Lorenzo Melgarejo

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Melgarejo and the second or maternal family name is Sanabria.

Lorenzo Antonio Melgarejo Sanabria (born 10 August 1990) is a Paraguayan footballer who plays as a forward or left winger for Paraguayan club Libertad.

Lorenzo Melgarejo

Melgarejo with Spartak in 2018
Personal information
Full name	Lorenzo Antonio Melgarejo Sanabria
Date of birth	(1990-08-10) 10 August 1990 (age 34)
Place of birth	Loma Grande, Paraguay
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[1]
Position(s)	Forward, winger
Team information
Current team	Libertad
Number	35
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)
2016–2020	Spartak Moscow	88	(11)
2020–2021	Racing	16	(5)
2021–	Libertad	41	(22)
International career‡
2009–2010	Paraguay U20	3	(0)
2012–	Paraguay	5	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 28 August 2022 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 31 August 2022

After playing in his country with 12 de Octubre, Olimpia and Independiente, he went on to spend most of his professional career in Portugal and Russia, starting out at Benfica.

Melgarejo won four caps for Paraguay.

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 U.D. Leiria.^[5] He also found the net against FC Porto in a 1–1 draw on 25 March 2012, also at home,^[6] and finished the campaign as the team's top scorer.^[7]

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.^[8][9] On 17 September, in spite of initial criticism,^[10] his contract was extended until June 2018 with a release clause of €30 million.^[11]

Melgarejo spent most of the campaign in the starting eleven, including in the UEFA Europa League final,^[12][13] but was an unused substitute in the season's Portuguese Cup final,^[14] 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,^[15][16] but no transfer took place. Instead, on 2 September, he signed with Russian Premier League club FC Kuban Krasnodar for a €5 million fee.^[17][18][19]

Spartak Moscow

On 8 February 2016, Melgarejo joined FC Spartak Moscow on a long-term contract.^[20]

Racing

On 25 August 2020, he signed a contract until the end of 2022 with Argentinian club Racing.^[21]

International career

On 14 November 2012, Melgarejo made his debut for Paraguay, playing the second half of a 3–1 friendly win over Guatemala.^[22] In August 2017, he spoke in an interview of his frustration of not receiving a call up for the national team after six years in Europe.^[23]

On 2 March 2019, more than five years after his last selection, Melgarejo was called by manager Eduardo Berizzo ahead of that month's friendlies with Peru and Mexico.^[24]

Career statistics

As of 13 May 2018^[25]

Club	Season	League			Cup		Continental		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
12 de Octubre	2009	Paraguayan Primera División	21	7	0	0	–		–		21	7
Olimpia	2010		12	1	0	0	–		–		12	1
Independiente	2011		17	8	0	0	–		–		17	8
Paços de Ferreira	2011–12	Primeira Liga	29	10	1	1	–		0	0	30	11
Benfica	2012–13		21	2	3	0	14	0	2[a]	0	40	2
Benfica B	2013–14	LigaPro	1	0	–		–		–		1	0
Kuban Krasnodar	2013–14	Russian Premier League	17	6	1	1	6	3	–		24	10
	2014–15		14	1	1	0	–		–		15	1
	2015–16		16	8	1	1	–		–		17	9
	Total		47	15	3	2	6	3	0	0	56	20
Spartak Moscow	2015–16	Russian Premier League	11	2	–		–		–		11	2
	2016–17		21	2	0	0	1	0	–		22	2
	2017–18		21	3	2	2	8	2	1[b]	0	32	7
	Total		53	7	2	2	9	2	1	0	65	11
Career total			201	50	9	5	29	5	3	0	242	60

Notes

1. Two appearances in Taça da Liga
2. One appearance in the Russian Super Cup

Honours

Benfica

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

Kuban

• Russian Cup: Runner-up 2014–15

Spartak Moscow

• Russian Premier League: 2016–17
• Russian Super Cup: 2017

References

1. "Melgarejo" (in Portuguese). S.L. Benfica. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
2. "Lorenzo Antonio Melgarejo Sanabria" (in Spanish). Selección Paraguaya. Archived from the original on 15 June 2013. 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. 25 March 2012. Archived from the original on 15 September 2012. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
7. Assunção, Manuel (11 March 2012). "Melgarejo tem sido uma "águia" proveitosa para o Paços de Ferreira" [Melgarejo has been a profitable "eagle" for Paços de Ferreira]. Público (in Portuguese). Retrieved 6 August 2019.
8. Sobral, Luís (26 August 2012). "Melgarejo mostrou o que já se sabia" [Melgarejo showed what was already known] (in Portuguese). Mais Futebol. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
9. "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. Archived from the original on 16 April 2013. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
10. "Lateral-esquerdo em equação" [Left-back a possibility]. A Bola (in Portuguese). 20 August 2012. Archived from the original on 23 October 2012. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
11. "Melgarejo renova até 2018" [Melgarejo renews until 2018]. Record (in Portuguese). 17 September 2012. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
12. "Ivanović heads Chelsea to Europa League glory". UEFA. 15 May 2013. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
13. "How Chelsea won the big final". Football 365. 16 May 2013. Archived from the original on 1 September 2013. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
14. "Guimarães claim famous cup win". PortuGOAL. 26 May 2013. Archived from the original on 25 September 2013. Retrieved 31 August 2013.
15. Guimarães, Gonçalo (30 July 2013). "Acordo com o Liverpool por Melgarejo" [Agreement with Liverpool for Melgarejo]. A Bola (in Portuguese). Retrieved 31 July 2013.
16. "Echo: Deal agreed for left-back". Liverpool F.C. 31 July 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2013.
17. МЕЛЬГАРЕХО СТАЛ ИГРОКОМ "КУБАНИ" [Melgarejo signs for Kuban] (in Russian). Kuban Krasnodar. 2 September 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
18. "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.
19. "Melgarejo vendido por 5 milhões de euros" [Melgarejo sold for 5 million euros]. Record (in Portuguese). 2 September 2013. Archived from the original on 4 September 2013. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
20. ЛОРЕНСО МЕЛЬГАРЕХО ПОДПИСАЛ КОНТРАКТ СО «СПАРТАКОМ» [Lorenzo Melgarejo signed a contract with Spartak] (in Russian). Spartak Moscow. 8 February 2016. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
21. "OTRO REFUERZO ASEGURADO" (in Spanish). Racing Club de Avellaneda. 25 August 2020.
22. "Melgarejo estreou-se pelo Paraguai" [Melgarejo made Paraguay debut]. A Bola (in Portuguese). 15 November 2012. Archived from the original on 16 November 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
23. ""Me duele no ser tenido en cuenta"" ["It hurts to not be considered"] (in Spanish). Resumen de Noticias. 1 August 2017. Retrieved 5 September 2017.
24. "23 albirrojos de clubes del exterior para amistosos vs. Perú y México" [23 white-and-red from abroad clubs for friendlies vs. Peru and Mexico] (in Spanish). Paraguayan Football Association. 2 March 2019. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
25. Lorenzo Melgarejo at Soccerway

External links

• Lorenzo Melgarejo at ForaDeJogo (archived)
• Lorenzo Melgarejo at National-Football-Teams.com
• Lorenzo Melgarejo – FIFA competition record (archived)