Cristian Lema, the first reinforcement of Diego Martínez’s Boca: a year from older to younger than the second most sent off footballer in the world

In times where statistics occupy an increasingly relevant space in the football universe, some may not be the best cover letter for a player. Cristian Franco Lema he will sign a two-year contract in the next few hours to be the first reinforcement of the new one Mouth From Diego Martinez after being, in 2023, the second footballer who has seen the red card multiple times across the planet. In any case, this strong defender can make his contribution much more than his impetuosity on the grass.

In a report published on December 24 and titled “The toughest player in the world”, the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) explained that the Malian defender Sikou Niakaté, from Sporting Braga in Portugal, had occupied the top step of the podium of dismissals in 2023, with five. Only one step lower, with four, the vigorous Lema appeared, coincidentally next to his rearguard companion in Lanús, the Paraguayan José Canale.

A kick to Alejo Veliz -today at Tottenham in England- in a comfortable 3-0 win over Rosario Central, a slight boost to Mateo Retegui -another match for the Old Continent- who stopped a clear scoring opportunity in the 2-1 defeat against Tigre, an insult to the referee Pablo Echavarría in the 2-0 defeat against Colón which meant elimination in the round of 16 Argentine Cup and a childish drive to Roger Martinez before the penalty awarded in the 2-0 against Racing were the cause of Lema’s expulsions, who for the latter received three suspension dates in November, which he will not have to complete (he has only served one) due to a general amnesty that the Disciplinary Court of the Argentine Football Federation ordered last week.

But these are not the characteristics that will lead the Boca management to shell out $400,000 to avail of the services of this tall defender (he is 1.90 m tall), born on March 24, 1990 in Puerto Madryn, owner of a great aerial game and an excellent punch, who He began his great journey precisely in a match against Xeneize.

In his hometown, Lema joined Guillermo Brown’s children’s categories at the age of eight. He was promoted, completed his youth cycle and at the beginning of 2007, when he was still 16 years old, he had his first experience in the senior team that competed in the old Argentine A Tournament: he was in a friendly match against Boca on 4 February 2007 at the Raúl Conti stadium in Puerto Madryn.

The team he led had arrived there, as part of the preseason. Miguel Angelo Russo and that a few months later he would win his sixth and (so far) last Copa Libertadores. With a team made up mostly of players who were not usually starters, Boca won 4-0 with a brace from a young player Mauro Bosellione of Jesus Datolo and another of Marco Mondaini. That afternoon, the technician BandOmar Jorge, brought on Lema for Omar Ríos in the second half.

A year and a half after that first experience, the defender, who was nicknamed Jambao -due to his resemblance to the singer of that cumbia band-, he had established himself in Guillermo Brown’s Primera. An excellent performance in the duel against Rivadavia de Lincoln for Argentina A earned him the call of the late representative Jorge Cyterszpiler take a test at the Training Center for High Performance Footballers (CEFAR) in San Justo. That test opened the door for Newell’s, which incorporated it in early 2010.

After almost a year playing in the Reserve led by Ricardo Johansen, the Chubut native made his debut in the top team of Leprosywho was then led by Roberto Sensini, on November 6, 2010 in a 0-0 draw against Godoy Cruz in Mendoza. In that period he struggled to find his place, so in mid-2011 he closed the first of his three cycles in Rosario’s team with just 11 games under his belt.

His next destination was Tiger, where it too found no continuity. He played only 11 matches in a season, although he also scored his first goal in the First Division: in an alternative formation which featured Rodolfo Arruabarrena In a duel in the round of 16 of the Argentine Cup, he converted, from a penalty, the goal with which Bullfighter beat 1 to 0 Juniors of Argentina in Sarandi on 11 April 2012.

His participation was more fluid Quilmes: with the Brewer He played 40 games and scored two goals between 2012 and 2014. This earned him the move to Belgrano of Cordoba, who hired him to replace Luciano Lollo, who was sold to Racing. Inside Pirate lived four excellent yearsin which he played 120 games, scored 16 goals and became the fans’ idol, to the point that Graciela Miranda, a fan of the Blue sky of Alberdi, has tattooed the player’s surname on his arm.

After a great 2017/18 season, in which he was his team’s top scorer in the Super League (he scored eight, three more than Matías Suárez), he was bought by Portuguese Benfica. He started as Belgrano’s highest scoring defender in AFA First Division matches and the second in the club’s entire history, surpassed only by Ruben Dionisio Coletti (he made 17 in 323 games between 1972 and 1981).

“This is another world. In Argentina there isn’t much organisation. Benfica is an exemplary club, the movement here is incredible. “Every day that passes I am happier, now I hope to take advantage of the opportunity”the defender became emotional shortly after joining the squad which also included his compatriots German Conti, Eduardo Salvio, Franco Cervi AND Facundo Ferreyra.

However, his stay in Portugal was fleeting: He barely played two games in a semester (against AEK for the Champions League and against Porto for the local championship). At the beginning of 2019 he was loaned out Peñarol from Uruguay, with which he was champion of the Uruguayan Apertura Tournament and had a very positive performance. In the middle of that year he crossed the river to return to Newell’s.

His second cycle at Parque Independencia lasted just over a year. In that period he was one of the pillars of the team led by Frank Darío Kudelka and which qualified for the Copa Sudamericano. After 22 matches, in which he scored five goals, he had to return to Portugal in September 2020, when Argentine football was on pause due to the coronavirus pandemic. “I salute you with my head held high and calmly for having achieved the objectives I had at the beginning, when it wasn’t easy to come and play”, he said then.

His new stay in Lisbon was very short, as Benfica managed to sell him a few days later to Damac FC of Saudi Arabia. After being sent off on his debut against Al-Raed, he failed to establish himself, spending just five months in the Middle East and, in February 2021, he was loaned out again to Newell’s, who had felt his absence in the Cup Diego Maradona. .

Sixty-four games and four goals in a very irregular team (and who changed coach five times in less than two years) configured that last step, which closed in November 2022. Knowing that it would not be taken into consideration by Gabriele HeinzeLema left Rosario and joined Lanús, requested by Frank Kudelka to strengthen the defense of a team that would start the 2023 season complicated in the middle classification.

In this last year, the performance of the Madrid player has been in line with that of Garnet. He was a stronghold of the team that finished fourth in the Professional League, he earned the affection of the fans and some even made stickers and masks with his face. But his performances worsened in the League Cup, where his team finished last in group B. Added to this was the series of red cards, differences with Kudelka (who resigned at the beginning of September) and also problems with some teammates, especially after the expulsion against Racing on the night of José Sand’s farewell.

Despite having extended his contract with Lanús until 31 December 2025 in August, Lema decided, after the end of the League Cup, that he would not continue at the club. In fact, he hasn’t shown up for any training sessions since the team began preseason on December 26. There was talk of the interest of Independiente and Peñarol, until Boca appeared. “If they put in the money, we will let them out.”he announced Tuesday Luis Chebelpresident of Garnet. Four hundred thousand dollars were what made it possible to break the constraint so that the defender would be the first reinforcement that Diego Martínez will have for his new structure.