Omar Merlo

{{Short description|Argentine-born Chilean footballer (born 1987)}}

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Omar Merlo

| image = Omar Merlo junto a un hincha acerero.jpg

| caption = Merlo allowing himself to be photographed with a steelworker fan

| fullname = Omar Jesús Merlo

| height = {{convert|1.82|m|ftin|0|abbr=on}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1987|6|12}}

| birth_place = Santa Clara de Buena Vista,Santa Fe, Argentina

| currentclub =

| position = Centre-back

| youthyears1 = 2001–2007

| youthclubs1 = Colón

| years1 = 2007–2010

| years2 = 2008

| years3 = 2010

| years4 = 2011

| years5 = 2012–2017

| years6 = 2018–2022

| years7 = 2023

| clubs1 = Colón

| clubs2 = → River Plate (loan)

| clubs3 = Platense

| clubs4 = Unión San Felipe

| clubs5 = Huachipato

| clubs6 = Sporting Cristal

| clubs7 = Curicó Unido

| caps1 = 25

| caps2 = 2

| caps3 = 5

| caps4 = 36

| caps5 = 163

| caps6 = 41

| caps7 = 20

| goals1 = 1

| goals2 = 1

| goals3 = 0

| goals4 = 2

| goals5 = 6

| goals6 = 1

| goals7 = 1

| totalcaps = 292

| totalgoals = 12

}}

Omar Jesús Merlo ({{IPA|es|oˈmaɾ ˈmeɾlo}}; born 12 June 1987) is a former Argentine naturalized Chilean professional footballer who played as a centre-back.

Career

Merlo made his first team debut for Colón in 2006, and quickly established himself as a regular member of the first team squad. In February 2008, he signed up with powerhouse team River Plate, where he won the Torneo Clausura. Seasons later, Merlo was a key player at the squad of Primera División club Huachipato that earned 2012 Torneo Clausura, scoring the winning penalty in the final.

In January 2024, he announced his retirement after playing for Curicó Unido in the 2023 Chilean Primera División.{{cite web |last1=Salas |first1=Cristian |title="Tomé la decisión de retirarme del fútbol... Chile me cambió la vida para siempre" |url=https://chile.as.com/futbol/tome-la-decision-de-retirarme-del-futbol-chile-me-cambio-la-vida-para-siempre-n/ |website=Diario AS |access-date=26 January 2024 |language=es |date=26 January 2024}}

Personal life

Merlo naturalized Chilean by residence when he was a player of Huachipato.{{cite web |last1=Munizaga |first1=Sebastián |title=Omar Merlo no pierde la esperanza: "Me hubiese gustado y me gustaría jugar en la selección chilena" |url=https://redgol.cl/internacional/Omar-Merlo-no-pierde-la-esperanza-Me-hubiese-gustado-y-me-gustaria-jugar-en-la-seleccion-chilena-20200413-0084.html |website=RedGol |access-date=20 September 2022 |language=es |date=13 April 2020}}

Honours

River Plate

Torneo Clausura (1): 2008 Clausura

Huachipato

Primera División de Chile (1): 2012 Clausura

Sporting Cristal

References

External links

{{Soccerway|omar-merlo/14368}}
{{in lang|es}} {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20120314175628/http://www.futbolxxi.com/Futbolista.aspx?ID=13574&SEOFutbolista=Merlo+Omar Argentine Primera statistics]}}
[http://www.football-lineups.com/footballer/6024 Merlo at Football-Lineups]

Category:1986 births

Category:Living people

Category:Footballers from Santa Fe, Argentina

Category:Argentine men's footballers

Category:Argentine expatriate men's footballers

Category:Argentine emigrants to Chile

Category:Naturalized citizens of Chile

Category:Chilean men's footballers

Category:Chilean expatriate men's footballers

Category:Men's association football defenders

Category:Argentine Primera División players

Category:Club Atlético Colón footballers