Lorenzo Melgarejo

Lorenzo Melgarejo

Melgarejo with Spartak in 2016
Personal information
Full name	Lorenzo Antonio Melgarejo Sanabria
Date of birth	10 August 1990
Place of birth	Loma Grande, Paraguay
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[1]
Playing position	Forward / Winger
Club information
Current team	Spartak Moscow
Number	25
Youth career
	El Porvenir Alteño
	Libertad
	Independiente CG
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
2009	12 de Octubre	22	(7)
2010	Olimpia	12	(1)
2011	Independiente CG	17	(8)
2011–2013	Benfica	21	(2)
2011–2012	→ Paços Ferreira (loan)	29	(10)
2013	Benfica B	1	(0)
2013–2016	Kuban Krasnodar	47	(15)
2016–	Spartak Moscow	7	(0)
National team^‡
2009–2010	Paraguay U20	3	(0)
2012–	Paraguay	2	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 23 April 2016. † Appearances (goals) ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 15 August 2013

Lorenzo Antonio Melgarejo Sanabria (born 8 August 1990) is a Paraguayan professional footballer who plays for Russian club FC Spartak Moscow.

Club career

Early years / Benfica

Melgarejo with Benfica in 2012

Melgarejo was born in Loma Grande District.^[2] He started his professional career with Club 12 de Octubre at the age of 19, and later moved to the capital, Asunción, where he represented Club Olimpia and Independiente FBC.

In early June 2011 Melgarejo moved to Portugal after being signed by Primeira Liga club S.L. Benfica,^[3] who immediately loaned him to fellow league side F.C. Paços de Ferreira for one season.^[4]

Melgarejo scored on his debut with Paços, a 2–1 home win against União de Leiria.^[5] He also found the net against F.C. Porto in a 1–1 draw on 25 March 2012, also at home,^[6] and finished the campaign as the team's top scorer.

For 2012–13 Benfica manager Jorge Jesus decided to recall Melgarejo and reconvert him into a left back, also immediately placing him as a starter.^[7][8] On 17 September, in spite of initial criticism,^[9] his contract was extended until June 2018 with a release clause of €30 million.^[10]

Melgarejo spent most of the campaign in the starting eleven, including in the UEFA Europa League final,^[11][12] but was an unused substitute in the season's Portuguese Cup final,^[13] with Benfica losing both matches.

Kuban

Melgarejo with Kuban in 2015

In July 2013 it was widely reported that Liverpool had agreed a deal to sign Melgarejo on loan, with a view to making the move permanent at the end of the season,^[14][15] but no transfer took place. Instead, on 2 September, he signed with Russian Premier League club FC Kuban Krasnodar for a €5 million fee.^[16][17][18]

Spartak Moscow

On 8 February 2016, Melgarejo joined FC Spartak Moscow on a long-term contract.^[19]

International career

On 14 November 2012 Melgarejo made his debut for the Paraguayan national team, playing the second half of a 3–1 friendly win over Guatemala.^[20]

Honours

Benfica

• UEFA Europa League: Runner-up 2012–13
• Taça de Portugal: Runner-up 2012–13

Kuban

• Russian Cup: Runner-up 2014–15

References

1. "Melgarejo" (in Portuguese). S.L. Benfica. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
2. "Lorenzo Antonio Melgarejo Sanabria" (in Spanish). Selección Paraguaya. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
3. "Melgarejo e Perez são águias de Jesus" [Melgarejo and Perez are Jesus' eagles]. A Bola (in Portuguese). 9 June 2011. Retrieved 12 September 2011.
4. "Lorenzo Melgarejo em Paços de Ferreira" [Lorenzo Melgarejo in Paços de Ferreira]]. A Bola (in Portuguese). 7 July 2011. Retrieved 12 September 2011.
5. "Melgarejo só precisou de 4 minutos para marcar" [Melgarejo only needed 4 minutes to score]. A Bola (in Portuguese). 23 August 2011. Retrieved 12 September 2011.
6. "Pacos deny Porto late on". FIFA.com. 25 March 2012. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
7. "Melgarejo mostrou o que já se sabia" [Melgarejo showed what was already known] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. 26 August 2012. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
8. "Benfica: Álvaro e Inácio aprovam Melgarejo a lateral" [Benfica: Álvaro and Inácio give thumbs-up to Melgarejo as left-back] (in Portuguese). Relvado. 13 July 2012. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
9. "Lateral-esquerdo em equação" [Left-back a possibility]. A Bola (in Portuguese). 20 August 2012. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
10. "Melgarejo renova até 2018" [Melgarejo renews until 2018]. Record (in Portuguese). 17 September 2012. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
11. "Ivanović heads Chelsea to Europa League glory". UEFA. 15 May 2013. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
12. "How Chelsea won the big final". Football 365. 16 May 2013. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
13. "Guimarães claim famous cup win". PortuGOAL. 26 May 2013. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
14. Guimarães, Gonçalo (30 July 2013). "Acordo com o Liverpool por Melgarejo" [Agreement with Liverpool for Melgarejo]. A Bola (in Portuguese). Retrieved 31 July 2013.
15. "Echo: Deal agreed for left-back". Liverpool F.C. 31 July 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
16. МЕЛЬГАРЕХО СТАЛ ИГРОКОМ "КУБАНИ" [Melgarejo signs for Kuban] (in Russian). Kuban Krasnodar. 2 September 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
17. "Melgarejo transferido para os russos do Kuban Krasnodar" [Melgarejo transferred to Russia's Kuban Krasnodar] (in Portuguese). S.L. Benfica. 2 September 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
18. "Melgarejo vendido por 5 milhões de euros" [Melgarejo sold for 5 million euros]. Record (in Portuguese). 2 September 2013. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
19. ЛОРЕНСО МЕЛЬГАРЕХО ПОДПИСАЛ КОНТРАКТ СО «СПАРТАКОМ» [Lorenzo Melgarejo signed a contract with Spartak] (in Russian). Spartak Moscow. 8 February 2016. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
20. "Melgarejo estreou-se pelo Paraguai" [Melgarejo made Paraguay debut]. A Bola (in Portuguese). 15 November 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2012.

External links

• Lorenzo Melgarejo profile at ForaDeJogo
• Lorenzo Melgarejo profile at Soccerway
• Lorenzo Melgarejo at National-Football-Teams.com
• Lorenzo Melgarejo – FIFA competition record