At a time when statistics are becoming more and more relevant in the football universe, some may not be the best letter of introduction for a player. Cristian Franco Lema will sign a two-year contract in the next few hours to be the first reinforcement of Diego Martínez's new Boca after having been, in 2023, the second player who saw the red card the most times on the planet. In any case, this sturdy defender can contribute much more than his vehemence on the pitch.
In a report published on December 24 and titled "The toughest player in the world," the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) detailed that Malian defender Sikou Niakaté, of Portugal's Sporting Braga, had occupied the top step of the podium of expulsions in 2023, with five. Only one step down, with four, appeared the vigorous Lema, coincidentally next to his teammate in Lanús, the Paraguayan José Canale.
BOCA HAVE THEIR FIRST REINFORCEMENT: CRISTIAN LEMA 🔵🟡
The 33-year-old defender arrived early for a medical and will sign his contract with Xeneize in the afternoon. pic.twitter.com/ZkUEz3zihF
— TyC Sports (@TyCSports) January 4, 2024
A kick to Alejo Véliz -today at Tottenham in England- in a comfortable 3-0 victory over Rosario Central, a slight push to Mateo Retegui -another who left for the Old Continent- that interrupted a clear goal opportunity in a 2-1 defeat against Tigre, an insult to referee Pablo Echavarría in the 2-0 loss to Colón that meant the elimination in the round of 2 of the Copa Argentina and a childish elbow to Roger Martínez before a penalty was taken in a 0-<> setback against Racing were the triggers for the expulsions of Lema, who for the latter received three dates of suspension in November, which he will not have to complete (he served only one) due to a general amnesty ordered by the Disciplinary Court of the Argentine Football Association last week.
However, those are not the attributes that will lead Boca's management to pay 400,000 dollars to get the services of this lanky defender (he is 1.90 meters tall), born on March 24, 1990 in Puerto Madryn, owner of a great aerial game and a very good punch, who began his great career precisely in a match against Xeneize.
⚽ #CopaArgentinaEnTyCSports LEMA EXPELLED IN THE GRANA! The centre-back argued vehemently with referee Echavarría, who ended up showing him a straight red card.
Watch it LIVE on @TyCSports and https://t.co/oDHOhj9Wcn here👉https://t.co/1B2PDtFMOH pic.twitter.com/RbJug92a2H
— TyC Sports Play (@TyCSportsPlay) August 15, 2023
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 was playing in the old Torneo Argentino A: it was in a friendly against Boca on February 4, 2007 at the Raúl Conti stadium in Puerto Madryn.
As part of their preseason, the team led by Miguel Ángel Russo had arrived there, and a few months later they would win their 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 two goals from a young Mauro Boselli, one from Jesús Dátolo and another from Marcos Mondaini. That afternoon, the coach of the Banda, Omar Jorge, brought on Lema in the second half for Omar Ríos.
A year and a half after that first experience, the defender, who was nicknamed Jambao – because of his resemblance to the singer of that cumbia band – had established himself in Guillermo Brown's Primera Division. A very good performance in a duel against Rivadavia de Lincoln for the Argentino A earned him a call from the late representative Jorge Cyterszpiler to do a tryout at the premises of the Training Center for High Performance Soccer Players (CEFAR) in San Justo. That test opened the doors to Newell's, which inducted him in early 2010.
After almost a year playing in the Reserve team led by Ricardo Johansen, the Chubutense made his debut in the senior team of Lepra, which was then led by Roberto Sensini, on November 6, 2010 in a 0-0 draw with Godoy Cruz in Mendoza. In that time, it was difficult for him to get on his feet, so in mid-2011 he closed the first of his three cycles in the Rosario team with only 11 games on his resume.
His next destination was Tigre, where he did not find continuity either. He played just 11 games in a season, although he also scored his first goal in the First Division: as part of an alternative line-up presented by Rodolfo Arruabarrena in a duel in the round of 1 of the Copa Argentina, he converted, from a penalty, the goal with which the Matador beat Argentinos Juniors 0-11 in Sarandí on April 2012, <>.
His participation in Quilmes was more fluid: with the Brewer he played 40 games and scored two goals between 2012 and 2014. This earned him a move to Belgrano de Córdoba, who signed him to replace Luciano Lollo, who had been sold to Racing. At the Pirate he lived four excellent years, in which he played 120 games, scored 16 goals and became an idol of the fans, to the point that Graciela Miranda, a fan of Celeste de Alberdi, tattooed the player's surname on one of her arms.
GOAL BY BELGRANO! Great collective play that Lema defined for the 1-1 against River. pic.twitter.com/lSiO1n1ySR
— TyC Sports (@TyCSports) March 26, 2017
After a great 2017/18 season, in which he was his team's top scorer in the Superliga (he scored eight, three more than Matías Suárez), he was bought by Portuguese side Benfica. He started out as Belgrano's highest-scoring defender in AFA First Division matches and the second in the club's history, only surpassed by Rubén Dionisio Coletti (he scored 17 in 323 games between 1972 and 1981).
"This is another world. In Argentina there is not so much organization. Benfica is an exemplary club, the movement here is incredible. Every day that passes I'm happier, now I hope to take advantage of the opportunity," said the defender shortly after joining the squad that also included his compatriots Germán Conti, Eduardo Salvio, Franco Cervi and Facundo Ferreyra.
However, his stay in Portugal was fleeting: he only played two games in a semester (against AEK in the Champions League and against Porto in the local league). At the beginning of 2019 he was loaned to Peñarol of Uruguay, with whom 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.
Cristian Lema was champion of the 2019 Apertura Tournament with Peñarol.
Its second cycle at Independence Park lasted just over a year. In that period, he was one of the pillars of the team led by Frank Darío Kudelka and that achieved qualification for the Copa Sudamericana. After 22 games, 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 say goodbye with my head held high and calm for having achieved the objectives I had at the beginning, when it was not easy to come and play," he said at the time.
His new stay in Lisbon was very brief, as Benfica managed to sell him just a few days later to Damac FC of Saudi Arabia. After being sent off on his debut against Al-Raed, he was unable to establish himself, remained in the Middle East for only five months and, in February 2021, was loaned back to Newell's, who had felt his absence from the Diego Maradona Cup.
Streaks are meant to be 🤞🏼 cut pic.twitter.com/AAlwc1qkU9
— Newell's Old Boys (@Newells) February 25, 2020
Sixty-four games and four goals in a very irregular team (and one that changed coaches five times in less than two years) made up that last step, which was closed in November 2022. Knowing that he would not be taken into account by Gabriel Heinze, Lema left Rosario and joined Lanús, requested by Frank Kudelka to reinforce the back of a team that would start the 2023 season complicated in the averages table.
In this last year, the performance of the Madrynense was in tune with that of the Garnet. He was a bulwark in the team that finished fourth in the Professional League, he won the affection of the fans and some even made cards and masks with his face. But his performance slipped in the League Cup, where his team finished last in Group B. Added to this were the string of red cards, differences with Kudelka (who resigned at the beginning of September) and even problems with some of his teammates, especially after the sending off against Racing on the night José Sand said goodbye.
THEY SHOUT IT IN LANÚS AND NÚÑEZ! Esquivel's cross went straight to Lema's forehead to settle it against a post and the game was back for the 2-1 of the Garnet!
📺 #ESPN pic.twitter.com/Kr67B3yr91
— SportsCenter (@SC_ESPN) June 25, 2023
Although in August he had extended his contract with Lanús until December 31, 2025, 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 workouts since the squad began preseason on Dec. 26. There was talk of interest from Independiente and Peñarol, until Boca appeared. "If they put the money in, we'll let it go," Luis Chebel, president of the Garnet, said Tuesday. Four hundred thousand dollars were what allowed them to break the link so that the defender is the first reinforcement that Diego Martínez will have for his new structure.