Santiago Homenchenko
Personal information
Full name Santiago Damián Homenchenko Bianchi[1]
Date of birth (2003-08-30) 30 August 2003
Place of birth Mercedes, Uruguay
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Real Oviedo
(on loan from Peñarol)
Youth career
Con Los Mismos Colores
2016–2018 Danubio
2020–2021 Plaza Colonia
2021–2022 Peñarol
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2022– Peñarol 23 (0)
2024– → Real Oviedo (loan) 0 (0)
International career‡
2022–2023 Uruguay U20 13 (0)
2024– Uruguay U23 2 (1)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Uruguay
FIFA U-20 World Cup
Winner2023 Argentina
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 16 January 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 16 January 2024

Santiago Damián Homenchenko Bianchi (born 30 August 2003) is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Segunda División club Real Oviedo, on loan from Peñarol.[2]

Early life

Homenchenko was born on 30 August 2003 in the capital city of Mercedes in the Soriano Department, Uruguay. Homenchenko grew up in an impoverished family of paternal Ukrainian and maternal Italian descent. The youngest of ten siblings, Homenchenko promised his mother, who was diagnosed with cancer, at the age of six that he would become a professional footballer. In an interview describing his upbringing, Homenchenko said, "We spent nights without eating, relying on milk with rice or sweet cornstarch, but those things give you personality. [...] When I left Danubio at 15, I had to work, because my mother had no money. We were poor, but we weren't sad. I worked to buy my clothes, but we just had what we needed. That confronts you with reality."[3][4]

Club career

Homenchenko began his football career with his neighborhood club Con los Mismos Colores. At the age of 10, he was recruited by Néstor Gonçalves and signed for Peñarol where he finished his childhood training. Homenchenko joined Danubio three years later, moving to Montevideo and beginning his youth training. He was released two years in the process after suffering an accident in which he broke a piece of his heel. During his recovery, he returned to his boyhood club of Con los Mismos Colores under their youth system. After a series of good performances, including winning an under-18 team national championship, he signed with Plaza Colonia for the 2020-21 season.[5]

On July 2021, Homenchenko returned to Peñarol. On 8 September 2022, he signed his first professional contract with the club.[4] He made his professional debut on 19 September 2022 as a 84th minute substitute for Brian Lozano in a 3–1 league win over Cerrito.[6] Homenchenko has also represented the under-19 system, in which he was part of the squad that won the 2022 U-20 Copa Libertadores.[7][8]

On 15 January 2024, a transfer agreement between Peñarol and Real Oviedo was made for Homenchenko to join the Spanish club, whereas Ecuadorian winger Romario Ibarra, who was playing for Oveido on loan from Pachuca, will join Peñarol. Homenchenko's contract with Peñarol was ending in the middle of the year, therefore the club decided to sell 70% of his contract.[9][10][11]

International career

Homenchenko currently represents Uruguay in their under-20 national team. In October 2022, Homenchenko was named in Uruguay's squad for the 2022 South American Games.[12] He played all five matches in the tournament as Uruguay eventually finished fourth after reaching semi-finals.[13] Homenchenko was part of the Uruguayan side that won the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina.[14][15] In January 2024, he was named in Uruguay's squad for the 2024 CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament under Marcelo Bielsa.[16]

Career statistics

As of 21 April 2023[2]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueCupContinentalOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Peñarol 2022 Uruguayan Primera División 1000000010
2023 90003[lower-alpha 1]0—120
Career total 100003000130
  1. ↑ Appearances in Copa Sudamericana.

Honours

Peñarol U20

Uruguay U20

References

  1. ↑ "FIFA U-20 World Cup Argentina 2023™ SQUAD LIST: Uruguay (URU)" (PDF). FIFA. 22 May 2023. p. 22. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  2. 1 2 Santiago Homenchenko at Soccerway
  3. ↑ Redacción. "Homenchenko: su dura infancia cenando arroz con leche y el sueño de comprarle la casa a su madre, que tiene cáncer". El Observador. Retrieved 2024-01-09.
  4. 1 2 "Santiago Homenchenko, de cortarse un pedazo del talón a regalarle a su madre un clásico con Peñarol" (in Spanish). 29 January 2023. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  5. ↑ "Santiago Homenchenko: "Yo no juego por mí, juego para hacer feliz a la gente que amo"" (in Spanish). 26 January 2023. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  6. ↑ "Un nuevo juvenil de la cantera aurinegra debutó en Peñarol ante Cerrito" (in Spanish). 18 September 2022. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  7. ↑ "Peñarol, campeón de la CONMEBOL Libertadores Sub 20". CONMEBOL. 21 February 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  8. ↑ Cozza, Marcelo (20 February 2022). "Sub 20: Peñarol Campeón de América". Tenfield. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  9. ↑ "El ecuatoriano Romario Ibarra llegará a Peñarol y Santiago Homenchenko se irá a España". futbol.com.uy - Montevideo Portal (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  10. ↑ Infobae, Por Newsroom (2024-01-16). "El uruguayo Santiago Homenchenko, nuevo fichaje del Real Oviedo". infobae (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  11. ↑ "Homenchenko, objetivo del Oviedo, se sale con Bielsa: así fue su gol con la selección de Uruguay sub23". La Nueva España. 14 January 2024. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
  12. ↑ "Juegos Odesur: Marcelo Broli confirmó los 18 futbolistas que representarán a Uruguay" (in Spanish). 1 October 2022. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  13. ↑ "La sub-20 en los Juegos #Asu2022". 12 October 2022. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  14. 1 2 "Uruguay es Campeón del Mundo". Uruguayan Football Association. 11 June 2023. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  15. 1 2 Lopesino, Juan (12 June 2023). "Luciano Rodríguez vale un Mundial". Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 12 June 2023.
  16. ↑ "Lista final para el CONMEBOL Preolímpico 2024" (in Spanish). 5 January 2024. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
  17. ↑ "Peñarol, campeón de la CONMEBOL Libertadores Sub 20". 21 February 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
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