ferro Carril Oeste, Gustavo Mascardi, who invited him to trial with the Caballito-based club.[5] He joined the club and progressed through the academy, going on to make his debut in March 2008 and spending three-and-a-half years, accumulating sixty-six appearances and scoring five goals.[7]

After spending a half a year in Brazil with Olaria, he moved back to Argentina, joining Torneo Argentino B side Tiro Federal. He returned to professional football in 2013, joining Chacarita Juniors on a season-long loan deal from Agropecuario, but would have to undergo surgery for a hernia in September of the same year.[8][9] Ahead of the 2015 season, Fernández signed with Juventud Unida, and this would prove to be his last professional club;[10] spells with Unión Aconquija and Racing de Colon followed before he retired in 2018 following an injury.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b Santiago Fernández at WorldFootball.net
  2. ^ Santiago Fernández at BDFA (in Spanish)
  3. ^ Santiago Fernández at Soccerway
  4. ^ "Su camino a la gloria" [His road to glory]. ole.com.ar (in Spanish). 30 March 2017. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d e Puddington, Santiago (11 January 2020). ""Camino a la Gloria", qué pasó con los jugadores del reality que soñaban con llegar al Real Madrid" ["Road to Glory", what happened to the reality players who dreamed of reaching Real Madrid]. clarin.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  6. ^ Varela del Río, Sebastián (8 September 2018). "Camino a la gloria" [Road to glory]. pagina12.com.ar (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 August 2023.
  7. ^ "Entrevista a Santiago Fernández" [Interview with Santiago Fernández]. ferrocarriloeste.com.ar (in Spanish). 17 June 2009. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  8. ^ "Firmaron los seis" [All six signed]. mundoascenso.com.ar (in Spanish). 4 July 2013. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
  9. ^ "Santi Fernández será intervenido el día de hoy" [Santi Fernández will be operated on today.]. aquichacarita.com (in Spanish). 5 September 2013. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
  10. ^ Itkin, Bernardo Isaías (26 December 2014). "Santiago Fernández es refuerzo" [Santiago Fernández is reinforcement]. mundoascenso.com.ar (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 August 2023.