Junior Fernándes

This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Fernandes da Silva and the second or maternal family name is Vitoria.
Junior Fernándes
Personal information
Full nameAntenor Junior Fernándes da Silva Vitoria
Date of birth4 October 1988
Place of birthTocopilla, Chile
Height1.82 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in)
Playing positionForward
Club information
Current team
Dinamo Zagreb
Number11
Youth career
2005–2006Cobreloa
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2007–2009Cobreloa51(2)
2007→ Mejillones (loan)20(12)
2010Magallanes25(10)
2011Palestino35(9)
2012Universidad de Chile17(8)
2012–2014Bayer Leverkusen6(0)
2013–2014→ Dinamo Zagreb (loan)28(13)
2014–Dinamo Zagreb11(4)
National team‡
2011–Chile9(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 14 March 2015.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 23 March 2013

Antenor Junior Fernándes da Silva Vitoria (born 4 October 1988) is a Chilean footballer of Brazilian descent who currently plays for Dinamo Zagreb.

Club career


Cobreloa

Son of Brazilian parents, Fernandes moved from his native Tocopilla to Calama at the age of six, where he attended school along with his brother Christian. There, they participated in sports and music. While he lived in Calama, he joined the lower divisions of Cobreloa, participating in each of their youth categories and was integrated to Cobreloa's B team that participated in the Chilean Third Division during the 2006 season. In this period of time, he shared team and home with current Arsenal Football Club forward Alexis Sánchez, with whom he has been intimate relationship since then.

Later, in 2007, he was sent on loan to Municipal Mejillones (another third division team) after Cobreloa gave up their reserve team.

After the request of coach Lewis Sheldon, Fernandes joined Cobreloa's first team to face the Clausura tournament . His professional debut came in the fourth round of the championship, when he replaced striker Felipe Flores in a match that would end with a 2–1 victory over La Serena. His first time as a starter was in a game against Melipilla, which ended in a 5–1 victory, with Fernándes scoring a hat trick.

Palestino

In 2010, he played for Magallanes of the Chilean Tercera División A where he became the figure of the team that won the championship and was promoted to the Primera B. His outstanding performance on Magallanes caught the attention of Palestino, joining them in 2011, and thanks to his good results, he later was nominated for the Under 25 Chile national football team.

Universidad de Chile

On 2 December 2011, Palestino agreed on the sale of 50% of his pass with a US$ 700,000 transfer to Universidad de Chile aiming to win the 2012 Apertura tournament, and thinking that the team will play Copa Libertadores next year.[1] On 5 December, he was presented in the offices of "the Blues" Sports Complex with the No. 9 jersey.[2] Fernándes made his debut for the club, scoring and providing an assist in a 3–1 win over Deportes La Serena on 4 February 2012. In the league, he would score five goals. In the play-offs Apertura, Fernandes scored a hat-trick in a 4–0 win over Colo-Colo on 24 June 2012. Elsewhere in the Copa Sudamericana, Fernandes scored a hat-trick and set up a goal in a 5–1 win over Godoy Cruz and soon scored a brace and providing an assist in a 6–0 win over Deportivo Quito. Soon after scoring goals, he would received criticism over his performance.

Bayer Leverkusen

On 6 July 2012, he signed for Bundesliga squad Bayer 04 Leverkusen from Universidad de Chile for a transfer fee of €7,000,000 and a five-year contract.[3] Fernandes made his debut for the club, scoring on his debut in first round of DFB-Pokal in a 4–0 win over Carl Zeiss Jena; seven days later, he made his debut, coming on as a substitute, in a 2–1 loss against Frankfurt. However, in his first season, Junior Fernándes playing time was reduced, as well his first team and haven't scored his first goal for the club.

Dinamo Zagreb

On 26 May 2013, it was announced that Fernándes signed a one-year-loan contract with the Croatian club Dinamo Zagreb.[4][5] On 23 April 2014, following the end of his loan spell, Fernandes signed a six-year contract with Dinamo Zagreb.[6]

International career

Fernándes was summoned to the Chile national football team to face friendly matches during the second half of 2011 by team manager Nelson Acosta. He debuted in the national team on 11 September 2012, on a qualifying match for the 2014 FIFA World Cup against Tonga.

References

  1. ↑ "Junior Fernandes cada vez más cerca de la U: Este viernes visitó el búnker azul" [Fernandes Junior closer to the U: This Friday visited the bunker blue] (in Spanish). Emol. 2 December 2011. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
  2. ↑ "Junior llega a la U y dice que cumple sueño antes que Alexis" [Junior comes to the U and says that fulfills dream before Alexis] (in Spanish). Terra Chile. 5 December 2011. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
  3. ↑ "Bayer Leverkusen confirma llegada de Junior Fernandes" [Bayer Leverkusen confirms arrival of Junior Fernandes] (in Spanish). Emol. 6 July 2012. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
  4. ↑ "Bayer Leverkusen sends Chile forward Junior Fernandes to Dinamo Zagreb". Times Colonist. 27 May 2013.
  5. ↑ "Junior Fernandes is loaned to Dinamo Zagreb" [Junior Fernandes es cedido a préstamo al Dinamo Zagreb] (in Spanish). La Tercera. 27 May 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  6. ↑ "Junior Fernandes ostaje u Dinamu!". gnkdinamo.hr. 23 April 2014..html

External links