Cristian Franco Lema (born 24 March 1990) is an Argentine former professional footballer who last played as a centre-back for Boca Juniors.
Club career Born in Puerto Madryn, Lema started his football career aged 8 at hometown club Guillermo Brown. He debuted for their senior team in 2007 and left the club in 2009.
A year later, Lema joined Newell's Old Boys and made his Argentine Primera División debut in a 0–0 home draw to Godoy Cruz in November. After playing 12 matches with the former side, he moved on loan to Tigre in June 2011, and there he played 11 matches, scoring one goal. In July 2012, aged 22, he transferred to Quilmes, with whom he would play 40 matches and score 2 goals before moving to Belgrano in 2014. In his four-year spell with the latter, he became the club's defender with the most league goals ever, 16 in 123 matches. Moreover, he debuted in Copa Sudamericana in 2015.
In June 2018, Lema moved to Portugal and signed a five-year contract with S.L. Benfica. In February 2019, after playing only two matches for the Lisbon side in October, he was loaned to Uruguayan club Peñarol until June 2019, with option to buy. Afterwards, he was loaned out to Newell's Old Boys for 2019–20. He left Benfica on 1 October 2020 to join Saudi Arabian club Damac FC.Benfica formaliza saída de Lema
On 18 February 2021, Lema returned to Newell's Old Boys, and signed a contract until December 2021.
In November 2022, Lema joined fellow Primera División club Lanús ahead of the 2023 season.
On 8 January 2024, Lema moved to Boca Juniors for a reported fee of $500.000, signing a two-year contract. After the expiration of the contract, Lema retired from the sport.
Career statistics
+Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueCupContinentalTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsNewell's Old Boys2010–11Argentine Primera División120——120Tigre (loan)2011–12Argentine Primera División803100111Quilmes2012–13Argentine Primera División15020—1702013–14Argentine Primera División23200—232Total38220—402Belgrano2014Argentine Primera División180——1802015Argentine Primera División28210203122016Argentine Primera División14350402332016–17Argentine Primera División21320—2332017–18Argentine Primera División25800—258Total10616806012016Benfica2018–19Primeira Liga10001020Peñarol (loan)2019Uruguayan Primera División132—71203Newell's Old Boys (loan)2019–20Argentine Primera División22500—225Damac2020–21Saudi Pro League11000—110Newell's Old Boys2021Argentine Primera División28110403312022Argentine Primera División29211—303Total5732140634Lanús2023Argentine Primera División37121—392Boca Juniors2024Argentine Primera División0000—00Career total3052917318134033
Honours Benfica Primeira Liga: 2018–19
Individual Argentine Primera División Team of the Season: 2023
References
External links