Lorik Cana

Lorik Cana was born in Pristina, Kosovo, to parents originally from Gjakova. He is the son of Agim Cana, a former footballer who played for Prishtina. From an early age, Lorik regularly attended Prishtina's matches and described himself as an avid supporter of the team. Inspired by his father's career, he developed a passion for football, which he began to pursue after his family emigrated to Switzerland in 1992, amid the Yugoslav Wars. ==Club career==

Early career / Paris Saint-Germain In 1997, Cana joined the local club Dardania Lausanne, an amateur side founded by the Albanian community in Lausanne and coached by his father, Agim. He played at Dardania until 2000, when he was spotted and signed by French club Paris Saint-Germain. While still at Dardania, Cana was invited for a trial with Arsenal in 2000 at the age of 16 but was unable to attend because he was denied a British visa. He spent three seasons developing through the PSG ranks. During the 2000–01 season, while still involved with the youth sides, Cana made only four appearances with the reserves. The following season (2001–02), he suffered a knee injury but managed 12 appearances and scored his first goal. The following season (2002–03), he became a regular, making 21 appearances and scoring once, as the team won Group A of the league and earned promotion to Championnat National 1. He went on to make two further appearances that season. During the 2003–04 season, Cana established himself as a starter under coach Vahid Halilhodžić and was paired in midfield with another young defensive player, Modeste M'bami. Cana remained a regular fixture for PSG throughout the following season (2004–05). He made his European debut in the UEFA Champions League group stage on 14 September 2004, playing the full 90 minutes in a 0–3 home loss against Chelsea. A week later, he scored his first goal of the season, opening the scoring in the 45th minute of a 2–2 draw against RC Lens. Throughout the Champions League group stage, Cana was ever-present, starting in all six matches and helping PSG to notable results, including a home win and an away draw against reigning champions Porto and a draw against Chelsea. However, two defeats to CSKA Moscow left the team bottom of Group H. Cana also made one appearance each in the Coupe de France—where PSG reached the Round of 16—and the Coupe de la Ligue, exiting in the third round. In total, he recorded 40 appearances across all competitions for the season, receiving 11 yellow cards. He finished his first season at the club with 43 appearances in all competitions — 28 in Ligue 1, six in the Coupe de France, one in the Coupe de la Ligue and eight in the UEFA Cup 2005–06. Marseille recorded 60 league points, improving on the previous campaign to finish fifth in the table and qualify for the 2006 UEFA Intertoto Cup. The club also reached the 2006 Coupe de France Final, losing 1–2 against Cana's former side PSG. He retained his starting place during the 2006–07 season under coach Albert Emon. Cana featured in 33 full league matches as Marseille finished runners-up with 64 points, behind Lyon. He captained the team throughout the 2006–07 Coupe de France, leading them to another final, which Marseille lost 4–5 on penalties to Sochaux-Montbéliard after a 2–2 draw, with Cana successfully converting his spot-kick. 2007–08 season in 2008 Cana was named the club's captain following the departure of Habib Beye to Newcastle United in the summer of 2007. In his first season as captain, he led the team in 34 out of 38 Ligue 1 matches, helping Marseille finish third and qualify for the following season’s UEFA Champions League. Cana also appeared in all six Champions League group stage fixtures. Marseille became the first French club to win at Anfield, defeating 2007 runners-up Liverpool 1–0, and collected six points from their opening two matches. Despite a strong start, they eventually finished third in their group, qualifying for the 2007–08 UEFA Cup final phase, where Marseille eliminated Spartak Moscow before being knocked out by eventual winners Zenit Saint Petersburg. Cana missed the first leg of the round of 16 through suspension but returned for the second leg, playing the full 90 minutes. He was soon handed the captaincy by manager Steve Bruce, although Bruce initially stated that the team's permanent captain had yet to be decided. Cana made his Premier League debut on 15 August 2009, delivering an impressive performance in a 1–0 away victory over Bolton Wanderers, becoming the first Albanian footballer to appear in the Premier League. On 3 September 2009, he was officially appointed as Sunderland’s club captain for the 2009–10 season. He made 35 appearances in all competitions, leading the team to a 13th-place finish in the league, the FA Cup fourth round, and the EFL Cup round of 16. 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. During November 2010, Cana suffered an ankle injury which briefly sidelined him from the squad. He was soon reinstated as a key starter under new coach Gheorghe Hagi, who was appointed shortly afterwards. Under Hagi, Cana became an undisputed starter, playing nearly all matches for 90 minutes and regaining his form and confidence. On 23 March 2011, following continued poor results that left the team outside the top 10, Hagi was dismissed from his position as head coach. Bülent Ünder was appointed as interim manager for the remaining eight league matches of the season. Cana featured only briefly during this period due to a muscle tear injury that sidelined him for several weeks. Lazio On 3 July 2011, Cana completed a transfer to Italian Serie A club Lazio as part of Fernando Muslera'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. His first score-sheet contributions came on his 7th Lazio appearance later on 10 December versus Lecce, 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, to keep Lazio's UEFA Champions League hopes alive. He concluded his first season in Rome by making 15 league appearances as Lazio finished 4th in the championship. Cana begun utilised as centre-back 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 which earned him a place at UEFA'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 as Lazio beat city rivals Roma 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. It was his first goal after 18 months. However, Cana struggled to play in the second part under new manager Edy Reja, 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. 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 and Santiago Gentiletti. Cana however played full-90 minutes in the opening match of 2014–15 Serie A versus Milan, a 1–3 loss at San Siro. He made his 100th Lazio appearance on 7 December by entering as a substitute in the 1–2 win over Parma. 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 in 2015 After four years in Italy with Lazio, on 31 August 2015 Cana returned to Ligue 1 by signing a two-year contract with Nantes. He made his competitive debut for Nantes in September and soon became one of the team's most experienced figures. During the 2015–16 Ligue 1 season, Cana made 21 league appearances, mostly playing the full 90 minutes, although he also spent several matches as an unused substitute. Retirement After leaving Nantes in the summer of 2016, Cana remained without a club amid reports that he was suffering from heart-related health problems that prevented him from continuing to play at a professional level. In an interview with L'Équipe published in October 2017, he revealed that he had been diagnosed with myocarditis — an inflammation of the heart muscle — following a viral infection, and that medical specialists had advised him to end his career for health reasons. Cana stated that he had effectively stopped playing shortly after captaining Albania at UEFA Euro 2016, describing his condition as a key factor in the decision. ==International career==

2002–09: First years Cana was eligible to play for either Albania, Switzerland or France, as he held all three passports. Cana received his Albanian passport on 6 March 2003, and made his competitive debut a few months later, on 11 June 2003 at the age of 19, appearing as a substitute in the Euro 2004 qualifying match versus Switzerland, finished in a 3–2 away loss. He went on to play 2 other matches in the qualifying campaign, both versus Georgia in September, as Albania lost away 3–0 and took a win home 3–1, finishing 4th above Georgia in Group 10 with 8 points. Cana was switched to centre-back in the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification 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. Cana scored his first international goal on his 16th appearance, netting the second of the 2–1 win over Azerbaijan at Qemal Stafa Stadium. Cana was given a new role under new manager Otto Barić, who switched him as a defensive midfielder along with Altin Lala. During the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying, Cana received his first red card in Albania colours on 12 September 2007 in the match against Netherlands 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. 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 where he provided an assist for Erjon Bogdani'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 with 11 points equalled to Slovenia 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, collecting 720 minutes from 8 matches as Albania finished Group 1 in 5th place, leaving behind only Malta. He started the qualifying campaign by playing as a defensive midfielder and subsequently played as a centre-back, often along Debatik Curri. Cana captained Albania for the first time in a friendly game against Montenegro on 25 May 2010. His first competitive match as captain was on 8 October 2010 against Bosnia and Herzegovina 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 and Ervin Skela 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 under management of Gianni De Biasi. With Cana as captain, Albania was at one point second on the group with 4 matches remaining but the team did not maintain the form and eventually finished 5th with 11 points. Albania reached some impressive results however, like winning 1–0 at home versus Slovenia, the first ever win against them, and achieving a historic 1–0 win against Norway. Cana was included in the best XI of the players that missed out at the 2014 FIFA World Cup 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. It was also the first ever win against Portugal. Later on 14 October during the delicate match versus Serbia, Cana wrestled a Serbian fan to the ground. The fan had previously hit Bekim Balaj with a chair, bit Cana's finger and tried to cut it with his teeth. Cana reported that he had been injured by this. 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 in northern Albania. In the last qualifying match versus Armenia, 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 and a spot to the UEFA Euro 2016 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 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 in the 83rd minute against Romania 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 and stats Cana announced his retirement from international football on 23 June 2016. Cana was Albania's all-time most capped player with 94 appearances until October 2025 when it was surpassed by Elseid Hysaj. He also holds the records for the most appearances by an Albanian international in the FIFA World Cup qualification along Ervin Skela with 28 in overall, for the most appearances at the UEFA European Championship final and qualifying phases counted together with 29 in overall and the most appearances as captain 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==

Cana is the son of retired footballer Agim Cana. He is a UNO ambassador against poverty. In an interview, Cana stated that archeology is one of his biggest interests and that he plans to work in the Albanology field after his footballing career, following his university degree in history. On 15 January 2015, Cana was named Honorary Ambassador of Kosovo. Cana is a cousin of siblings Genta Cana, a former sports presenter at Klan Kosova and Granit Cana, a former footballer known for his appearances in the Kosovo First League and in the Albanian Kategoria Superiore with Teuta, where after retiring from football, he participated in Big Brother VIP Albania season 1 in 2022. ==Career statistics==

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

Paris Saint-Germain runner-up: 2002–03 • Trophée des Champions runner-up: 2004 Marseille • Coupe de France runner-up: 2005–06, 2006–07 Lazio ==Notes==