Lorik Cana
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Lorik Agim Cana (; born 27 July 1983) is an Albanian former professional
footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...
. He is currently the
Grassroots A grassroots movement is one that uses the people in a given district, region or community as the basis for a political or economic movement. Grassroots movements and organizations use collective action from the local level to effect change at t ...
ambassador for children's football in Albania, named by the Albanian Football Association on 26 October 2017. Cana played in the top divisions of France, England, Italy and Turkey, representing Paris Saint-Germain,
Sunderland Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...
, Galatasaray,
Lazio it, Laziale , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...
,
FC Nantes Football Club de Nantes (; Gallo: ''Naunnt''), commonly referred to as FC Nantes or simply Nantes (), is a French professional football club based in Nantes in Pays de la Loire. The club was founded on 21 April 1943, during World War II, a ...
and
Olympique de Marseille Olympique de Marseille (, ; oc, Olimpic de Marselha, ), also known simply as Marseille or by the abbreviation OM (, ), is a French professional men's football club based in Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. Founded in 1899, the club pl ...
as well as the Albania national team for which he held the appearance record for Albania's most capped player of all time, with 93 caps since he made his debut in 2003 until his
retirement Retirement is the withdrawal from one's position or occupation or from one's active working life. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours or workload. Many people choose to retire when they are elderly or incapable of doing their j ...
in 2016. He used to play primarily as a
defensive Defense or defence may refer to: Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups * Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare * Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks * Defense indust ...
and
central midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
but later switched to
centre-back In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield position whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring. Centre-backs are usually positioned in pairs, with one full-back on either s ...
. He participated in the first major international competition for Albania, the
UEFA Euro 2016 The 2016 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2016 (stylised as UEFA EURO 2016) or simply Euro 2016, was the 15th UEFA European Championship, the quadrennial international men's football championship of Europe o ...
held in France. At the age of 16, Cana was invited to
Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
for a trial, but failed to attend because he was denied a British visa. He began his senior club career playing for Paris Saint-Germain, before signing with rivals Olympique de Marseille in 2004 whom he went on to
captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
. In 2009, Cana made his league debut for Sunderland becoming the first player of Albanian origin to play in the
Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
. Later he joined Galatasaray, the most successful Turkish football club. Two years later, Cana signed for Italian
Serie A The Serie A (), also called Serie A TIM for national sponsorship with TIM, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and the winner is awarded the Scudetto and the Coppa ...
club Lazio where he spent four years. In 2015, Cana returned to France, where he started his career, signing a two-year contract with Nantes. Cana was eligible to play for either
Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
,
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
or
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, as he held all three
passport A passport is an official travel document issued by a government that contains a person's identity. A person with a passport can travel to and from foreign countries more easily and access consular assistance. A passport certifies the personal ...
s.Cana: Do të shënojmë dhe fitojmë ndaj Bjellorusisë!
Yll Press > Sport: Kombëtaret - "3 pasaporta zotëronte Cana para se të zgjidhte Shqipërinë. Ai kishte në dorë të luante me Zvicrën ose Francën, por zgjodhi të përfaqësonte kombin e tij"
He chose Albania and made his international debut in June 2003, at the age of 19. Cana is Albania's most capped player of all time with 93 caps where he was named
captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
in 2011. After the end of the UEFA Euro 2016 Cana announced his retirement from football.


Early life

Lorik Cana was born in
Pristina Pristina, ; sr, / (, ) is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. The city's municipal boundaries in Pristina District form the largest urban center in Kosovo. After Tirana, Pristina has the second largest population of ethnic Albanians and ...
,
Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
, from parents originally from
Gjakova Gjakova, ) and Đakovica ( sr-Cyrl, Ђаковица, ) is the seventh largest city of Kosovo and seat of Gjakova Municipality and Gjakova District. The city has 40,827 inhabitants, while the municipality has 94,556 inhabitants. Geographicall ...
. He is the son of
Agim Cana Agim Cana (born 29 September 1956) is a Kosovan former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He represented Yugoslavia internationally at youth level. Personal life Cana was born in Đakovica, Yugoslavia (modern-day Gjakova, Kos ...
, a former football player of FC Prishtina. Cana watched every match of Pristina, since he was five years old and describes himself as an avid fan of the team. Cana's father's experience in football inspired him to take up the sport. In 1992 the entire family moved to
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
due to the
Yugoslav Wars The Yugoslav Wars were a series of separate but related#Naimark, Naimark (2003), p. xvii. ethnic conflicts, wars of independence, and Insurgency, insurgencies that took place in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, SFR Yugoslavia from ...
.


Club career


Early career

In 1997, Cana joined the local team Dardania Lausanne, an amateur football club founded by the Albanian community in
Lausanne , neighboring_municipalities= Bottens, Bretigny-sur-Morrens, Chavannes-près-Renens, Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Crissier, Cugy, Écublens, Épalinges, Évian-les-Bains (FR-74), Froideville, Jouxtens-Mézery, Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, Lugrin (FR-74), ...
, coached by his father. He played at Dardania until 2000, when he was spotted and signed by French club Paris Saint-Germain.


Paris Saint-Germain

Cana had previously been invited to
Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
in 2000 at the age of 16 for a trial, but failed to attend because he was denied a British visa. Following that, it was Paris Saint-Germain which benefited by the situation and invited him for a week trial. The Paris Saint-Germain Reserves coach
Antoine Kombouaré Antoine Krilone Kombouaré (; born 16 November 1963) is a French professional football manager and former player who is the head coach of Ligue 1 club Nantes. Playing career Born in the French overseas territory of New Caledonia, Kombouaré bega ...
was seduced by Cana's talent and Cana eventually signed a contract with Paris Saint-Germain. At Paris Saint-Germain, he spent three years working through the ranks of the French club. In his first season with PSG Reserves Cana made only 4 appearances. In the next season 2001–02 he suffered a knee injury and made only 12 appearances where also scored his first goal. Cana established himself as a regular part of the reserves team in his third season 2002–03 making 21 appearances and scoring a goal. In 2003 Cana was invited by the first team coach Luis Fernández invited him at training session and at the end of the season, with PSG having nothing to play for in the league, the Parisian coach took the opportunity to rotate his squad. On 19 April Cana made his senior team debut against
Nantes Nantes (, , ; Gallo: or ; ) is a city in Loire-Atlantique on the Loire, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the sixth largest in France, with a population of 314,138 in Nantes proper and a metropolitan area of nearly 1 million inhabita ...
playing the full 90-minutes match and provided an assist for the only goal of his side which served to take a 1–1 draw. In his senior debut for PSG, he was awarded the Man of the Match. He went on to play in other 2 matches, 1 as a starter until half-time and 1 as the full 90-minutes. During the 2003–04 season, he established himself as a starter under coach Vahid Halilhodžić and was associated with another young defensive midfielder, Modeste M'bami. Despite their lack of experience, they played a big part in the club's good season, where Cana himself played in 32 games and scored one goal as the team won the Coupe de France and finished second in the
Ligue 1 Ligue 1, officially known as Ligue 1 Uber Eats for sponsorship reasons, is a French professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the French football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. A ...
, proving to be one of the most successful seasons of his career. This was repeated the next season, when he also played 32 games for the Paris team and scored one goal.


Olympique de Marseille

At the beginning of the 2005–06 season, however, 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
Marseille Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Franc ...
. After joining OM, he cemented his place in the starting XI and scored the winning goal in the first match between Marseille and his former club, PSG; Cana scored in the 78th minute via a header following a free-kick. Cana concluded his first season at Marseille with 43 matches in all competitions, 28 full 90-minutes in league matches, 6 in cup, 1 in league cup and 8 in
UEFA Cup 2005-06 Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; french: Union des associations européennes de football; german: Union der europäischen Fußballverbände) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs foo ...
. Marseille recorded 60 league points, an improvement on previous seasons and finished 5th in rank granting a place in the
2006 UEFA Intertoto Cup The 2006 UEFA Intertoto Cup was the first edition after a major change of the competition format. There were only three rounds instead of five, and eleven tournament co-winners qualified for the second qualifying round of the UEFA Cup (instead of ...
. Marseille reached the
2006 Coupe de France Final The 2006 Coupe de France Final was a football match held at Stade de France, Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis on 29 April 2006, that saw Paris Saint-Germain defeat Olympique de Marseille 2–1 thanks to goals by Bonaventure Kalou and Vikash Dhoraso ...
losing 1–2 against Cana's former side PSG. He retained his starting place in the 2006–07 season under coach
Albert Emon Albert Emon (born 24 June 1953) is French football manager and former player. He was most recently in charge of the Ligue 1 club AC Ajaccio. Club career As a player, Emon won the Ligue 1 with Olympique de Marseille in 1972 and the Coupe de ...
. He played 33 full 90-minutes league matches helping Marseille to finish as runners-up with 64 points, behind
Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of t ...
. He was granted as a captain in the whole
2006–07 Coupe de France The Coupe de France's results of the 2006–07 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 *** - Bois- ...
leading his team until the final where Marseille lost it on 12 May 2007 against Sochaux-Montbéliard 4–5 after Penalty shoot-out where Cana himself scored the 3rd penalty take.


2007–08 season

Cana became the team's
captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
after the departure of
Habib Beye Habib Frédéric Beye (born 19 October 1977) is a former professional footballer who played as a right-back. He is the manager of Championnat National club Red Star. Born in France, he represented the Senegal national team. He is also a pundit ...
to
Newcastle United Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, that plays in the Premier League – the top flight of English football. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End ...
during the summer of 2007. In his first season in his career as a captain Cana led his team in 34 out 38 overall league matches all as full 90-minutes towards 3rd place in Ligue 1 which secured them the qualification to
UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
for next season. Cana played in all 6
2007–08 UEFA Champions League group stage The 2007–08 UEFA Champions League group stage matches took place between 18 September and 12 December 2007. Seeding and draw Seeding was determined by the UEFA coefficients. The 32 teams were allocated into four pots based on their UEFA club coe ...
matches. Marseille became the first French team to win at
Anfield Anfield is a football stadium in Anfield, Liverpool, Merseyside, England, which has a seating capacity of 53,394, making it the seventh largest football stadium in England. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892. ...
when they beat 2007 runners-up Liverpool 1–0, and the team took six out of six points from their opening two games. They only drew one more match, and in a winner-takes-all final group game they lost 4–0 to Liverpool, coming third in the Champions League Group A table, thus qualifying for the 2007–08 UEFA Cup final phase, in which Marseille passed the third round with Cana playing the full 90-minutes in both legs against
Spartak Moscow Spartak Moscow may refer to the following teams based or formerly based in Moscow, Russia: * FC Spartak Moscow, an association football club * HC Spartak Moscow, a professional ice hockey team * Spartak GM Moscow, a semi-professional rugby club * WB ...
. He also received a yellow card in each match, thus missing in the last 16 first-leg match against Zenit Saint Petersburg. The match was won 3–1 by Marseille. He played full in the second leg in which Marseille lost 2–0, eliminating Marseille on away goals. In the second half of the season Cana was switched to play as
centre-back In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield position whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring. Centre-backs are usually positioned in pairs, with one full-back on either s ...
.


2008–09 season

Similar to his previous 2 years at Marseille, Cana began the new season under new management as the club was now being led by the Belgian Eric Gerets. He was again team's captain and appeared in 48 total matches scoring a career-high 3 goals and also assisting in 3 goals. Cana formed partnerships in the midfield with wingers Mathieu Valbuena, Samir Nasri and
midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
Benoît Cheyrou Benoît Benjamin Cheyrou (born 3 May 1981) is a French former professional footballer who played as a central midfielder, and often acted as a deep-lying playmaker for the attack. He is the assistant manager of French amateur club La Salesienne d ...
as Marseille boasted the third-best attack in the league behind champions
Lyon Lyon,, ; Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the third-largest city and second-largest metropolitan area of France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of t ...
and
Bordeaux Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefectur ...
, who finished first and second in the league, respectively. Cana left the club for English
Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
side
Sunderland Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...
in August 2009. However, during his four years in Southern France, he failed to win a single trophy. He was described as a very aggressive defender during that time and nowadays he mentions that Marseille was his favourite team of all time and he would go back if they gave him an offer.


Sunderland

Cana joined Sunderland 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 Stephen Roger Bruce (born 31 December 1960) is an English professional Manager (association football), football manager and former Football player, player who played as a centre-back. He most recently managed West Bromwich Albion F.C., West Br ...
, 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 Football Club () is a professional football club based in Horwich, Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in . The club played at Burnden Park for 102 years from 1895 after moving from their original home at Pike's ...
, becoming the first Albanian player to play in the Premier League. He was appointed as Sunderland's captain for the 2009–10 season on 3 September. He led his team in 35 games in all competitions. Sunderland finished 13th in the league and progressed until last 16 in
EFL Cup The EFL Cup (referred to historically, and colloquially, as the League Cup), currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual knockout competition and major trophy in men's domestic football in England. Organised by the ...
and until 4th round in
FA Cup The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competi ...
.


Galatasaray

Cana joined Galatasaray on 8 July 2010 for a €4.5 million transfer fee. He signed a four-year contract worth €2 million per season, plus bonuses based on appearances. His stay at the club was hampered by a back injury during mid-season. Because they were going through a crisis throughout the whole season, Cana failed to make too much impact, though he was still a favourite of the supporters because of his resilience on the pitch.


Lazio

On 3 July 2011, Cana completed a transfer to Italian
Serie A The Serie A (), also called Serie A TIM for national sponsorship with TIM, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and the winner is awarded the Scudetto and the Coppa ...
club
Lazio it, Laziale , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...
as part of
Fernando Muslera Néstor Fernando Muslera Micol (; born 16 June 1987) is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Turkish club Galatasaray, whom he captains, and the Uruguay national team. He is considered one of the finest goalkeepers ...
's transfer to Galatasaray. The transfer was completed for €800,000 with the player signing until June 2016 with a wage of €1.7 million per season. He was given squad number 27 and made his competitive debut later on 21 September by entering in the last minutes of the 1–2 win at
Cesena Cesena (; rgn, Cisêna) is a city and ''comune'' in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, served by Autostrada A14, and located near the Apennine Mountains, about from the Adriatic Sea. The total population is 97,137. History Cesena was o ...
. His first score-sheet contributions came on his 7th Lazio appearance later on 10 December versus
Lecce Lecce ( ); el, label=Griko, Luppìu, script=Latn; la, Lupiae; grc, Λουπίαι, translit=Loupíai), group=pron is a historic city of 95,766 inhabitants (2015) in southern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Lecce, the province ...
, netting the second of the match only one minute after coming on in an eventual 2–3 away win. Cana's first months at capital club were marred by constant niggling injuries and on 31 January 2012, Lazio confirmed that Cana would miss six weeks due to a back injury sustained in training. Cana hit form following the return, winning a place in the starting lineup, also thanks to Lazio's players being haunted with injuries and suspensions. He netted the second of campaign on 6 May 2012, a 25-yard goal versus
Atalanta Atalanta (; grc-gre, Ἀταλάντη, Atalantē) meaning "equal in weight", is a heroine in Greek mythology. There are two versions of the huntress Atalanta: one from Arcadia, whose parents were Iasus and Clymene and who is primarily known ...
, to keep Lazio's
UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
hopes alive. He concluded his first season in
Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...
by making 15 league appearances as Lazio finished 4th in the championship Cana begun utilised as
centre-back In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield position whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring. Centre-backs are usually positioned in pairs, with one full-back on either s ...
under manager Vladimir Petković in the 2012–13 season. The move was praised by Italian media. On 23 February 2013, Cana made a great performance in the 2012–13 Europa League round of 16 2–0 win over
Borussia Mönchengladbach Borussia Verein für Leibesübungen 1900 e. V. Mönchengladbach, commonly known as Borussia Mönchengladbach (), Mönchengladbach () or Gladbach (; abbreviated as Borussia MG, BMG), is a professional Association football, football club based in ...
which earned him a place at
UEFA Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; french: Union des associations européennes de football; german: Union der europäischen Fußballverbände) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs f ...
's best XI of the week. Cana spent the 2012–13 season between bench and playing field, collecting 38 appearances in all competitions, including 24 in league. He also made 5 cup appearances, including the
final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
as Lazio beat city rivals
Roma Roma or ROMA may refer to: Places Australia * Roma, Queensland, a town ** Roma Airport ** Roma Courthouse ** Electoral district of Roma, defunct ** Town of Roma, defunct town, now part of the Maranoa Regional Council *Roma Street, Brisbane, a ...
to win the trophy for the 6th time. This win constituted his first trophy win at Lazio. Cana was a regular starter during the first part of 2013–14 campaign. He netted his first goal of the season on 24 November 2013, a last-minute equalizer to save a 1–1 draw at
Sampdoria Unione Calcio Sampdoria, commonly referred to as Sampdoria (), is an Italian professional football club based in Genoa. The club was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the 1890s, ...
. It was his first goal after 18 months. However, Cana struggled to play in the second part under new manager
Edy Reja Edoardo Reja (born 10 October 1945) is an Italian professional football coach and former player who last manages the Albania national football team. After a career as a midfielder spent mostly with SPAL and Palermo, he began working as a mana ...
, as the Italian did not see him as a lineup player. Cana scored his second of the campaign later on 2 March 2014, an early goal via a bicycle kick, as Lazio won 1–0 at
Fiorentina ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as Fiorentina (), is an Italian professional football club based in Florence, Tuscany, Italy. The original team was founded by a merger in August 1926, while the actual club was refounded in August 2002 fo ...
. Cana finished his second Lazio season by playing 32 matches in all competitions. With 344 balls recovered in 16 matches, Cana was ranked fourth-best defender in Serie A. Cana struggled for minutes in the 2014–15 season due to rivality with newly signed defenders
Stefan de Vrij Stefan de Vrij (born 5 February 1992) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a centre back for club Inter Milan and the Netherlands national team. He began his career at his local club VV Spirit, and debuted as a professional for Fe ...
and
Santiago Gentiletti Santiago Juan Gentiletti Selak (born 9 January 1985) is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. Career Gentiletti played over 68 games for Gimnasia de La Plata before signing for Provincial Osorno of Chile in 2 ...
. Cana however played full-90 minutes in the opening match of
2014–15 Serie A The 2014–15 Serie A (known as the Serie A TIM for sponsorship reasons) was the 113th season of top-tier Italian football, the 83rd in a round-robin tournament, and the fifth since its organization under a league committee separate from Serie ...
versus
Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
, a 1–3 loss at
San Siro Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, commonly known as San Siro, is a football stadium in the San Siro district of Milan, Italy, which is the home of A.C. Milan and Inter Milan. It has a seating capacity of 80,018, making it one of the largest stadiums in ...
. He made his 100th Lazio appearance on 7 December by entering as a substitute in the 1–2 win over
Parma Parma (; egl, Pärma, ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, Giuseppe Verdi, music, art, prosciutto (ham), Parmigiano-Reggiano, cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,292 ...
. He spent the majority of his 4th season in Italy on bench, recording only 20 appearances between league and cup. He left the club afterwards.


Nantes

After four years in Italy with Lazio, on 31 August 2015, Cana returned to the French Ligue 1, signing a two-year contract with
Nantes Nantes (, , ; Gallo: or ; ) is a city in Loire-Atlantique on the Loire, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the sixth largest in France, with a population of 314,138 in Nantes proper and a metropolitan area of nearly 1 million inhabita ...
. On 21 November 2015, he played his 200th Ligue 1 match during the 1–0 away loss against
Monaco Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Lig ...
. He left the club in the summer 2016.


International career


2003–09: First years

Cana was eligible to play for either Albania,
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
or
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, as he held all three
passport A passport is an official travel document issued by a government that contains a person's identity. A person with a passport can travel to and from foreign countries more easily and access consular assistance. A passport certifies the personal ...
s. His choice was Albania and joined the team in early 2003 after receiving an invitation by then coach Hans-Peter Briegel. Cana's international debut occurred on 11 June 2003 at the age of 19. He appeared as a substitute in the
Euro 2004 qualifying Qualification for the 2004 UEFA European Championship took place between September 2002 and November 2003. Fifty teams were divided into ten groups, with each team playing the others in their group twice, once at home and once away. The top te ...
match versus Switzerland, finished in a 2–3 away loss. He went on to play 2 other matches in the qualifying campaign, both versus Georgia, as Albania failed to secure a spot at final tournament by finishing 4th in Group 10 with only 8 points. Cana was switched to centre-back in the
2006 FIFA World Cup qualification The 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification competition was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations. Each confederation – the AFC (Asia), CAF (Africa), CONCACAF (North, Central America and Caribbean), CONMEBOL (South Americ ...
due to absence Geri Çipi. He was a regular starter under Hans-Peter Briegel and performed well, missing only matchday 8 against Georgia due to the yellow card suspension, despite Albania finishing 5th in
Group 2 The term Group 2 may refer to: * Alkaline earth metal, a chemical element classification * Astronaut Group 2, also known as The New Nine, the second group of astronauts selected by NASA in 1962 * Group 2 (racing), an FIA classification for cars in a ...
. Cana scored his first international goal on his 16th appearance, netting the second of the 2–1 win over
Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
at Qemal Stafa Stadium. Cana was given a new role under new manager
Otto Barić Otto Barić (; 19 June 1933 – 13 December 2020) was a Croatian professional football player and manager. Coaching career 1970s to 1980s Born in Eisenkappel, near Klagenfurt, Barić started his coaching career in 1969 at West German club Germa ...
, who switched him as a defensive midfielder along with
Altin Lala Altin Dodë Lala (born 18 November 1975) is an Albanian former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder and former manager. He spent his entire playing career in Germany and represented the Albania national football team. He ...
. During the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying, Cana received his first red card in Albania colours on 12 September 2007 in the match against
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
after an altercation with
Wesley Sneijder Wesley Sneijder (; born 9 June 1984) is a Dutch retired professional footballer. Due to his elite playmaking ability, Sneijder was considered one of the best midfielders in the world during his prime. A product of the Ajax Youth Academy, he sta ...
and
Ruud van Nistelrooy Rutgerus Johannes Martinus van Nistelrooij (anglicised to Van Nistelrooy; born 1 July 1976) is a Dutch professional football coach and former player. He is currently the coach of PSV Eindhoven. A former footballer, Van Nistelrooy is often consi ...
; with ten men Albania conceded a 91st-minute goal to lose the game 0–1. As a result of misconduct Cana was suspended for two next matches. Cana returned to the field on 17 November in the match against
Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by R ...
where he provided an assist for
Erjon Bogdani Erjon Bogdani (born 14 April 1977) is an Albanian professional football coach and former player. He is nicknamed "Bogu" or "Er-Bomber". Regarded as one of the most successful Albanian players of all time, Bogdani began his career at Partizani T ...
's temporary equaliser. Albania eventually slumped in a 2–4 home defeat. Albania concluded the campaign ranking in the 5th place out 7 teams of
Group G Group G may refer to: * A set of international motor racing regulations used in touring car racing * One of eight groups of four teams competing at the FIFA World Cup ** 2022 FIFA World Cup Group G ** 2018 FIFA World Cup Group G ** 2014 FIFA World ...
with 11 points equalled to
Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...
but was ranked ahead due to better goal difference. Cana himself appeared in 8 matches.


2008–11: 50th appearance, assuming the captaincy

Cana continued to be a regular starter in the
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification Qualifying for the 2010 FIFA World Cup was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations. Each confederation — the AFC (Asia), CAF (Africa), CONCACAF (North, Central America and Caribbean), CONMEBOL (South America), OFC (O ...
, collecting 720 minutes from 8 matches as Albania finished Group 1 in 5th place, leaving behind only
Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
. He started the qualifying campaign by playing as a defensive midfielder and subsequently played as a centre-back, often along
Debatik Curri Debatik Nazmi Curri (born 28 December 1983) is an Albanian professional football coach and former player who is the current assistant manager of Prishtina. From 2006 to 2015 he was also part of Albania national team, collecting 44 appearances ...
. Cana captained Albania for the first time in a friendly game against
Montenegro ) , image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Podgorica , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , official_languages = M ...
on 25 May 2010. His first competitive match as captain was on 8 October 2010 against
Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...
in the matchday 3 of UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying. The match ended in a 1–1 draw at Qemal Stafa Stadium which put Albania temporarily on top. Cana reached half-century appearances for Albania later on 7 June 2011 against the same opponent as the ten-man Albania was defeated 0–2. After the end of the Euro 2012 qualification campaign in October 2011,
Altin Lala Altin Dodë Lala (born 18 November 1975) is an Albanian former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder and former manager. He spent his entire playing career in Germany and represented the Albania national football team. He ...
and
Ervin Skela Ervin Skela (born 17 November 1976) is an Albanian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He played the majority of his career in Germany, but he also played in Albania as well as Italy and Poland briefly. He is fourth most ...
retired from international football, thus making Cana the regular captain of Albania.


2012–13: Rising with De Biasi

Albania become a more dangerous opponent during the
2014 FIFA World Cup qualification The 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA#Structure, FIFA confederations. The 2014 FIFA World Cup featured 32 teams, with one place reserved for the host nation, Brazil national football team, Bra ...
under management of
Gianni De Biasi Giovanni "Gianni" De Biasi (, sq, Xhovani "Xhani" De Biazi), born 16 June 1956 is an Italian football coach and former player. He holds dual Italian and Albanian citizenship. De Biasi was the first coach of the Albania national team to lead th ...
. With Cana as captain, Albania was at one point second on the group with 4 matches remaining but the team didn't maintain the form and eventually finished 5th with 11 points. Albania reached some impressive results however, like winning 1–0 at home versus
Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...
, the first ever win against them, and achieving a historic 1–0 win against
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
. Cana was included in the best XI of the players that missed out at the
2014 FIFA World Cup The 2014 FIFA World Cup was the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national football teams organised by FIFA. It took place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014, after the country was awarded the hosting ri ...
final stages because of failing to qualify with their national team.


2014–16: Record breaking caps and UEFA Euro 2016 glory

Cana started the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying campaign by playing the full 90 minutes in an historical 1–0 away victory against
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
. It was also the first ever win against Portugal. Later on 14 October during the delicate
match A match is a tool for starting a fire. Typically, matches are made of small wooden sticks or stiff paper. One end is coated with a material that can be ignited by friction generated by striking the match against a suitable surface. Wooden matc ...
versus
Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
, Cana wrestled a Serbian fan to the ground. The fan, who had previously hit Bekim Balaj with a chair, bit Cana's finger and tried to cut it with his teeth. Cana reported that he got injured by it. After the match, Cana, along with Taulant Xhaka, were declared honorary citizens from the mayor of the city of Mitrovica, Kosovo, for the bravery shown in protecting national symbols. Cana received a similar award by the city of
Bajram Curri Bajram Curri (16 January 1862 – 29 March 1925) was an Albanian chieftain, politician and activist who struggled for the independence of Albania, later struggling for Kosovo's incorporation into it following the 1913 Treaty of London. He wa ...
in northern Albania. In the last qualifying match versus
Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''Ox ...
, Albania had only one way to secure direct qualification and that was to win at the Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium. Cana captained Albania as they achieved a historic 3–0 win which clinched them second place in
Group I Group 1 may refer to: * Alkali metal, a chemical element classification for Alkali metal * Group 1 (racing), a historic (until 1981) classification for Touring car racing, applied to standard touring cars. Comparable to modern FIA Group N * Group On ...
and a spot to the
UEFA Euro 2016 The 2016 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2016 (stylised as UEFA EURO 2016) or simply Euro 2016, was the 15th UEFA European Championship, the quadrennial international men's football championship of Europe o ...
which was Albania's first ever appearance at a major men's football tournament. On 21 May 2016, Cana was named in Albania's preliminary 27-man squad for UEFA Euro 2016, and in Albania's final 23-man UEFA Euro 2016 squad on 31 May. Cana captained Albania in their opening Group A match against Switzerland. He was booked early on for a foul on
Blerim Džemaili Blerim Džemaili ( sq, Blerim Xhemaili, ; mk, Блерим Џемаили; born 12 April 1986) is a Swiss professional footballer who plays for Super League club Zürich as a midfielder. He began his career at FC Zürich, where he won the Swi ...
before becoming the first player to be sent off in the tournament just before half-time, receiving his marching orders after handling the ball outside the box. He got returned to play as a substitute for
Migjen Basha Migjen Xhevat Basha (born 5 January 1987) is a former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. Born in Switzerland, he represented that nation at youth international levels but played for Albania at senior level. Early life ...
in the 83rd minute against
Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
in an Albania's historical 1–0 win with a goal scored by Armando Sadiku. Albania finished the group in third place with three points and a goal difference of –2, ranking last of the third-placed teams.


Retirement

Cana announced his retirement from international football on 23 June 2016. Cana is currently
Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
's all-time most capped player with 92 appearances. He also holds the records for the most appearances by an Albanian international in the
FIFA World Cup qualification The FIFA World Cup qualification is a competitive match that a national association football team takes in order to qualify for one of the available berths at the final tournament of the (men's) FIFA World Cup. Qualifying tournaments are hel ...
along
Ervin Skela Ervin Skela (born 17 November 1976) is an Albanian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He played the majority of his career in Germany, but he also played in Albania as well as Italy and Poland briefly. He is fourth most ...
with 28 in overall, for the most appearances at the
UEFA European Championship The UEFA European Football Championship, less formally the European Championship and informally the Euro, is the primary association football tournament organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). The competition is contes ...
final & qualifying phases counted together with 29 in overall and the most appearances as
captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
with 41, being such from 2011 until his participation in the first major international competition for Albania, the 2016 UEFA European Championship held in France. He has also the worst disciplinary record of any Albanian international, receiving 26 yellow cards and 2 red cards.


Post-football

On 26 October 2017 he was named by the Albanian Football Association as the grassroots ambassador for football in Albania.


Personal life

Lorik Cana is the son of retired footballer
Agim Cana Agim Cana (born 29 September 1956) is a Kosovan former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He represented Yugoslavia internationally at youth level. Personal life Cana was born in Đakovica, Yugoslavia (modern-day Gjakova, Kos ...
. His father's career brought the family to Kosovo, but because of war in the region, Lorik and his family were forced to flee to
Lausanne , neighboring_municipalities= Bottens, Bretigny-sur-Morrens, Chavannes-près-Renens, Cheseaux-sur-Lausanne, Crissier, Cugy, Écublens, Épalinges, Évian-les-Bains (FR-74), Froideville, Jouxtens-Mézery, Le Mont-sur-Lausanne, Lugrin (FR-74), ...
, Switzerland. He is a UNO-ambassador against poverty. In an interview, Cana stated that
archeology Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...
is one of his biggest interests and that he plans to work in the
Albanology Albanology, also known as Albanian studies, is an interdisciplinary branch of the humanities that addresses the language, costume, literature, art, culture and history of Albanians. Within the studies the scientific methods of literature, linguis ...
field after his footballing career after pursuing a university degree in History. He married Monica Ercoli, an Italian, on 8 June 2014 and the ceremony took place on 27 June 2014. They also have a son named Boiken. They currently reside in
Tirana Tirana ( , ; aln, Tirona) is the capital and largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest overlooking the Adriatic Sea ...
,
Albania Albania ( ; sq, Shqipëri or ), or , also or . officially the Republic of Albania ( sq, Republika e Shqipërisë), is a country in Southeastern Europe. It is located on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea and shares ...
. On 15 January 2015 Cana was named
Honorary Ambassador of Kosovo Honorary Ambassador of the Republic of Kosovo is the title given to foreign citizens and citizens originating from Kosovo, who have contributed to the national interest of Kosovo, and use their fame to help the recognition of the independence of ...
.


Career statistics


Club


International

:''Scores and results list Albania's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Cana goal''.


Honours


Club

Paris Saint-Germain * Coupe de France: 2003–04; runner-up: 2002–03 * Trophée des Champions runner-up:
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
Marseille *Coupe de France runner-up: 2005–06, 2006–07 Lazio *
Coppa Italia The ("Italy Cup") is an annual knockout cup competition in Italian football organized by the FIGC until the 2009–10 season and the Lega Serie A ever since. History The beginning of the tournament was turbulent, due to the complexity of ...
:
2012–13 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
; runner-up: 2014–15 *
Supercoppa Italiana The Supercoppa Italiana ( en, Italian Super Cup) is an annual football match contested by the winners of the Serie A and the Coppa Italia in the previous season. If the same team wins both the Serie A and Coppa Italia titles in the previous seaso ...
runner-up:
2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
,
2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...


Individual

*
Albanian Footballer of the Year Albanian Footballer of the Year is an annual award given to the best professional Albanian footballer elected by Football Association of Albania members, coaches and captains of the Kategoria Superiore clubs. The award can also be given to a forei ...
: 2003 *Albanian Fan's Footballer of the Year: 2009 *Albanian Sports Ambassador: 2018


Notes


References


External links

* * * * * *
Lorik Cana
at OM.net

at Yahoo Sports *
Lorik Cana profile
at FSHF.org
Lorik Cana – Euro 2016 profile
at FSHF.org * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cana, Lorik 1983 births Living people Sportspeople from Pristina Albanian footballers Kosovan footballers French footballers Swiss footballers Kosovo Albanians Association football central defenders Association football midfielders Paris Saint-Germain F.C. players Olympique de Marseille players Sunderland A.F.C. players Galatasaray S.K. footballers S.S. Lazio players FC Nantes players Championnat National 2 players Ligue 1 players Premier League players Süper Lig players Serie A players Albania international footballers UEFA Euro 2016 players Albanian emigrants to Switzerland Albanian emigrants to France Kosovan emigrants to Switzerland Kosovan emigrants to France Albanian expatriate footballers Kosovan expatriate footballers Albanian expatriate sportspeople in Turkey Albanian expatriate sportspeople in Italy Albanian expatriate sportspeople in England Albanian expatriate sportspeople in Switzerland Kosovan expatriate sportspeople in Switzerland Expatriate footballers in England Expatriate footballers in Turkey Expatriate footballers in Italy