Lorik Cana
Encyclopedia
Lorik Cana (born 27 July 1983) is an Albania
n footballer, who plays for Lazio
as a defensive midfielder and the Albania national football team
. He is the captain for Albania at international level. He carved his reputation as a strong, tenacious tackler and a leader on the field during his stint in France with Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille
.
at the age of 16 for trial, but failed to attend because he was denied a British visa. At Paris Saint-Germain he spent three years working through the ranks of the French club. Cana finally made the first team in 2003 and quickly became a main player. During the 2003–04 season, he played 32 games and scored one goal, as the team won the Coupe de France
and finished second in the French Ligue 1
, proving to be one of the most successful seasons of his career so far. This was repeated the next season when he also played 32 games for the Paris team and scored one goal. In his senior debut for Paris Saint-Germain, he was awarded man of the match.
. Since joining Marseille, he cemented his place in the starting eleven, and scored the winning goal in the first match between his new club (Olympique de Marseille) and his former club (Paris Saint-Germain). He also became team captain after the departure of the former captain Habib Beye
to Newcastle United
during the summer of 2007.
on a four-year contract for a fee of around £5 million on 24 July 2009. He was soon handed the team's captaincy by manager Steve Bruce
, although Bruce later stated a captain had yet to be appointed. On 15 August, Cana made his league debut for Sunderland and contributed with an impressive performance in a 1–0 win over Bolton Wanderers
. He was appointed as Sunderland's captain for the 2009–10 season on 3 September. He became the first Albanian to play in the Premier League.
on 8 July 2010, for a fee of €5.5 million.
club Lazio
, becoming the club's fifth signing of the summer, following the arrivals of Miroslav Klose
, Djibril Cissé
, Senad Lulić
and Abdoulay Konko
. He was used in a part exchange for goalkeeper Fernando Muslera
going to Galatasaray
who also paid a fee of €6.0 million
, Albania
or France
, as he has all three passport
s. Cana has been involved with the Albania national football team
since early 2003, after receiving a call-up from the Albanian Football Association. He accepted the invitation and made his international debut on 11 June, at the age of just 19. On 12 September 2007, he was sent off
by referee Mike Riley
in the 87th minute of Albania's home game against the Netherlands
, after an altercation with Wesley Sneijder
and Ruud van Nistelrooy
. His team conceded a late goal to lose 0–1 shortly after the dismissal. As of 21 July 2010 he has made 53 appearances and scored 1 goal for Albania. He was one of the key players in Albania's formidable 1–0 home win against Belarus for the Uefa Euro 2012 Group Qualifications by hitting the crossbar in a 40 meters free kick and by being an undefeatable wall in defense.
field after his footballing career after pursuing a University degree in History.
|2003||6||0
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|2004||5||0
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|2005||8||1
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|2006||4||0
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|2007||6||0
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|2008||6||0
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|2009||6||0
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|2010||6||0
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|2011||6||0
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!Total||53||1
|}
Olympique de Marseille
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
n footballer, who plays for Lazio
S.S. Lazio
Società Sportiva Lazio, commonly referred to as Lazio, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. The team, founded in 1900, play in the Serie A and have spent most of their history in the top tier of Italian football...
as a defensive midfielder and the Albania national football team
Albania national football team
The Albania national association football team is the national association football team of Albania and is controlled by the Football Association of Albania...
. He is the captain for Albania at international level. He carved his reputation as a strong, tenacious tackler and a leader on the field during his stint in France with Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
.
Paris Saint-Germain
He was invited to ArsenalArsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
at the age of 16 for trial, but failed to attend because he was denied a British visa. At Paris Saint-Germain he spent three years working through the ranks of the French club. Cana finally made the first team in 2003 and quickly became a main player. During the 2003–04 season, he played 32 games and scored one goal, as the team won the Coupe de France
Coupe de France
The Coupe Charles Simon, commonly known as the Coupe de France , is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation...
and finished second in the French Ligue 1
Ligue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
, proving to be one of the most successful seasons of his career so far. This was repeated the next season when he also played 32 games for the Paris team and scored one goal. In his senior debut for Paris Saint-Germain, he was awarded man of the match.
Marseille
However, at the beginning of the 2005–06 season, there was a change of coach at Paris Saint-Germain and Cana fell out of favour. This prompted him to move to the south of France to join the most successful club in French history, MarseilleOlympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
. Since joining Marseille, he cemented his place in the starting eleven, and scored the winning goal in the first match between his new club (Olympique de Marseille) and his former club (Paris Saint-Germain). He also became team captain after the departure of the former captain Habib Beye
Habib Beye
Habib Beye is a French born Senegalese footballer who plays for Doncaster Rovers on loan from Aston Villa and for the Senegal national team...
to Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
during the summer of 2007.
Sunderland
Cana joined SunderlandSunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
on a four-year contract for a fee of around £5 million on 24 July 2009. He was soon handed the team's captaincy by manager Steve Bruce
Steve Bruce
Stephen Roger "Steve" Bruce is an English football manager and former player. Born in Corbridge, Northumberland, he was a promising schoolboy footballer but was rejected by a number of professional clubs. He was on the verge of quitting the game altogether when he was offered a trial with Gillingham...
, although Bruce later stated a captain had yet to be appointed. On 15 August, Cana made his league debut for Sunderland and contributed with an impressive performance in a 1–0 win over Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
. He was appointed as Sunderland's captain for the 2009–10 season on 3 September. He became the first Albanian to play in the Premier League.
Galatasaray
Cana joined GalatasarayGalatasaray S.K. (football team)
Galatasaray Anonim Şirketi is a Turkish football club, part of the Galatasaray S.K. multi-sport club of Istanbul. Galatasaray is a major sports club in Turkey, holding 17 Turkish Super League titles and the highest number of Turkish Cups....
on 8 July 2010, for a fee of €5.5 million.
Lazio
On July 3, 2011, Cana signed for Italian Serie ASerie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
club Lazio
S.S. Lazio
Società Sportiva Lazio, commonly referred to as Lazio, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. The team, founded in 1900, play in the Serie A and have spent most of their history in the top tier of Italian football...
, becoming the club's fifth signing of the summer, following the arrivals of Miroslav Klose
Miroslav Klose
Miroslav Josef Klose is a German footballer who plays as a striker for Lazio in the Serie A. Since bursting onto the international stage at the 2002 World Cup, he has become well known for his knack of scoring headers, front-flip goal celebrations, and decisive short passing.Klose holds German...
, Djibril Cissé
Djibril Cissé
Djibril Aruun Cissé is a French international footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Lazio as a striker. He is noted particularly for his speed and acceleration. Since 2005, he has held the title of Lord of the Manor of Frodsham....
, Senad Lulić
Senad Lulic
Senad Lulić is a Bosnian footballer. He plays for Lazio in the Serie A.Lulić was born in Mostar, but he spent most of his childhood in Jablanica....
and Abdoulay Konko
Abdoulay Konko
Abdoulaye Konko Faye is a French footballer of Senegalese and Moroccan descent, who currently plays for Lazio in Serie A as a right back. He favours dribbling and can play anywhere on either wing.-Club career:...
. He was used in a part exchange for goalkeeper Fernando Muslera
Fernando Muslera
Néstor Fernando Muslera Micol is an Uruguayan footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Galatasaray and is first-choice keeper for the Uruguayan national team.-Uruguay:...
going to Galatasaray
Galatasaray
Galatasaray Spor Kulübü is a Turkish sports club based in Istanbul, most notable for its football section, also known as Galatasaray S.K.. It also fields teams in Athletics, Basketball, Wheelchair basketball, Volleyball, Water polo, Swimming, Rowing, Sailing, Judo, Bridge, Equestrian, Handball,...
who also paid a fee of €6.0 million
International career
Cana was eligible to play for either SwitzerlandSwitzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
, Albania
Albania national football team
The Albania national association football team is the national association football team of Albania and is controlled by the Football Association of Albania...
or France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
, as he has all three passport
Passport
A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder. The elements of identity are name, date of birth, sex, and place of birth....
s. Cana has been involved with the Albania national football team
Albania national football team
The Albania national association football team is the national association football team of Albania and is controlled by the Football Association of Albania...
since early 2003, after receiving a call-up from the Albanian Football Association. He accepted the invitation and made his international debut on 11 June, at the age of just 19. On 12 September 2007, he was sent off
Penalty card
A penalty card is used in many sports as a means of warning, reprimanding or penalising a player, coach or team official. Penalty cards are most commonly used by referees or umpires to indicate that a player has committed an offense. The referee will hold the card above his or her head while...
by referee Mike Riley
Mike Riley (referee)
Riley took charge of the 2004 Carling Cup final, between Bolton and Middlesbrough, in a game that saw all three goals scored within the first 25 minutes...
in the 87th minute of Albania's home game against the Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
, after an altercation with Wesley Sneijder
Wesley Sneijder
Wesley Sneijder is a Dutch footballer playing as an attacking midfielder for Internazionale. He was named UEFA midfielder of the season as well as one of the three best midfielders in the world for 2010 by FIFA....
and Ruud van Nistelrooy
Ruud van Nistelrooy
Rutgerus Johannes Martinus "Ruud" van Nistelrooy, , is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Málaga CF in Spain's La Liga. He is the second-highest goalscorer in Champions League history with 60 goals...
. His team conceded a late goal to lose 0–1 shortly after the dismissal. As of 21 July 2010 he has made 53 appearances and scored 1 goal for Albania. He was one of the key players in Albania's formidable 1–0 home win against Belarus for the Uefa Euro 2012 Group Qualifications by hitting the crossbar in a 40 meters free kick and by being an undefeatable wall in defense.
Personal life
Lorik is the son of retired footballer Agim Cana. He is a UNO-ambassador against poverty. In an interview Cana has stated that archeology is one of his biggest interests and that he plans to work in the AlbanologyAlbanology
Albanology is the science that studies Albanian language and culture.The father of Albanology is often considered to be the Austrian Norbert Jokl, while the Croat Milan Šufflay and the Hungarian Franz Nopcsa von Felső-Szilvás are also among its famous founders.Among modern important Albanologists...
field after his footballing career after pursuing a University degree in History.
Club
| Club | Season | League | Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Paris Saint-Germain | 2002–03 | 3 | 0 | ||||||||
| 3 | 0 | ||||||||||
| 2003–04 | 32 | 1 | |||||||||
| 32 | 1 | ||||||||||
| 2004–05 | 32 | 1 | |||||||||
| 6 | 0 | 38 | 1 | ||||||||
| 2005–06 | 2 | 0 | |||||||||
| 2 | 0 | ||||||||||
| Total | 69 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 75 | 2 | |
| Marseille Olympique de Marseille Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In... |
2005–06 | 28 | 3 | ||||||||
| 8 | 0 | 36 | 3 | ||||||||
| 2006–07 | 33 | 2 | |||||||||
| 5 | 0 | 38 | 2 | ||||||||
| 2007–08 | 34 | 2 | |||||||||
| 9 | 0 | 43 | 2 | ||||||||
| 2008–09 | 27 | 1 | |||||||||
| 3 | 1 | 30 | 2 | ||||||||
| Total | 122 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 1 | 147 | 9 | |
| Sunderland Sunderland A.F.C. Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League... |
2009–10 | 31 | 0 | ||||||||
| - | 31 | 0 | |||||||||
| Total | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 0 | |
| Galatasaray Galatasaray S.K. (football team) Galatasaray Anonim Şirketi is a Turkish football club, part of the Galatasaray S.K. multi-sport club of Istanbul. Galatasaray is a major sports club in Turkey, holding 17 Turkish Super League titles and the highest number of Turkish Cups.... |
2010–11 2010–11 Süper Lig The 2010–11 Süper Lig is the 53rd season since its establishment. Bursaspor are defending champions having won their first Turkish championship last season. The season began on 14 August 2010 and concluded on 22 May 2011... |
24 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 31 | 1 |
| Total | 24 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 31 | 1 | |
| Lazio S.S. Lazio Società Sportiva Lazio, commonly referred to as Lazio, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. The team, founded in 1900, play in the Serie A and have spent most of their history in the top tier of Italian football... |
2011–12 2011–12 Serie A The 2011–12 Serie A is the eightieth season since its establishment, and the second under a league committee separate from Serie B. It began on 9 September 2011 and will end on 13 May 2012. The league was originally scheduled to start on 27 August, but this was delayed due to a strike by the players... |
4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Total | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 0 | |
| Career total | 250 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 1 | 292 | 13 | |
International
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Club
PSG- Coupe de FranceCoupe de FranceThe Coupe Charles Simon, commonly known as the Coupe de France , is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation...
: 2004Coupe de France 2003-04The Coupe de France 2003-04 was its 87th edition. It was won by Paris Saint-Germain. The cup winner qualified for the UEFA Cup.-Round of 16:-Quarter-finals:-Semi-finals:-----Final:-External links:*...
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
- Coupe de FranceCoupe de FranceThe Coupe Charles Simon, commonly known as the Coupe de France , is the premier knockout cup competition in French football organized by the French Football Federation...
Runner-up: 2006Coupe de France 2005-06The Coupe de Frances results of the 2005-2006 season. 6394 clubs participated in the cup and the final was played on April 29, 2006.The cup winner qualified for UEFA Cup.-Round of 64: * - after extra-time ** - penalty shootouts...
, 2007Coupe de France 2006-07The Coupe de Frances results of the 2006-2007 season. 6577 clubs participated in the cup and the final was played on May 12.The cup winner qualified for UEFA Cup qualification.-Round of 64: * - Extra time ** - Penalty shootout...
Individual
- Albanian Footballer of the Year (3): 2004, 2005, 2006
- Albanian Fan's Footballer of the Year (1): 2009
External links
- Profile at Galatasaray.org
- Statistics at TFFTurkish Football FederationThe Turkish Football Federation , also called the Turkish Football Association, is the governing body of football in Turkey. It was formed on 23 April 1923. It organizes the Turkish national teams and the Turkish football league. By 2004, there were 4,956 football clubs organized in Turkey, and a...
.org - Profile at Transfermarkt.de
- Lorik Cana OM.net
- Lorik Cana's Yahoo Profile