Franco Di Santo

Футболист

▸ Источник: Wikidata

ИИ

Franco Di Santo is an Argentinian association football player known for his role as a forward.

He played for Chelsea F.C. from 2008 to 2010, where he won the FA Cup in 2009.

Di Santo was part of Wigan Athletic from 2010 to 2013, winning the FA Cup in 2013.

На основе: Wikidata

Биография

Early Life

Franco Matías Di Santo was born in Mendoza, Argentina, where he began his journey in football. His early career took off at Audax Italiano, a Chilean club, where he showcased his talent by scoring 26 goals in 76 matches during the 2006–07 season. His impressive performances earned him the nickname "the new Maradona," and in January 2008, he signed with Chelsea F.C. for a fee of £3.4 million.

Career Highlights

At Chelsea, Di Santo made a mark in the reserve team, scoring 12 goals in just eight games during the 2007–08 season. He made his first-team debut in the 2008–09 season and was part of the squad that won the FA Cup that year. After Chelsea, he played for several clubs, including Wigan Athletic, where he won another FA Cup in 2013. His career also included stints in the Bundesliga with SV Werder Bremen and Schalke 04, as well as time in Spain and Brazil.

International Career

Di Santo represented Argentina at various youth levels, earning 25 caps and scoring five goals for the under-20 team. He made his senior debut in 2012 and was even included in the provisional squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, although he did not make the final cut. His international experience reflects his significant contributions to Argentine football throughout his career.

Legacy

Franco Di Santo's career is marked by his versatility as a forward and his ability to perform in various leagues around the world. His journey from a promising young talent in Argentina to a professional player in Europe and beyond showcases his dedication to the sport and his impact on the teams he has played for.

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Галерея

Карьера и клубы

Club career

Audax Italiano

Born in Mendoza, Mendoza Province, Di Santo began his club career in the Chilean team Audax Italiano. In the 2006–07 season, he scored 26 goals in 76 matches, including one goal in six matches in the Copa Libertadores. Then, in 2007 he scored 12 in 17 matches for the club, including one goal in four matches in the Copa Sudamericana. Dubbed the "new Maradona" due to his precocious and prolific performances, on 25 January 2008, Di Santo signed for English Premier League side Chelsea on a four-and-a-half-year contract for a fee of £3.4 million.

Chelsea

2007–08 season

Di Santo scored on his debut for Chelsea reserves on 11 February 2008, getting a late goal in a 2–2 draw with Fulham reserves and scored his second goal in as many appearances, against Reading reserves on 3 March. On 14 April, he scored his first hat-trick for Chelsea's reserve team against Tottenham Reserves; the most spectacular of the three goals being a volley from a Branislav Ivanović cross that found the top right corner. In the last reserve match of the season, Di Santo scored his seventh goal in eight reserve games against Aston Villa. He finished the 2007–08 reserve season with 12 reserve goals in eight games.

2008–09 season

Di Santo trained with the first team in 2008–09 pre-season and flew out with the squad on their tour of China. Ahead of their first game on tour, he was handed the number 36 jersey and came off the bench in that game against…

▸ Источник: Wikipedia

International career

Di Santo made his debut for the Argentina under-20 team in 2006 and scored his first goal in a game against the French under-20s. He was part of the under-20 squad that participated in the 2007 South American Youth Championship in Paraguay, which Brazil won by a two-point advantage over Argentina. He was also called up to the 2009 South American Youth Championship in Venezuela, but was not allowed to take part due to Chelsea's injury crisis. From 2006 to 2009 Di Santo earned 25 Under-20 caps and five goals. On 31 October 2012, Di Santo was handed a call-up to the Argentina national team squad by manager Alejandro Sabella for their upcoming friendly against Saudi Arabia on 14 November 2012. In May 2014, Di Santo was re-called to the Argentina national team, in the 30-man provisional squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. BBC Sport called him a "surprise inclusion". However, later that month, he was one of four players cut from a second provisional 26-man squad.

▸ Источник: Wikipedia

Career statistics