Manuel Lucena

Manuel 'Manolo' Lucena Medina (born 18 November 1982) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a central defender.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Lucena and the second or maternal family name is Medina.
Manolo Lucena
Personal information
Full name Manuel Lucena Medina
Date of birth (1982-11-18) 18 November 1982
Place of birth Granada, Spain
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Centre back
Youth career
2000–2001 Imperio Albolote
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2001–2002 Arenas
2002–2004 Granada 64 (4)
2004–2005 Marino 32 (6)
2005 Sporting Gijón 3 (0)
2006–2013 Granada 181 (15)
2013–2014 Mirandés 11 (0)
Total 291 (25)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

His professional career was mainly associated with Granada, with which he competed in all four major levels of Spanish football.

Club career

Lucena was born in Granada, Andalusia. In 2002 he joined hometown's Granada CF, at the time in Tercera División. After two years as a starter he signed for Marino de Luanco in Segunda División B, being first-choice in his only season as the Asturias club narrowly avoided relegation.

In the summer of 2005, Lucena moved to Sporting de Gijón in Segunda División. In January of the following year, after only three league appearances – seven minutes in total – he returned to Granada, being an essential defensive unit and scoring five goals as the team promoted from the fourth level.

In the following three division three campaigns, Lucena remained a key player for Granada, never appearing in less than 32 league games and occasionally pitching in at defensive midfielder.[1] In 2009–10, already as team captain, he contributed with 26 matches and one goal en route to a return to the second division after 22 years.

In late June 2011, after a second consecutive promotion for Granada, with him as the club's only player from the region of Granada, Lucena renewed his contract for a further two seasons.[2] He made his La Liga debut on 27 August in a 0–1 home loss against Real Betis (90 minutes played),[3] but featured in only nine official contests over the course of two seasons combined, being released subsequently.

Lucena retired at the end of the 2013–14 campaign at the age of 31, after 12 competitive appearances with CD Mirandés in the second level. In February 2015 he returned to Granada, as match delegate.[4]

References
  1. Manolo Lucena, el 'controller' rojiblanco (Manolo Lucena, red-and-black controller); Tablón Deportivo, 29 September 2010 (in Spanish)
  2. El capitán Manolo Lucena renueva su contrato con el Granada CF (Captain Manolo Lucena renews his contract with Granada CF); Ideal, 26 June 2011 (in Spanish)
  3. Rubén Castro hace justicia (Rubén Castro does justice); El País, 27 August 2011 (in Spanish)
  4. El Granada ficha de nuevo a Lucena (Granada sign Lucena again); Ideal, 10 February 2015 (in Spanish)
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