Manuel Lucena
{{short description|Spanish footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{family name hatnote|Lucena|Medina|lang=Spanish}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Manolo Lucena
| image =
| fullname = Manuel Lucena Medina
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1982|11|18|df=y}}
| birth_place = Granada, Spain
| height = {{convert|1.86|m|ftin|0|abbr=on}}
| position = Centre-back
| currentclub =
| clubnumber =
| youthyears1 = 2000–2001 | youthclubs1 = Imperio Albolote
| years1 = 2001–2002 | clubs1 = Arenas | caps1 = | goals1 =
| years2 = 2002–2005 | clubs2 = Granada | caps2 = 64 | goals2 = 4
| years3 = 2004–2005 | clubs3 = → Marino (loan) | caps3 = 32 | goals3 = 6
| years4 = 2005 | clubs4 = Sporting Gijón | caps4 = 3 | goals4 = 0
| years5 = 2006–2013 | clubs5 = Granada | caps5 = 181 | goals5 = 15
| years6 = 2013–2014 | clubs6 = Mirandés | caps6 = 11 | goals6 = 0
| totalcaps = 291 | totalgoals = 25
| club-update =
}}
Manuel 'Manolo' Lucena Medina (born 18 November 1982) is a Spanish former footballer who played as a central defender.
His professional career was mainly associated with Granada, with which he competed in all four major levels of Spanish football.[https://as.com/futbol/2019/10/04/primera/1570220369_900476.html Manolo Lucena: un héroe en Tercera, Segunda B, Segunda y Primera (Manolo Lucena: hero in Tercera, Segunda B, Segunda and Primera)]; Diario AS, 4 October 2019 (in Spanish)
Club career
Lucena was born in Granada, Andalusia. In 2002 he signed for his hometown's Granada CF, at the time in the Tercera División. After two years as a starter he was loaned to Marino de Luanco of Segunda División B, being first-choice in his only season as the Asturias club narrowly avoided relegation.[https://www.granadahoy.com/deportes/Lucena-hace-historia_0_449955573.html Lucena hace historia (Lucena makes history)]; Granada Hoy, 9 February 2011 (in Spanish)
In the summer of 2005, Lucena joined Sporting de Gijón in the Segunda División. In January 2006, with only three league appearances to his credit – seven minutes in total – he returned to Granada, scoring five goals as the team promoted from the fourth division.
Lucena remained a key player in the following three third-tier campaigns, never appearing in less than 32 league games and occasionally pitching in at defensive midfielder.[http://www.tablondeportivo.com/index.php/mas-futbol/el-nomada-granadino/1106-manolo-lucena-el-corazon-rojiblancol: Manolo Lucena, el 'controller' rojiblanco (Manolo Lucena, red-and-black controller)]; Tablón Deportivo, 29 September 2010 (in Spanish) In 2009–10, already as team captain, he contributed 26 matches and one goal en route to a return to division two 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.[https://www.marca.com/2011/06/19/futbol/equipos/granada/1308510081.html El Granada se da un baño de masas por su ascenso a Primera (Granada drown in the masses for promotion to Primera)]; Marca, 19 June 2011 (in Spanish)[http://granadacf.ideal.es/noticias/2011-06-26/277323-manolo-lucena-renueva-contrato-granada.html 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) He made his La Liga debut on 27 August in a 0–1 home loss against Real Betis (90 minutes played),[http://www.elpais.com/articulo/deportes/Ruben/Castro/hace/justicia/elpepudep/20110828elpepudep_1/Tes Rubén Castro hace justicia (Rubén Castro does justice)]; El País, 27 August 2011 (in Spanish) but totalled only nine official games over two seasons, being released subsequently.
Lucena retired at the end of the 2013–14 campaign at the age of 31, following a spell with CD Mirandés in the second tier.[https://www.marca.com/2013/07/30/futbol/equipos/mirandes/1375170727.html El Mirandés confirma el fichaje del defensa Lucena (Mirandés confirm signing of defender Lucena)]; Marca, 30 July 2013 (in Spanish) In February 2015, he returned to Granada as match delegate.[http://granadacf.ideal.es/noticias/201502/10/granada-ficha-nuevo-lucena-20150210140246.html El Granada ficha de nuevo a Lucena (Granada sign Lucena again)]; Ideal, 10 February 2015 (in Spanish)
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{BDFutbol|5620}}
- {{Soccerway|manuel-lucena-medina/59933}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lucena, Manuel}}
Category:21st-century Spanish sportsmen
Category:Spanish men's footballers
Category:Footballers from Granada
Category:Men's association football central defenders
Category:Segunda División players
Category:Segunda División B players
Category:Tercera División players
Category:CD Imperio de Albolote players
Category:Granada CF footballers
Category:Marino de Luanco footballers