.jpg) Fernandes withDinamo Zagreb in 2016 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Antenor Junior Fernandes da Silva Vitoria | ||
| Date of birth | (1988-04-10)10 April 1988 (age 36) | ||
| Place of birth | Tocopilla, Chile | ||
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Esenler Erokspor | ||
| Number | 78 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1995–2006 | Cobreloa | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2007–2009 | Cobreloa | 51 | (2) |
| 2007 | →Municipal Mejillones (loan) | 20 | (12) |
| 2010 | Magallanes | 25 | (10) |
| 2011 | Palestino | 35 | (9) |
| 2012 | Universidad de Chile | 17 | (8) |
| 2012–2014 | Bayer Leverkusen | 6 | (0) |
| 2013–2014 | →Dinamo Zagreb (loan) | 28 | (13) |
| 2014–2017 | Dinamo Zagreb | 74 | (25) |
| 2017 | →Alanyaspor (loan) | 14 | (6) |
| 2017–2020 | Alanyaspor | 80 | (26) |
| 2020–2021 | Ittihad Kalba | 13 | (3) |
| 2021 | İstanbul Başakşehir | 9 | (1) |
| 2021–2022 | Universidad de Chile | 34 | (4) |
| 2023 | Manisa | 14 | (3) |
| 2023–2024 | Adanaspor | 27 | (9) |
| 2024– | Esenler Erokspor | 26 | (4) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2011– | Chile | 20 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 7 March 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 10 October 2022 | |||
Antenor Junior Fernandes da Silva Vitoria (Spanish pronunciation:[ˈɟʝunjoɾfeɾˈnandes]; born 10 April 1988), known asJunior Fernandes, is a Chilean professionalfootballer who plays as aforward for Turkish clubEsenler Erokspor.
The son of Brazilian parents, Fernandes, moved from his nativeTocopilla toCalama at the age of six, where he attended school along with his brother Christian. They participated in sports and music. While he lived in Calama, he joined the lower divisions ofCobreloa, participating in each of their youth categories, and was integrated into 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 countryman forwardAlexis Sánchez.
Later, in 2007, he was sent on loan toMejillones (another third division team) afterCobreloa gave up their reserve team.
After the request of coach Lewis Sheldon, Fernandes joined Cobreloa's first team to face theClausura tournament . His professional debut came in the fourth round of the championship, when he replacedstrikerFelipe Flores in a match that would end with a 2–1 victory overLa Serena. His first time as a starter was in a game againstMelipilla, which ended in a 5–1 victory, with Fernandes scoring a hat trick.
In 2010, he played forMagallanes of theChilean Tercera División A where he became the figure of the team that won the championship and was promoted to thePrimera B. His outstanding performance on Magallanes caught the attention ofPalestino, who joined them in 2011. Thanks to his good results, he was later nominated for the Under 25Chile national football team.
On 2 December 2011, Palestino agreed on the sale of 50% of his pass with a US$700,000 transfer toUniversidad de Chile aiming to win the 2012Apertura tournament, and thinking that the team will playCopa Libertadores next year.[2] On 5 December, he was presented in the offices of "the Blues" Sports Complex with the No. 9 jersey.[3] Fernandes made his debut for the club, scoring and providing an assist in a 3–1 win overDeportes La Serena on 4 February 2012. In the league, he would score five goals. In the play-offs Apertura, Fernándes scored a hat-trick in a 4–0 win overColo-Colo on 24 June 2012. Elsewhere in theCopa Libertadores, Fernandes scored a hat-trick, set up a goal in a 5–1 win overGodoy Cruz, and soon scored a brace and provided an assist in a 6–0 win overDeportivo Quito. Soon after scoring goals, he would receive criticism over his performance.
On 6 July 2012, he signed forBundesliga squadBayer 04 Leverkusen from Universidad de Chile for a transfer fee of €7 million and a five-year contract.[4] Fernandes made his debut for the club, scoring on his debut in first round ofDFB-Pokal in a 4–0 win overCarl Zeiss Jena; seven days later, he made his debut, coming on as a substitute, in a 2–1 loss againstFrankfurt. However, in his first season, Junior Fernandes playing time was reduced, as well his first team and haven't scored his first goal for the club.
On 26 May 2013, it was announced that Fernandes signed a one-year-loan contract with the Croatian clubDinamo Zagreb.[5][6] On 23 April 2014, following the end of his loan spell, Fernandes signed a six-year contract with Dinamo Zagreb.[7]
In January 2017 he was loaned toAlanyaspor until the end of the2016–17 season. He returned to Dinamo for the2017–18 season and scored twice against defending league championRijeka. However, as Dinamo failed to qualify intoEuropa League, losing toSkënderbeu Korçë in the play-off round, he moved back to Alanyaspor on a permanent transfer.
On 19 August 2020, Fernandes joinedIttihad Kalba of theUAE Pro League.[8]
On 23 January 2021, Fernandes agreed to a return to Turkey and joinedİstanbul Başakşehir on a free transfer.[9]
On 16 January 2023, Fernandes agreed to a return to Turkey and joinedManisa in theTFF First League on a free transfer.[10]
Fernandes was called up to theChile national football team to face friendly matches during the second half of 2011 by team managerClaudio Borghi. He debuted officially in the national team on 11 September 2012, on a qualifying match for the2014 FIFA World Cup againstColombia.
He was named in the preliminary squad for the2015 Copa América but was omitted from the final squad.[11] He made the final squad for the2019 Copa América, his first major tournament.
Magallanes
Universidad de Chile
Dinamo Zagreb
Chile
Individual
