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Franco Matias Di SantoArgentine footballer, striker
Date of Birth: 07.04.1989
Country:  Argentina |
Content:
- Early Career
- Career in England
- Transfer to Wigan Athletic
- Career at Wigan
- Career in Germany
- International Career
- Achievements
Early Career
Franco Di Santo, an Argentine footballer, began his career with Chilean club Audax Italiano. In his first season, he scored 26 goals in 76 league appearances and 1 goal in 6 Copa Libertadores matches. His impressive performance drew the attention of several European clubs. On January 25, 2008, London-based Chelsea purchased Di Santo's contract.
Career in England
Di Santo spent the remainder of the 2007/08 season with Chelsea's reserve team. He made his reserve debut against Fulham and scored a late equalizer. In the following match against Reading, he netted another goal. On April 14, 2012, Di Santo scored a hat-trick in a London derby against Tottenham. He ended the reserve season with 12 goals in just eight appearances.
For the 2008/09 season, Di Santo was promoted to the first team. He made his Premier League debut against Tottenham, coming on as a late substitute. He also appeared in the English League Cup against Portsmouth and made his Champions League debut against CFR Cluj. In January 2009, Di Santo scored his first first-team goal in a FA Cup match against Southend United. He also provided an assist for Juliano Belletti in a match against Stoke City.
To gain more playing time, Di Santo was loaned to Blackburn Rovers at the start of the 2009/10 season. He made his debut against Hibernian but suffered a slight injury in training. After recovering, he returned to the team and contributed to a goal against Burnley. Due to his consistent performances, Blackburn extended his loan until the end of the season. However, his playing time decreased, and he was often used as a substitute.
Transfer to Wigan Athletic
In August 2010, Wigan Athletic acquired Di Santo from Chelsea for a fee of £2 million. He made his debut against Sunderland and started the next match against Manchester City. On April 23, 2010, he scored his first goal for Wigan, his first since October 2009.
Career at Wigan
In the 2011/12 season, Di Santo scored a penalty to secure a draw against Norwich. He followed it up with a brace against Queens Park Rangers and a goal against Everton. In April, he scored late against Sunderland and Arsenal. He also contributed to Wigan's victory over Newcastle and Wolverhampton in the final two matches of the season. In the 2012/13 season, he scored against newly promoted Southampton.
Career in Germany
In August 2013, Di Santo signed a three-year contract with German club Werder Bremen. He made his Bundesliga debut as a substitute against Borussia Dortmund. His first goal for Bremen came against Mainz.
In July 2015, Di Santo transferred to Schalke 04, signing a contract until 2019. He scored his first goal for Schalke against Hannover 96.
International Career
Di Santo represented Argentina at the youth level, scoring his first goal against France. He participated in the 2007 South American Youth Championship, reaching the final but losing to Brazil. However, he missed the 2009 tournament due to injury. In November 2012, Di Santo made his senior debut for Argentina in a friendly against Saudi Arabia.
Achievements
- Chelsea: FA Cup (2009)- Wigan Athletic: FA Cup (2012/13)
