Diego Lugano facts for kids
Lugano with Uruguay in 2014
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||
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| Full name | Diego Alfredo Lugano Morena | ||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 2 November 1980 | ||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Canelones, Uruguay | ||||||||||||
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Centre back | ||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||
| 1996–1999 | Nacional | ||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||
| 1999–2003 | Nacional | 13 | (0) | ||||||||||
| 2001–2002 | → Plaza Colonia (loan) | 46 | (4) | ||||||||||
| 2003–2006 | São Paulo | 95 | (7) | ||||||||||
| 2006–2011 | Fenerbahçe | 125 | (21) | ||||||||||
| 2011–2013 | Paris Saint-Germain | 12 | (0) | ||||||||||
| 2013 | → Málaga (loan) | 11 | (0) | ||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | West Bromwich Albion | 9 | (1) | ||||||||||
| 2015 | BK Häcken | 11 | (0) | ||||||||||
| 2015 | Cerro Porteño | 16 | (5) | ||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | São Paulo | 18 | (2) | ||||||||||
| Total | 356 | (40) | |||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||
| 2003–2014 | Uruguay | 95 | (9) | ||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||
Diego Alfredo Lugano Morena is a famous football player from Uruguay. He was born on November 2, 1980. He played as a central defender, which is a key position in football defense.
People often called him Tota. Lugano played for many different football clubs in South America and Europe. Some of these clubs include Plaza Colonia, Club Nacional de Football, São Paulo, Fenerbahçe, Paris Saint-Germain, Malaga, and West Bromwich Albion. He ended his playing career with a second time at the Brazilian club São Paulo. Today, he works as an administrator there.
Diego Lugano was known for scoring goals in many different football leagues. He scored in Uruguay, Brazil, Turkey, England, France, and Paraguay. In 2015, a newspaper in Paraguay called him one of the most valuable players from Uruguay. He was also named the most popular player in Paraguayan football by another newspaper.
Lugano played 95 games for the Uruguay national football team. He was the captain of his country's team in two FIFA World Cup tournaments. He was even named the best captain at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Contents
Diego Lugano: A Football Journey
Starting His Football Career
Diego Lugano was born in Canelones, Uruguay. His parents are Alfredo Lugano and Diana Morena. He started playing football for his local club, Club Atlético Libertad. His father, Alfredo, also played for this club. In December 1998, when he was 18, Diego played his first game with Libertad's main team. They even won the league championship that year!
In 1999, Lugano moved to Club Nacional de Football in Montevideo. After three years, he was loaned to Plaza Colonia for a season.
Success with São Paulo
Lugano joined São Paulo FC in Brazil in 2003. At first, the coach wasn't sure about him. But after the coach left, Lugano started playing more often. In 2005, he helped São Paulo win several big titles. These included the Campeonato Paulista, the Copa Libertadores, and the FIFA Club World Championship in Japan.
In that same year, Lugano was recognized as the best defender in South America. Fans loved his strong leadership and how hard he fought for the ball. He is still very popular with São Paulo supporters. He also says he has a great relationship with the club. In 2006, he helped his team reach the finals of the Copa Libertadores again.
Playing in Turkey for Fenerbahçe
On August 21, 2006, Lugano moved to Fenerbahçe in Turkey. He signed a contract for three and a half years. He and another strong defender, Edu Dracena, helped Fenerbahçe win the league. This was a special win because it was the club's 100th anniversary.
Lugano was also good at attacking, especially scoring goals with his head from free kicks. Fans loved his tough defending and exciting play. He became a favorite, especially with a fan group called Genç Fenerbahçeliler. He was one of the team's captains. In 2009, he signed a new four-year contract with Fenerbahçe.
Time in France and England
On August 27, 2011, Lugano left Fenerbahçe to join Paris Saint-Germain in France. However, his first season there was tough. He only played 12 games because of injuries and not being in his best form.
In January 2013, Lugano moved to the Spanish team Málaga CF on loan. He played for Málaga in their European games. He returned to Paris Saint-Germain in July 2013.
On August 2, 2013, Lugano joined the English club West Bromwich Albion. He signed a two-year contract. He scored his first goal for West Brom on January 20, 2014. It was a header that helped his team get a 1–1 draw against Everton. In May 2014, West Bromwich Albion announced that Lugano was leaving the club.
Later Club Adventures
In March 2015, Lugano signed a short contract with the Swedish team BK Häcken. He became one of the most experienced players to ever play in Sweden's top league.
In July 2015, Lugano joined Cerro Porteño in Paraguay. When he arrived, many fans and club managers welcomed him at the airport. He signed a one-year contract. Lugano said he joined Cerro Porteño because he wanted to return to South America and be closer to his home country. He also said it was a big club that would challenge him to play his best.
Lugano debuted for Cerro Porteño in August 2015. He scored the first goal in a 4–0 win. This was his first league goal since January 2014. He scored more goals for Cerro Porteño, showing his skill as a defender who could also score. In December 2015, he was named the most popular player in Paraguayan football.
In January 2016, Lugano left Cerro Porteño. He thanked the club and its fans on his social media. He had scored 5 goals in 16 games for the team.
Return to São Paulo
In January 2016, after almost 10 years, Lugano returned to São Paulo FC in Brazil. He was already a hero there from his previous time with the club. Nearly 1000 fans welcomed him at the airport when he arrived.
In January 2018, Lugano decided to stop playing football professionally. He accepted a new role as the director of institutional relations at São Paulo.
Playing for His Country: Uruguay
Lugano played 95 games for the Uruguay national football team. His first game was in 2003. He played for Uruguay in two FIFA World Cups, two Copa América tournaments, and one FIFA Confederations Cup. He was the team's captain for eight years, starting in May 2006.
During the qualifiers for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Lugano scored his first goal for Uruguay. He scored three more goals during the qualification games. He even scored the only goal in a key play-off match against Costa Rica.
Lugano was a key player for Uruguay at the 2007 Copa América. He captained the team in all six of their matches. At the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Lugano led Uruguay to a great fourth-place finish. He also captained Uruguay to victory at the 2011 Copa América, playing in all six games as they became champions.
On September 2, 2011, Lugano scored a goal as Uruguay won 3–2 against Ukraine. In October 2011, he scored two goals in Uruguay's 4–2 win over Bolivia in World Cup qualifying.
On June 20, 2013, Lugano scored his ninth goal for Uruguay against Nigeria in a 2–1 win at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup. Uruguay finished fourth in that tournament. He also played in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, captaining the team in their first game against Costa Rica. However, a knee injury kept him from playing in the rest of Uruguay's World Cup matches.
After the 2014 World Cup, Lugano was not called up for the national team. He later said he had not retired from the national team and would be ready to play if needed. However, he was not part of Uruguay's team for the 2015 Copa América.
Personal Life
Diego Lugano is married to Karina Roncio. They have three children: Nicolás, Thiago, and Bianca. Nicolás played for Fenerbahçe's youth teams when he was younger. Thiago and Bianca were born in Istanbul.
Lugano has mentioned that his football heroes are the defenders Hugo de León and Paolo Montero. There is a sports complex in Canelones, Uruguay, named after him, called the Complejo Diego Lugano. In 2015, Lugano and his wife got a lot of attention when they rode a public bus in Asunción after their car had a problem.
Lugano has Italian heritage and also holds an Italian passport.
Honours and Awards
Lugano won many titles and awards during his career:
Nacional
- Uruguayan Primera División: 2000, 2001
São Paulo
- Brazilian League: 2006
- São Paulo State Championship: 2005
- South American Champions League: 2005
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2005
Fenerbahçe
- Turkish League: 2006–07, 2010–11
- Turkish Super Cup: 2007, 2009
Uruguay National Team
- Copa América: 2011
Individual Awards
- Campeonato Brasileiro Série A Team of the Year: 2005 (Recognized as one of the best players in the Brazilian League)
See also
In Spanish: Diego Alfredo Lugano para niños
