.jpg) Lamela lining up forTottenham Hotspur in 2020 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Erik Manuel Lamela Cordero[1] | |||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1992-03-04)4 March 1992 (age 33)[2] | |||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Buenos Aires, Argentina | |||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)[3] | |||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Right winger,attacking midfielder[4] | |||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2010 | River Plate | |||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2011 | River Plate | 36 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2013 | Roma | 62 | (19) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2021 | Tottenham Hotspur | 177 | (17) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2024 | Sevilla | 65 | (13) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2024–2025 | AEK Athens | 24 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||
| Total | 364 | (58) | ||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | Argentina U20 | 4 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2018 | Argentina | 25 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||
Erik Manuel Lamela Cordero (born 4 March 1992) is an Argentine former professionalfootballer who played as anattacking midfielder orright winger. He is currently an assistant coach atLa Liga clubSevilla.
Lamela began his career atRiver Plate, and in 2011 transferred toRoma for an initial €12 million. After twoSerie A seasons, he joinedPremier League clubTottenham Hotspur for a fee of £25.8 million, where he made over 250 appearances across eight seasons and reached the2019 UEFA Champions League final. After stints atSevilla, where he won theUEFA Europa League in2023, andAEK Athens, Lamela retired from professional football in 2025.
A fullArgentina international from 2011 to 2018, Lamela was part of the squads which finished as runners-up at the2015 and2016 editions of theCopa América.
Lamela was born on 4 March 1992 to Miriam and José Lamela in a northern suburb ofBuenos Aires, Argentina.[5] His family gave him the nickname "Coco".[6] After he had joined River Plate as a seven-year-old,Barcelona reportedly offered Lamela and his family $160,000USD a year as well as a house and employment for his parents to move toBarcelona in a similar deal to the one that sawLionel Messi move to Spain as a youngster.[7] In 2004, aTrans World Sport film crew travelled to Argentina to interview a 12-year-old Lamela who was already making headlines after scoring 120 goals for River Plate's youth side the previous season. In the video, Lamela declared his wish to follow in the footsteps ofDiego Maradona and win aWorld Cup for Argentina.[8]
Lamela made his first-team debut forRiver Plate on 14 June 2009 in a game againstTigre for the2009 Clausura tournament. He entered the field on the 80th minute, substitutingRobert Flores. Lamela scored his first goal for River on 5 December 2010 in a match againstColón for theApertura tournament. He scored his second goal againstLanús in the final fixture of that Apertura, helping River win the match 4–2.
The midfielder was a regular starter for River during the2010–11 Argentine Primera División season, playing 34 games and scoring four goals.[9] He helped his team to finish in an overall sixth place that would have qualified them for the2011 Copa Sudamericana. Due to the relegation format of the Argentine Primera that accounts for a team's last three seasons, however, River was relegated after losing a playoff withBelgrano.
On 6 August 2011, Lamela joined Italian clubRoma ofSerie A for a fee of €12 million, plus €2 million in bonuses, which was activated after his 20th club appearance.[10] Roma also paid an additional €3.2 million to Orel B.V.[11] — plus 10% added value if the player was later sold above €12 million — and €3.06 million in the form of taxes to the Government of Argentina. Lamela signed a 5-year contract worth €1.8 million in gross in the first season, but would gradually increase by €350,000 on 1 July 2012 (to €2.15M), 2014 (€2.5M) and 2015 (€2.85M).[10] On 23 October 2011, he scored his first goal in Serie A againstPalermo.[12] Later, he scored goals againstLecce,[13]Novara,[14] andCesena.[15] Lamela ended his first season at theStadio Olimpico with six goals in 31 games in all competitions.
Lamela began the2012–13 season well, his first goal of the season coming againstBologna on 16 September 2012. Lamela hit a superb patch of form in October and early November, scoring seven goals in six games, including a brace againstUdinese in a 3–2 home defeat and goals againstAtalanta,Genoa,Parma, andPalermo. He also scored a goal in theDerby della Capitale againstLazio. After almost a month out with an ankle ligament injury, he returned to the field and scored a brace againstMilan in a 4–2 victory on 22 December.[16]
Lamela went on to score 15 times in 33 games, putting him joint-fifth in Serie A and second to strikerPablo Osvaldo (16 goals) at Roma.[17] Lamela's and Roma's season, however, ended in heartache with defeat toRome rivals Lazio in theCoppa Italia final, coupled with finishing sixth in Serie A, meaning that Roma would not playEuropean football for the second consecutive season.[18]
On 30 August 2013,Premier League clubTottenham Hotspur completed the transfer of Lamela from Roma for a deal worth an initial £25.8 million, plus up to £4.2 million in bonus payments.[19][20] The fee for Lamela made him the most expensive player in the club's history, breaking the two previous records that had been set earlier in the transfer window, first forPaulinho and thenRoberto Soldado.[21]
On 1 September, Lamela made his debut for Tottenham as a 75th-minute substitute in a 1–0North London derby loss toArsenal at theEmirates Stadium.[22] On 19 September, he made his first start for Tottenham againstTromsø IL in theUEFA Europa League, assistingJermain Defoe for Tottenham's opening goal in a 3–0 win atWhite Hart Lane.[23] On 22 September, he assisted Paulinho's stoppage-time winning goal after appearing as a substitute in Tottenham's 1–0 win atCardiff City.[24]
On 29 October, with Lamela having yet to start a Premier League match, Tottenham managerAndré Villas-Boas said of the player, "He knows he isn't producing half of what he can produce, but he understands the situation now is that he has to compete for his place."[25] On 7 November, Lamela scored his first goal for the club in a 2–1 Europa League win againstSheriff Tiraspol.[26] Seventeen days later, he made his first start in the Premier League as Tottenham were beaten 6–0 byManchester City.[27] His season was ended by a back injury in April 2014.[28]
The 2014–15 season saw Lamela establish himself as a regular starter underMauricio Pochettino, Tottenham's new Argentine manager.
He was named in the starting line-up for the opening match of the2014–15 Premier League season againstWest Ham United, making his first appearance of 2014.[29] He repaid his new manager's faith in the following two games; assisting twice after coming off of the bench in a 2–1 win againstAEL Limassol on 21 August, and assisting twice more in a 4–0 win againstQueens Park Rangers three days later at White Hart Lane.[30][31]
Lamela scored his first goals of the season on 23 October, a brace in a 5–1 victory over Greek clubAsteras Tripoli in the Europa League.[32] His first goal was arabona-style strike from outside the area, the goal being praised by theBBC as brilliant and byITV as "world-class."[32][33] This goal would later be named as the Europa League 'Goal of the Season'.[34] His first Premier League goal came on 20 December in a 2–1 win againstBurnley at White Hart Lane.[35]
On 1 March 2015, Lamela played in theLeague Cup final, coming off of the bench in the 71st minute as Tottenham lost 2–0 toChelsea.[36]
Lamela finished the season with a return of only two Premier League goals, six in all competitions. However, he was the team's leading provider of assists, with a total of ten in all competitions.[37]
Lamela continued to be a key player in Pochettino's Tottenham side in the2015–16 season, helping the side to a club-record third-place finish in the Premier League.[38]
Lamela would prove prolific in the group stages of theUEFA Europa League. His first goal of the season came in a 3–1 win overQarabağ FK on 17 September 2015. On 1 October, he scored away againstMonaco.[39] On 10 December, he scored a hattrick – the first of his professional career – in the reverse fixture.[40]
On 26 September, Lamela scored his first Premier League goal of the season in a 4–1 home victory overManchester City.[41] He finished the season with five Premier League goals, his best total to date.[42]
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Lamela scored with a second half header on the opening day of the2016–17 season in a 1–1 draw againstEverton atGoodison Park.[43] However, a hip injury in late October left him unfit for matches for a long period and ended his season.[44][45]
After more than a year out due to the hip injury that required two operations,[46] Lamela appeared in the Premier League away game against Leicester on 28 November 2017 as a substitute. He assisted in the only goal for Spurs, but the game ended in a 2–1 loss.[47] He followed that up with his first league start of the season in a 2–0 home win againstBrighton on 13 December 2017.[48] He scored his first goal of the season in the 2–0 win againstNewport County in the fourth round replay of theFA Cup on 7 February 2018.[49]
On 20 July 2018, Lamela signed a new four-year extension to his contract with Tottenham until 2022.[50]
Lamela scored his first goal of the2018–19 season after coming on as a substitute in the game against Liverpool that Spurs lost 2–1.[51] He also scored in the next league game againstBrighton in a 2–1 win,[52] followed by another goal in the next game in theEFL Cup againstWatford.[53] On 3 October, Lamela scored Tottenham's second goal in a 4–2 defeat at home toBarcelona in the2018–19 UEFA Champions League group stage; it was the 8,000th goal in the history of the Champions League.[54] He made his first league start of the season in the away match againstWest Ham United, scoring the only goal that secured a 1–0 win.[55] He was an unused substitute in the2019 UEFA Champions League Final in which Spurs lost 2–0 to Liverpool.
Lamela scored his first goal of the2019–20 season againstManchester City on 17 August 2019. He later registered his first assist of the season in the same match, setting upLucas Moura's goal, and helping Tottenham to a 2–2 away draw.[56]
Lamela was a starter in theCarabao Cup fourth round match againstChelsea. He equalized with his first goal of the season, then scored his penalty in the 5–4 penalty shootout win after a 1–1 draw.[57] In January 2021, he was fined after breaking the COVID-19 regulations by attending a Christmas party, and was left off the team in a number of games.[58][59] On 14 March, Lamela came off the bench and scored arabona to help Spurs take the lead in theNorth London derby, but he was subsequently sent off for a second yellow card and Spurs fell to a 2–1 defeat.[60] The goal was voted Goal of the Season byMatch of the Day.[61] The goal also later won the 2021FIFA Puskás Award as the best goal of the year.[62]
On 26 July 2021, Lamela left Tottenham, signing forSevilla in a swap deal forBryan Gil.[63] He scored two goals on hisLa Liga debut in a 3–0 victory overRayo Vallecano.[64] He scored four goals and assisted twice in the first four months at the club, however, he suffered a shoulder injury while training in November 2021, and was out for four months.[65]
In May 2023, he scored a goal in extra time in theEuropa League semi-final against Juventus to win 3–2 on aggregate, which sent Sevilla to thefinal.[66] There, facing his former club Roma, Lamela scored Sevilla's second penalty in the penalty shoot-out following a 1–1 tie after extra time. Sevilla eventually won 4–1 on penalties, earning Lamela his first professional career title.[67] On May 2024, Lamela left Sevilla following the expiration of his contract.[68]
On 21 July 2024, Lamela signed a three-year deal for Greek clubAEK Athens as a free agent, with a club record contract fee of €2.5 million per year, totaling €7.5 million throughout the duration of his contract.[69] On 14 August 2025, Lamela and AEK parted ways before Lamela announced his retirement from professional football. Shortly after, he joined theSevilla coaching staff.[70][71]
Lamela took part in the2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup with theArgentina national under-20 team and scored three goals in four matches.[72]
Lamela made his debut with theArgentina national team on 25 May 2011 in a friendly game againstParaguay.[73]
On 3 September 2014, Lamela scored his first goal for the senior national team, putting Argentina 2–0 ahead againstGermany, in an eventual 4–2 win in a rematch of theWorld Cup final.[74]
In May 2015, Lamela was selected by coachGerardo Martino in Argentina's squad for the2015 Copa América held in Chile.[75]
In 2016, Lamela was selected by coachGerardo Martino in Argentina's squad for the2016 Copa América. Lamela was part ofthe Argentine side that ran tothe final. He appeared in all of Argentina's group stage matches, and scored a goal in the 3–0 win againstBolivia with a long-range free kick.[76] He scored again in the 4–1 win in the quarter-final againstVenezuela minutes after coming on as a sub.[77] Inthe final againstChile, he only appeared as a sub in extra time in the 111th minute, which Chile won 4–2 onpenalties.[78]
In November 2018, Lamela was recalled to the Argentina national team after a two-year absence.[79]
Lamela's partner of many years is Sofia Herrero.[80] The couple have two sons: Tobias, born 2017[81][82] and Thiago, born in 2020.[83]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup[b] | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| River Plate | 2008–09 | Argentine Primera División | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2009–10 | Argentine Primera División | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| 2010–11 | Argentine Primera División | 34 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 34 | 4 | ||||
| Total | 36 | 4 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 36 | 4 | ||||
| Roma | 2011–12 | Serie A | 29 | 4 | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | 31 | 6 | |||
| 2012–13 | Serie A | 33 | 15 | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 36 | 15 | ||||
| Total | 62 | 19 | 5 | 2 | — | — | — | 67 | 21 | |||||
| Tottenham Hotspur | 2013–14[86] | Premier League | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6[c] | 1 | — | 17 | 1 | |
| 2014–15[87] | Premier League | 33 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 8[c] | 2 | — | 46 | 5 | ||
| 2015–16[88] | Premier League | 34 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8[c] | 6 | — | 44 | 11 | ||
| 2016–17[89] | Premier League | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3[d] | 0 | — | 14 | 2 | ||
| 2017–18[90] | Premier League | 25 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2[d] | 0 | — | 33 | 4 | ||
| 2018–19[91] | Premier League | 19 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 9[d] | 1 | — | 33 | 6 | ||
| 2019–20[92] | Premier League | 25 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5[d] | 1 | — | 35 | 4 | ||
| 2020–21[93] | Premier League | 23 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 8[c] | 1 | — | 35 | 4 | ||
| Total | 177 | 17 | 16 | 4 | 15 | 4 | 49 | 12 | — | 257 | 37 | |||
| Sevilla | 2021–22[94] | La Liga | 20 | 5 | 0 | 0 | — | 4[d] | 0 | — | 24 | 5 | ||
| 2022–23[95] | La Liga | 32 | 6 | 4 | 1 | — | 13[e] | 2 | — | 49 | 9 | |||
| 2023–24[96] | La Liga | 13 | 2 | 2 | 0 | — | 3[d] | 0 | 1[f] | 0 | 19 | 2 | ||
| Total | 65 | 13 | 6 | 1 | — | 20 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 92 | 16 | |||
| AEK Athens | 2024–25 | Super League Greece | 24 | 5 | 5 | 1 | — | 2[g] | 0 | — | 31 | 6 | ||
| Career total | 364 | 58 | 32 | 8 | 15 | 4 | 71 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 483 | 84 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 2011 | 1 | 0 |
| 2012 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 4 | 1 | |
| 2015 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 8 | 2 | |
| 2017 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 25 | 3 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 September 2014 | Esprit Arena,Düsseldorf, Germany |  Germany | 2–0 | 4–2 | Friendly |
| 2 | 14 June 2016 | CenturyLink Field,Seattle, United States |  Bolivia | 1–0 | 3–0 | Copa América Centenario |
| 3 | 18 June 2016 | Gillette Stadium,Foxborough, United States |  Venezuela | 4–1 | 4–1 |
Sevilla
Individual
Argentina squads | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Awards | |
|---|---|
