Lucas Lobos

Lucas Lobos

Personal information
Full name	Lucas Armando Lobos
Date of birth	(1981-08-03) August 3, 1981
Height	1.72 m (5 ft 7 1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Attacking Midfielder
Club information
Current team	Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2001–2006	Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata	105	(11)
2006–2008	Cádiz	47	(15)
2008–2014	Tigres UANL	219	(67)
2014–2016	Toluca	34	(2)
2016–	Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata	0	(0)
National team
2013	Mexico	0	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

Lucas Armando Lobos ^[1] (La Plata, Argentina, August 3, 1981) is an Argentine professional footballer who currently plays for Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata.^[2] He holds Mexican citizenship.

An attacking midfielder, Lobos is a two-time winner of the Liga MX Balón de Oro for Best Player and for several years he was widely considered as one of the top footballers of the Mexican League, mostly for his remarkable seasons with Tigres UANL, where he became an idol.

Career

Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata

Encouraged by his father, Lobos did tryouts with several teams of Argentina, such as the Newell's Old Boys, Boca Juniors, Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata and River Plate. At the age of nineteen Lobos was signed by the team Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata to play in the junior divisions of Argentina. In three months he had become part of the first team, debuting in the Argentine Primera División in the second half of a game against Club Atlético Banfield. Lobos remained in the team from 2001 to 2005, ending runner-up twice.

Cádiz CF

At the age of twenty-four, Lobos signed up with the Spanish team Cádiz CF, playing in La Liga, the first division of Spain. His performance did not prevent the relegation of the team to Segunda División, the second division. Lobos spent two seasons in Cadiz.

Tigres UANL

In December 2007 by the hand of Enrique Borja, Lobos signed for four years with Tigres UANL on a $3.5 million deal. Almost finishing the Clausura 2008, Lobos underwent an operation on one of his knees. On August 11, 2010, Lobos re-signed for three more years with UANL. In 2011, the post of captain was given to him for being the most committed player. On December 11, 2011, Lucas lead Tigres to their third championship, and was awarded for the second time in a row as both, the MVP and best attacking midfielder of the Mexican League. On March, 2012, Alejandro Sabella, the head coach of the Argentina national team, stated that he was considering the chance to include Lobos in the team.^[3][4] On November, 2012, Lobos re-signed for three more years with UANL. On June 4, 2014, it was announced that Lobos was transferred to Mexican side Toluca on a $5 million deal. After the news of the transfer of Lobos to Toluca, over a hundred fans of Tigres UANL received him at the Monterrey International Airport chanting his name on an emotional farewell. Lobos left Tigres UANL as the last idol of the team and one of the greatest players in the club's history.^[5][6][7]

Deportivo Toluca F.C.

After his arrival to Toluca, Lucas Lobos became a regular starter under the command of José Saturnino Cardozo. Due his discrete performance in two seasons and an operation on a knee, Lobos was not registered to play the Apertura 2015 tournament. Hernan Cristante, Toluca's new head coach, stated that Lobos was not part of the plans of the team.^[8]

Return to Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata

On August, 2016, it was announced that Lobos would return to the team where he made his professional debut: Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata.^[9]

International career

On September 19, 2013 ^[10] coach Víctor Manuel Vucetich called up Lobos for the Mexico national football team after Lucas became a naturalized Mexican citizen, but did not play any of the two games.

Style of play

A creative attacking midfielder, Lobos commands the attack in the last third of the field. At Tigres UANL under manager Ricardo Ferretti, he played as a central attacking midfielder in the team's 4–2–3–1 formation.^[11] Lobos can also play as either a left or right winger and second striker. He has a remarkable technical ability as he can both, assist and score goals. A right-footed set-piece specialist, he is also known for his ability to score goals from free kicks. Former captain of Tigres, Lobos has been praised by the media and the audience for his quality, professionalism and leadership.^[12] According to Goal.com, he "possesses vision, technique on the ball and a work ethic to go with his talent."^[13]

Personal life

Lobos and his wife Florencia are married since 2005. In 2006, his daughter Lola was born in Cadiz. On January 9, 2013, his twins, Lucia and Mateo were born in Monterrey. Lobos is fan of his former team Club de Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata. In July 2013, Lobos became a naturalized Mexican citizen after settling in Mexico in 2008.

Honors

Club

UANL

• Primera División de México (1): Apertura 2011
• Copa MX (1): Clausura 2014

Individual

• Clausura 2011: "Balón de Oro" for Best Player of the Tournament.
• Apertura 2011: "Balón de Oro" for Best Attacking Midfielder of the Tournament.
• Apertura 2011: "Balón de Oro" for Best Player of the Tournament.
• Clausura 2012: "Balón de Oro" for Best Attacking Midfielder of the Tournament.
  • "Balón de Oro" (literally translated as "Golden Ball)" is an award given by the Mexican Football Federation to the best players of the League each season.

References

External links

• Statistics at Guardian Stats Centre
• Lucas Lobos Liga MX stats at Medio Tiempo.com (Spanish)