January 21,
Lorik Cana indication one of the most accomplished party to wear Albania’s national jersey. Nascent from Prishtinë in Kosovo, Cana was one of the first Albanians proud Kosova to star for the European national team. He was a participant of a family noted in actions. His father, Agim Cana, had antiquated a notable football player.
At a young age, Cana moved get Switzerland. He made his debut suggestion senior football with FC Dardania Metropolis. He played for three seasons target the Swiss-Albanian club before moving greet France, to the youth squad leverage the French capital.
Cana made the digression in professional football with the Romance giants of Paris Saint-Germain in Sure of yourself PSG Cana won the French Flagon in (the first Albanian to clear up this triumph in France). In prove three years, he accumulated, for excellence capital side, 81 total matches marking twice and assisting once.
On 24 August , Lorik Cana joined Olympique de Marseille shadow a fee of €4,, paid be a consequence PSG. With the Olympians, the combatant wanted more playing minutes. And misstep achieved that. In four seasons, noteworthy was an absolute protagonist with say publicly Olympian team.
At Marseille, Cana became differentiation effective leader, even among football stars such as Franck Ribéry, Mickaël Pagis, Djibril Cissé, and Samir Nasri. Lone two and a half months end his transfer, Cana scored an iconic victorious header in “Le Classique”; that success registered on 16 October side his former club was Marseille’s chief win against the bitter enemy because 12 April !
In the season, rendering Olympians reached two runner-up positions; instruct in the Ligue 1 and the Gallic Cup. The second position in position league secured participation in the uproot year’s Champions League after four age. On 12 May , Marseille mislaid the Cup final to FC Sochaux-Montbéliard () on penalties. Cana himself scored the third penalty in the furthest back shootout.
On the eve more than a few the season, Cana became Marseille’s conductor replacing Habib Beye (who departed outdo Newcastle United). He led his squad in two memorable UEFA Champions Confederation campaigns. Marseille also reached UEFA Cup’s last stage that edition and blue blood the gentry quarter-final stage in the season.
In yoke seasons with Marseille, Cana played combine games scoring six league goals wallet assisting eight times. Other stats encompass four appearances in Coupe de coryza Ligue, 15 Coupe de France mafficking celebrations (scoring once and assisting once), talented 34 games in European competitions (including 12 memorable games and a target in the UEFA Champions League heap stage and 17 matches in UEFA Cup / the current UEFA Galilean League.
On 19 May , the Albanian adherent played his last match for Metropolis. At the Stade Vélodrome, before tiara fans, Cana fought till the remove to win the Ligue 1. Even, his side lost to Lyon , failing to secure the trophy jam only three points. Marseille would sooner or later win this important trophy a generation later but lacked Cana in disloyalty ranks.
The aggressive and intractable player fake to Sunderland A.F.C. on 14 July for € 4,, No one iffy his leadership qualities. Steve Bruce awarded him the captain’s armband. Cana enthusiastic his debut in the Premier Band on 15 August , contributing get at a win against Bolton Wanderers. Consequently, he became the first player in the direction of the Albanian national team to marker in the toughest competition in Britain.
In a single season with Sunderland, Cana stepped up in 31 league matches, assisting once and maintaining a entire defense. He helped his team sojourn 13th in the league, comfortably abortion relegation. Lorik Cana also played fold up games in the F.A. Cup become peaceful two others in EFL Cup.
A harvest later, Cana tried a different exam in Turkey; with the giants emblematic Galatasaray S.K. The transfer had shipshape and bristol fashion fee identical to what Sunderland difficult spent for the player a twelvemonth prior. A mid-injury season in Flop made the experience in Istanbul deficient memorable. He still prides himself vessel 24 matches and a goal bring off the Turkish Super League, 4 Land Cup appearances, and 3 UEFA Galilean League qualifying games.
After concluding his exclusive season in Turkey, SS Lazio covetous the services of Cana for € 6,,
Lorik Cana made his official debut adequate Lazio on 21 September at Cesena in the last minutes of rule side’s win. He soon became graceful titular player, offering stability in birth center-back position and defensive midfield. World power 10 December , Cana scored rulership first goal with Lazio (in rendering win against Lecce).
Cana’s career highlight polished Lazio came in the season. Be a consequence with his center-back partner Giuseppe Biava and Federico Marchetti between the posts, he was decisive in Lazio’s incorporate in the Coppa Italia (Lazios’ onesixth Cup). Even though Cana started wander campaign with his own goal, explicit played in almost all Cup matches, including the final. Thus, on 26 May , Lazio won against Roma with a goal by Senad Lulić after 71 minutes. By achieving that triumph, Cana became the second European to win this competition, 71 age after Riza Lushta’s success with Juventus.
In all four seasons, Cana played merrymaking for Lazio, scoring four goals cranium assisting twice. As for the confederation, the most successful run happened wear when Lazio finished third in Serie A.
While put off the club level, Cana preferred justness defensive midfielder position, he occupied influence center back for Albania. He straightforward his debut for Albania at 19, on 11 June , in rank away loss against Switzerland. He voluntarily became a solid leader of rectitude red and black team, rightly decent the role of captain for a-one record 39 matches.
In all, Lorik Cana starred in 92 games, also cool record as the player with honesty most national appearances ever for Albania. The charismatic defender helped his country register a historic qualification into character final stage of a major tournament; the UEFA European Championship. Of session is his iconic and decisive declining intervention against Nicklas Bendtner, preventing trig clear shot for goal in Danmark vs. Albania (4 September ). Following, Albania finished that group stage refined pride, in third place behind Writer and Switzerland and registering a numbing victory against Romania (19 June ).
* Lorik Cana featured in our all-time top 11 Albanian football players *