Lorik Cana

At 40 years old, Lorik Cana has this physical status:

Lorik Agim Cana (born 27 July 1983) is an Albanian former professional footballer.

He is currently the Grassroots ambassador for children's football in Albania, who was appointed by the Albanian Football Association on October 26th. Cana starred in France, England, Italy, and Turkey, representing Paris Saint-Germain, Sunderland, Galataray, Lazio, FC Nantes, and Olympique de Marseille, as well as Albania's national team for which he held the record for Albania's most capped player of all time from 2003 to his retirement in 2016.

He used to play primarily as a defensive and central midfielder, but then switched to center-back.

He was involved in Albania's first big international competition, the UEFA Euro 2016, which took place in France. Cana was invited to Arsenal for a trial but he was unable to attend because he was refused a British visa.

He began his senior football career with Paris Saint-Germain before joining rivals Olympique de Marseille in 2004, who then signed him as captain.

Cana made his Sunderland debut in 2009, becoming Albania's first player to play in the Premier League.

He later joined Galatasaray, Turkey's most renowned football team.

Cana has joined Italian Serie A club Lazio, where he spent four years.

Cana returned to France in 2015, where he began his career, after settling for Nantes for two years. Cana was allowed to play for either Albania, Switzerland, or France as long as he had all three passports.

At the age of 19, he opted Albania and made his international debut in June 2003.

Cana is Albania's most captained player of all time with 92 caps, where he was named captain in 2011.

Cana, the UEFA Euro 2016 Cana, has announced his retirement from football.

Early life

Lorik Cana was born in Pristina, Kosovo, and came from parents from Gjakova. Agim Cana, a former football player of FC Prishtina, is his uncle. Since being five years old and describing himself as an avid fan of the team, Cana has attended every match of Pristina. Cana's father's involvement in football inspired him to try football. Due to the Yugoslav Wars, the entire family fled to Switzerland in 1992.

Personal life

Lorik Cana is the son of retired footballer Agim Cana. Lorik and his family were forced to leave Lausanne, Switzerland, due to the war in the region. His father's work brought the family to Kosovo, but the family was forced to flee to Lausanne, Switzerland. He is a UNO-ambassador against hunger. Cana said in an interview that archeology is one of his top interests, and that he wants to work in Albanology after obtaining a university degree in History. Monica Ercoli, an Italian, married him on June 8, 2014, and the wedding took place on June 27, 2014. They also have a son named Boiken. They currently live in Tirana, Albania. Cana was appointed Honorary Ambassador of Kosovo on January 15, 2015, on January 15th.

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Club career

Cana played for the Albanian team in Lausanne in 1997, coached by his father. He played for Dardania until 2000, when he was spotted and signed by French club Paris Saint-Germain.

Cana had been invited to Arsenal in 2000 at the age of 16, but he was unable to attend because he was refused a British visa. It was then that Paris Saint-Germain, which had profited from the situation and welcomed him for a week trial. Antoine Kombouaré, the Paris Saint-Germain Reserves coach, was seduced by Cana's talent, and Cana has since signed a Paris Saint-Germain contract. He spent three years with Paris Saint-Germain in the French club's ranks. Cana made only four appearances in his first season with PSG Reserves. In the next season, he sustained a knee injury and made only 12 appearances, scoring his first goal. Cana made a name for himself in his third season, posting 21 appearances and scoring a goal. Cana's first team coach, Luis Fernández, welcomed him to his training session and then the season ended, and with PSG having no one to play for in the league, the Parisian coach had the opportunity to rotate his squad. Cana's senior team played in the full 90 minutes against Nantes on April 19th and gave an assist for his team's only goal, which resulted in a 1-1 draw. In his PSG debut, he was named Man of the Match. He continued to play in other two matches, one as a starter until halftime and one as the full 90 minutes.

He established himself as a starter under coach Valiant Halilhod's guidance, and was affiliated with another young defensive midfielder, Modeste M'bami, during the 2003-2004 season. Despite their inexperience, they played a significant role in the team's winning season, where Cana himself played 32 games and scored one goal as the team defeated France and finished second in Ligue 1, making it one of his career's most fruitful seasons. This was repeated in the coming season, when he appeared 32 games for the Paris team and scored one goal.

Nevertheless, there was a change of coach at Paris Saint-Germain and Cana at the start of the 2005–06 season, but it didn't stay out of favour. This led him to move to Marseille, France, to join Marseille. Cana scored in the 78th minute after joining OM and scoring the winning goal in the first match between Marseille and his former club, PSG; Cana scored in the 78th minute following a free kick. Cana's first season with 43 games in all competitions, 28 full 90 minutes in league matches, six in cup, 1 in league cup, and 8 in UEFA Cup 2005-06. Marseille gained 60 points in the 2006 UEFA Intertoto Cup, an improvement over previous seasons, and finished 5th in the standings for a spot in the tournament. Marseille lost 1–2 to Cana's former team PSG in the 2006 Coupe de France Final, defeating them 1–2.

He kept his starting position under coach Albert Emon during the 2006–07 season. He appeared in 33 straight 90 minutes in Marseille, assisting the runners-up with 64 points behind Lyon. In the whole 2006–07 Coupe de France, he was a captain leading his team until the final, where Marseille lost 4–5 against Sochaux-Montbéliard on May 12, where Cana himself scored the 3rd penalty take.

Cana became the team's captain after Habib Beye's transfer to Newcastle United in the summer of 2007. Cana's team lost 34 out 38 overall league games, securing them the qualification for the UEFA Champions League for next season in his first season as a captain. Cana appeared in all six UEFA Champions League group stage matches between 2007 and 2008. Marseille defeated 2007 runners-up Liverpool 1–0, becoming the first French team to win at Anfield, and the team took six points from their first two games. They only played one more game, and losing 4–0 to Liverpool in a winner-takes-all final group game, thus qualifying for the 2007-08 UEFA Cup final round, which will see Cana playing the full 90 minutes against Spartak Moscow in both legs. In every match, he was also given a yellow card, causing him to be out of action in the last 16 first-leg match against Zenit Saint Petersburg. Marseille prevailed the match 3–1. He played full in the second leg, losing Marseille by 2–0 to Marseille on away goals. Cana was moved to center-back in the second half of the season.

Cana's new season was marked by Belgian Eric Gerets, much like his previous two years at Marseille. He was the team's captain for 48 total games, scoring a career-high 3 goals and also helping with 3 goals. As Marseille boasted the third-best attack in the league behind champions Lyon and Bordeaux, who finished first and second in the respective league, cana formed partnerships in the midfield with wingers Mathieu Valbuena, Samir Nasri, and midfielder Benoît Cheyrou.

Cana left the club for English Premier League side Sunderland in August 2009. However, he did not win a single trophy in his four years in Southern France. During that time, he was described as a devoted defender during his time, but now he says Marseille was his all-time favorite team and that if they gave him an opportunity would have missed him.

On July 24, 2009, Cana joined Sunderland on a four-year deal for a fee of around £5 million. Steve Bruce was given the team's captaincy shortly by, but Bruce later reported that no captain had been confirmed. Cana made his league debut with Sunderland on August 15th and defeated Bolton Wanderers 1–0, becoming the first Albanian player to play in the Premier League. On September 3, he was named Sunderland's captain for the 2009–10 season. In all sports, he led his team to 35 games. Sunderland finished 13th in the league and advanced to the last 16 in EFL Cup and the 4th round of FA Cup, reaching the 13th position.

Cana accepted Galatasaray's €4.5 million transfer fee on July 8, 2010. He has been in the company for four years, earning more than €2 million a year as a result of appearances. During the season, he was hampered by a back injury. Cana struggled to make a lot of difference in the case during the entire season, but he was also a fan of the fans due to his tenacity on the field.

Cana completed a transfer to Lazio, Italy, on July 3, 2011 as part of Fernando Muslera's transfer to Galatasaray. With the player's contract dated to June 2016, the deal was concluded for €800,000. He was given squad number 27 and made his competitive debut on September 21st by appearing in the last minutes of the 1–2 win over Cesena's last minutes. On his seventh appearance on Lazio after losing by a final 2–3 margins on his seventh birthday, he made his first score-sheet appearance on his 7th appearance. Cana's first months at the capital club were marred by constant niggling ailments, and Lazio announced on January 31, 2012 that Cana will miss six weeks due to a back injury sustained in training.

Following their return, cana has shown his form, winning a spot in the starting lineup and also due to Lazio's players being haunted by injuries and suspensions. On May 6, 2012, he scored a 25-yard goal against Atalanta to keep Lazio's UEFA Champions League hopes alive. As Lazio finished fourth in the championship standings, he marked his first season in Rome by making 15 league appearances.

Cana was hired as center-back under new boss Vladimir Petkovi in the 2012–13 season. The step was lauded by Italian media. Cana defeated Borussia Mönchengladbach 16 2–0 on February 23, 2013, earning him a spot in the UEFA's best XI of the week. Cana spent the 2012-2013 season between bench and playing field, earning 38 appearances in all leagues, including 24 in league. He made 5 cup appearances, including the final, as Lazio defeated Roma to win the trophy for the sixth time. This victory was his first trophy victory at Lazio.

Cana was a regular starter during the 2013-14 campaign. On November 24, 2013, he scored his first goal of the season, as a last-minute substitute to save a 1-1 draw at Sampdoria. It was his first goal after 18 months. However, Cana's second game under new manager Edy Reja was difficult to play in, as the Italian did not recognize him as a lineup player. Lazio defeated Fiorentina 1–0 on March 2nd, Cana's second game of the season after an early penalty by a bicycle kick. Cana played 32 games in all competitions, finishing his second Lazio season. Cana was ranked fourth-best defender in Serie A with 344 balls recovered in 16 matches.

Cana's minutes in the 2014-15 season suffered due to jealousy with newly signed defenders Stefan de Vrij and Santiago Gentiletti. Cana lost in the first match of 2014–15 Serie A versus Milan, a 1–3 loss at San Siro. In the 1–2 win over Parma over the weekend, he made his 100th appearance in Lazio on December 7th by turning in as a substitute. He spent the bulk of his fourth season in Italy on the bench, with just 20 appearances between league and cup. He left the club shortly after.

Cana retired from Lazio, Italy, after four years with Lazio on August 31, 2015, when he signed a two-year deal with Nantes. During the 1–0 away loss to Monaco on November 21, 2015, he played his 200th Ligue 1 match.

In the summer of 2016, he left the club.

International career

Cana was eligible to play for Albania, Switzerland, or France as long as he held all three passports. After being invited by then coach Hans-Peter Briegel, his choice was Albania. Cana's international debut took place on June 11, 2003 at the age of 19. He was brought on as a replacement in the Euro 2004 qualifying match against Switzerland, which ended in a 2-3 away loss. He continued to play two other games in the qualifying season, both against Georgia, as Albania failed to secure a spot in the final tournament by finishing fourth in Group 10 with only 8 points.

Cana was forced to center-back in the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification due to the absence of Geri ipi. He was a regular starter under Hans-Peter Briegel and did well, missing just matchday 8 against Georgia due to the yellow card suspension, despite Albania finishing 5th in Group 2 at Group 2. Cana scored his first international goal on his 16th appearance, scoring the second of his 2–1 victory over Azerbaijan at Qemal Stafa Stadium.

Cana was given a new job under new manager Otto Bari, who renamed him as a defensive midfielder alongside Altin Lala. Cana received his first red card in Albania colours on September 12, 2007, after an altercation with Wesley Sneijder and Ruud van Nistelrooy; with ten men Albania conceded a 91st-minute goal to lose the game 0–1. Cana was suspended for two next matches as a result of his conduct. Cana returned to the field on Friday in the match against Belarus, where he was assisting Erjon Bogdani's temporary equalizer. Albania eventually lost by 2–4 in a home loss. Albania ended the campaign ranking in the 5th place out of seven teams of Group G with 11 points equalized to Slovenia, but ahead due to a higher goal difference. Cana himself has appeared in 8 matches.

Cana maintained his status as a regular starter in the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification, with 720 minutes from eight matches as Albania finished Group 1 in 5th place, leaving only Malta. He began his qualifying season as a defensive midfielder and then progressed to center-back, often along Debatik Curri.

For the first time in a friendly match against Montenegro on May 25, Cana captained Albania for the first time. In the matchday 3 of UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying, he played his first competitive match as captain against Bosnia and Herzegovina on October 8, 2010. At Qemal Stafa Stadium, the match came to a 1-1 draw, putting Albania temporarily on top. Cana played half-century for Albania against the same opponent ten-man Albania lost 0–2. Cana has been Albania's regular captain after the conclusion of the Euro 2012 qualifying season in October 2011.

Albania is now a more threatening opponent in 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification under Gianni De Biasi's leadership. Albania was one point second on the team with four matches remaining, with Cana as captain, but the team didn't have the same results and ultimately finished 5th with 11 points. Albania posted some promising results against Slovenia, the first time they have beat Slovenia, and they defeated Norway 12-0.

Cana was selected in the top XI of the 2014 FIFA World Cup final stages because of a player's inability to qualify with their national team.

Cana started the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying campaign by playing the full 90 minutes against Portugal in a historic 1–0 away win. It was also the first victory against Portugal in history. Cana grappled a Serbian fan to the ground on October 14th, then to the ground later today during the tense match versus Serbia. The fan, who had previously struck Bekim Balaj with a chair, bit Cana's finger and tried to cut it with his teeth. Cana said he was injured by the device. Cana and Taulant Xhaka were named honorary citizens from the city of Mitrovica, Kosovo, for the bravery displayed in defending national symbols after the match. In northern Albania, Cana was given a similar award by Bajram Curri.

Albania had only one way to secure direct qualification in the last qualifier versus Armenia, and that was to win at the Valiant Sargsyan Republican Stadium. Cana captained Albania in a 2-1 victory that clinched them second place in Group I and a spot in the UEFA Euro 2016 tournament, Albania's first appearance at a major men's football tournament.

Cana was named in Albania's preliminary 27-man squad for UEFA Euro 2016, as well as Albania's final 23-man UEFA Euro 2016 squad on May 21.

In their first Group A match against Switzerland, Cana captained Albania. He was arrested early on for a foul on Blerim D'emaili before being sent off in the tournament right before halftime, receiving his marching orders after handling the ball outside the box. In the 83rd minute against Romania in Albania's historic 1–0 victory with Armando Sadiku's goal, he came back to play as a substitute. Albania finished third in third place with three points and a goal difference of –2, placing third among the third-placed teams.

Cana announced his retirement from international football on June 23rd.

Cana is Albania's all-capped player with 92 appearances. Ervin Skela, the most appearances by an Albanian national in the FIFA World Cup qualification, stood out with 29 in total and the most appearances as captain with 41, the first major international tournament for Albania held in France, being such from 2011 to his participation in the first major international competition for Albania, the 2016 European Championship Championships held in France. He also has the worst criminal record of any Albanian international, receiving 26 yellow cards and two red cards.

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