Role Football player Number 10 Height 1.68 m | Years Team Weight 62 kg Name Lucas Villafanez Career start 2010 | |
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Full name Lucas Martin Villafanez Date of birth (1991-10-04) 4 October 1991 (age 24) Place of birth Comodoro Rivadavia, Chubut, Argentina Current team Panetolikos F.C. (#10 / Midfielder, Forward) | ||
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Lucas Villafanez goal vs Olympiacos 28/10/2017
Lucas Martín Villafáñez (born 4 October 1991) is an Argentine football attacking midfielder who plays for the Greek Football Club Panathinaikos.
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Club career
Villafáñez made his professional debut in the Primera B Nacional (Argentine second division) with his hometown club Comisión de Actividades Infantiles, when he was 16 years old. In total he played 57 games with the club, scoring 12 goals.
In 2010, Independiente acquired the player on a one-year loan deal. He debuted in the Argentine Primera División on a 0–1 defeat to Tigre for the 2010 Apertura, despite the game being played in February 2011.
On May 2, 2011 Villafáñez scored his first goal with Independiente, in a 1–1 draw with Boca Juniors. In summer 2013, the hitch that had a contract until June 2014 and would not be taken into account by Miguel Angel Brindisi was asked by Antonio Mohamed after his arrival in Huracán F.C. and eventually will be signing with the "Globe". After several days of negotiation and obstacles, finally decided that Lucas Villafáñez will go on loan to Huracán F.C. for the 2013/14 season. On August 1, 2014 Villafáñez signed a two years' contract with Panetolikos on loan from Independiente playing in Greek Super League, along with his ex-Independiente teammates Fernando Godoy and Nicolás Martinez brother of Boca Juniors' striker Juan Manuel Martinez.
On 10 December 2015, AEK Athens have added Panaitolikos attacking midfielder Lucas Villafanez into their shortlist. AEK are looking to add a forward in the January transfer window and Villafanez is among their options to reinforce the squad. No official contact has been made as yet, however it is believed that AEK manager Gus Poyet is interested in his services. On 24 January 2016, thanks to close-range effort by Argentine midfielder Villafanez at the beginning of the game, Panetolikos won 1-0 Veria and scooped its first away victory since August 2015.
On 27 January 2016 Panathinaikos bought the player's right from Independiente, so from the summer of 2016, Lucas Villafanez belongs to the "Greens". Although, Panetolikos wanted to make a profit form the player's transfer and gave him to Panathinaikos from 1 February. On 6 March 2016, he scored his first goal with the club in a 2-0 home win against Atromitos. Panathinaikos' attacking midfielder Lucas Martín Villafáñez has attracted transfer interest from European clubs ahead of 2016 January transfer window. The current contract of 25-year-old Argentine, who joined the Greens from Panaitolikos in January 2016 and has made some solid performances with their shirt since then, expires at summer of 2019.
Greek Passport
In 2014, Lucas started the procedure in order to claim the Greek citizenship, due to his great-grandfather who was from Piraeus, in order to be eligible for the Greek national football team. The procedures are still ongoing.
International career
Villafáñez was part of Sergio Batista's Argentina's U-20 national team in 2010. In 2011, he was selected to represent Argentina at the FIFA U-20 World Cup. Villafanez also, expressed his desire to play for Greece National Football Team, through his maternal great-grandfather, who was born at Piraeus.