Medhi Gregory Giuseppe Lacen

Medhi Gregory Giuseppe Lacen was born on the 15^th May 1984. He is an Algerian international football player who is presently playing the role of a defensive midfielder for Getafe GC in La Liga.

source of picture: www.sportsmafia.info

Club Career

Lacen was born in Paris to Algerian father and an Italian mother. He started his football career with the modest outfit of the club, Stade Lavallois and ASOA Valence. In the 2005/06 season, he relocated to Spain and joined Deportivo Alaves that was relegated. He played his first La Liga match for the club on the 15^th October 2005 in a match that finished 1-1 against Villarreal CF

After the second division league with the club, he made a move to Racing de Santander on the 15^th August 2008 on a three-year deal. He competed all through the season with Peter Luccin for the first-choice player. In the 2009-10 season, the club finished 16^th in the table and he became the first choice of the team coach. He scored three goals for the club in the match that finished 3-2 against Xerez CD on the 13^th December 2009.

In the later part of February 2011, with his contract due to expire in June, Lacen signed a pre-deal with Getafe CF. on the 25^th May, the move to the club was made official, with the player signing a 4-year deal with the club. Lacen scored his first goal for Getafe on the 16^th April 2012 in the match that was played against Sevilla FC as the match finished 5-1 in favor of Getafe.

International Career

Though he was a French-born, Lacen can play for Algerian national team via the origin of his father. In the year 2006, he was called up by Jean-Michel Cavalli to become part of the Algerian national team for the friendly match that was played against Gabon, though he never played because of the administrative problem in the squad.

On the 12^th December 2009, it was announced by the FA of the country that the player would be called up to take part in the 2010 African Cup of Nations in Angola. Meanwhile the head coach of the national team announced after five days that the player will not be playing for the national team for the competition because of his wife’s pregnancy.

On the 12^th February 2010, Lacen was announced to have been chosen to play for the Algerian national team in the friendly match that was played against Serbia. He played his first match for the Algerian national team on the 3^rd March against Serbia and the game was lost 3-0.

In June 2010, he was chosen to be part of the Algerian national team that would take part in the FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He played the entire group match for the country. At the time of the tournament he partnered with Hassan Yebda as the Algerian side failed to score a goal in the tournament.

Lacen’s younger brother, Michael is as well a football player and he is currently playing for FC Versailles.