# Lorik Cana
**Lorik Cana** (Lorik Agim Cana, born 1983 in Pristina) is an Albanian former professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder and central defender, captained both [Olympique de Marseille](https://www.edgepedia.org/olympique-de-marseille) and the Albania national team, and led Albania to its first major tournament at UEFA EURO 2016.[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/history/news/0253-0d805242b46c-28c5721ad410-1000--stars-of-uefa-euro-2016-albania-s-lorik-cana/) Born in Kosovo, he represented Albania internationally and earned 93 caps as the national team's captain.[2](https://aab-edu.net/en/persons/lorik-cana-2/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Position | Defensive midfielder, also center back; right-footed, 1.86 m[3](https://www.premierleague.com/en/players/16106/lorik-cana/career) |
| Honors | Coupe de France 2004 (PSG); Coppa Italia 2013 (Lazio); Coupe de France finalist 2006 and 2007 (Marseille)[4](https://www.lequipe.fr/fiche/lorik-cana/227853) • [5](https://app.francefootball.fr/fiche/joueur/lorik-cana/18899) |
| Albania record | 93 caps as captain; debut 11 June 2003, Switzerland 3-2 Albania[2](https://aab-edu.net/en/persons/lorik-cana-2/) |
| EURO 2016 | Captained Albania to its first major final tournament; started all eight qualifiers[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/history/news/0253-0d805242b46c-28c5721ad410-1000--stars-of-uefa-euro-2016-albania-s-lorik-cana/) |
## Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille
Cana began his senior career at Paris Saint-Germain, where he started out as a holding midfielder.[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/history/news/0253-0d805242b46c-28c5721ad410-1000--stars-of-uefa-euro-2016-albania-s-lorik-cana/) He was part of the PSG side that won the 2004 [Coupe de France](https://www.edgepedia.org/coupe-de-france).[4](https://www.lequipe.fr/fiche/lorik-cana/227853) In August 2005 he moved to Olympique de Marseille, a transfer completed on 25 August 2005 for an undisclosed fee.[6](https://www.skysports.com/football/player/4756/lorik-cana)
At [Marseille](https://www.edgepedia.org/marseille) he became a central figure. On the eve of the 2007-08 season he took the captaincy, replacing Habib Beye, who had departed for Newcastle United.[7](https://albanopedia.com/biographies/lorik-cana) Under coach Erik Gerets the team came close to the French title, and Cana reached two Coupe de France finals with the club, in 2006 and 2007, losing both.[8](https://www.calciomio.fr/archive/cana-lorik_100028.html) • [5](https://app.francefootball.fr/fiche/joueur/lorik-cana/18899) He made more than 200 [Ligue 1](https://www.edgepedia.org/ligue-1) appearances across his French career.[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/history/news/0253-0d805242b46c-28c5721ad410-1000--stars-of-uefa-euro-2016-albania-s-lorik-cana/)
## Sunderland, Galatasaray, and Lazio
In July 2009 Cana joined [Sunderland](https://www.edgepedia.org/sunderland) in the Premier League on a four-year contract, for a fee of £5.0 million, and quickly became the club's captain.[9](https://www.11v11.com/players/lorik-cana-20264/) • [6](https://www.skysports.com/football/player/4756/lorik-cana) • [8](https://www.calciomio.fr/archive/cana-lorik_100028.html) He stayed only one season in England, making 31 Premier League appearances without scoring.[3](https://www.premierleague.com/en/players/16106/lorik-cana/career)
He moved to Galatasaray on 8 July 2010, again for £5.0 million, and spent a single season in Turkey.[6](https://www.skysports.com/football/player/4756/lorik-cana) Lazio then bought him for €6,500,000, with the transfer registered on 3 July 2011 for an undisclosed fee in [Sky Sports](https://www.edgepedia.org/sky-sports)' record.[7](https://albanopedia.com/biographies/lorik-cana) • [6](https://www.skysports.com/football/player/4756/lorik-cana) In four seasons in Rome, from 2011 to 2015, he won the 2013 [Coppa Italia](https://www.edgepedia.org/coppa-italia), his second major club trophy.[2](https://aab-edu.net/en/persons/lorik-cana-2/) • [4](https://www.lequipe.fr/fiche/lorik-cana/227853)
## Albania captain
Cana debuted for Albania on 11 June 2003 in a European Championship qualifier, a 3-2 defeat in Switzerland, and went on to make 93 appearances as national captain.[2](https://aab-edu.net/en/persons/lorik-cana-2/) UEFA described him as a three-time Albanian Player of the Year and a powerful, intimidating defender who filled the defensive gap left by Besnik Hasi's 2007 retirement.[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/history/news/0253-0d805242b46c-28c5721ad410-1000--stars-of-uefa-euro-2016-albania-s-lorik-cana/)
**The Belgrade drone match.** During EURO 2016 qualifying, a match between Serbia and Albania in Belgrade in October 2014 was abandoned after a drone carrying an Albanian flag flew over the stadium. Cana, Albania's captain, protected the drone-flown flag from Serbia players. The [Court of Arbitration for Sport](https://www.edgepedia.org/court-of-arbitration-for-sport) later blamed Serbian organizers for the game not being completed, overturned UEFA's default win for Serbia, and awarded Albania a 3-0 victory, a verdict that helped lift Albania into the qualifying group's top spot above Denmark.[10](https://apnews.com/article/25ab540cb7c7bf71fb725fb72883d86e) Albania finished second in its EURO 2016 qualifying group, behind Portugal and above Denmark, with Cana starting all eight qualifiers.[10](https://apnews.com/article/25ab540cb7c7bf71fb725fb72883d86e) • [1](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/history/news/0253-0d805242b46c-28c5721ad410-1000--stars-of-uefa-euro-2016-albania-s-lorik-cana/) • [12](https://euro.fshf.org/albania-win-in-armenia-to-confirm-qualification-for-first-major-tournament/)
## EURO 2016
Albania's debut at a major final tournament came in France, where Cana's long French club experience was expected to help the squad.[1](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/history/news/0253-0d805242b46c-28c5721ad410-1000--stars-of-uefa-euro-2016-albania-s-lorik-cana/) It ended early for the captain: in the opening group match against Switzerland he was sent off in the 36th minute, leaving Albania a player short for more than half the game as they lost to a [Fabian Schär](https://www.edgepedia.org/fabian-schar) goal.[11](https://as.com/us/2016/06/23/futbol/1466705398_075458.html) The Spanish newspaper AS later named his dismissal among the tournament's most disappointing individual performances, noting that without the red card Albania might have reached the round of 16.[11](https://as.com/us/2016/06/23/futbol/1466705398_075458.html)
## References
1. [Stars of UEFA EURO 2016: Albania's Lorik Cana, UEFA.com](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/history/news/0253-0d805242b46c-28c5721ad410-1000--stars-of-uefa-euro-2016-albania-s-lorik-cana/)
2. [Lorik Cana, Kolegji AAB](https://aab-edu.net/en/persons/lorik-cana-2/)
3. [Lorik Cana, Player Profile, Premier League](https://www.premierleague.com/en/players/16106/lorik-cana/career)
4. [Lorik Cana, fiche joueur, L'Équipe](https://www.lequipe.fr/fiche/lorik-cana/227853)
5. [Lorik Cana, France Football](https://app.francefootball.fr/fiche/joueur/lorik-cana/18899)
6. [Lorik Cana transfer history, Sky Sports](https://www.skysports.com/football/player/4756/lorik-cana)
7. [Lorik Cana: Albania's Best Football Defender & Captain, Albanopedia](https://albanopedia.com/biographies/lorik-cana)
8. [CANA Lorik : biographie, palmarès et carrière, Calciomio.fr](https://www.calciomio.fr/archive/cana-lorik_100028.html)
9. [Lorik Cana Football Player Statistics, 11v11.com](https://www.11v11.com/players/lorik-cana-20264/)
10. [Albanian soccer aims for positive political message by teaming with Serbia to bid for Under-21 Euro, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/25ab540cb7c7bf71fb725fb72883d86e)
11. [AS.com elige el equipo decepcionante de la Euro, AS](https://as.com/us/2016/06/23/futbol/1466705398_075458.html)
12. [Albania win in Armenia to confirm qualification for first major tournament, Euro 2016](https://euro.fshf.org/albania-win-in-armenia-to-confirm-qualification-for-first-major-tournament/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Men's footballers of continental Europe › Balkan footballers of other nationalities*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 21, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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