Enzo Nicolas Perez

Enzo Nicolas Perez (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈenso ˈpeɾes]; born 22 February 1986) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for River Plate and the Argentina national team.

He played four years for S.L. Benfica in Portugal, where he won five trophies, most notably the domestic treble in the 2013–14 season, and reached two consecutive UEFA Europa League finals.

Club Career

Early career

Born in Maipu, Mendoza, Perez began his career in Deportivo Maipu, like his father, and started his professional playing career with Godoy Cruz, where he wrote his name into club history by scoring a fifth-minute goal in the 1–1 draw with Belgrano on 9 September 2006. This was the first goal ever scored by Godoy Cruz in the Argentine first division. In total, he scored 12 goals in his career at Godoy Cruz, most coming from penalties. In 2007, Perez joined Estudiantes de La Plata, where he finished as runner-up with the team in the 2008 Copa Sudamericana. He was then a first team regular in the team that won the 2009 Copa Libertadores.

Benfica

On 8 June 2011, Perez signed a five-year contract with Portuguese club Benfica for a fee rumored to be around €5.5 million for his full rights from Estudiantes. After a serious knee injury sustained in the Champions League qualifiers, Perez was loaned back to Estudiantes for six months on 9 February 2012.

On 27 July 2012, at the Eusebio Cup, Perez scored a long-range goal against Real Madrid from a tight angle to complete a 5–2 win.

In the 2012–13 season, Perez was successfully converted into a central midfielder, partnering with Nemanja Matic, assuming a central role in the team.

In the 2013–14 season, his influence was further increased after the departure of Matic to Chelsea on 15 January 2014, becoming a vital piece in Benfica's domestic treble (Primeira Liga, Taca de Portugal and Taca da Liga) and their second consecutive Europa League Final. Perez, however, was

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