Quick Facts
LibraBiography
Lucas Martín Castromán (born 2 October 1980 in Luján, Buenos Aires Province) is a retired Argentine football midfielder or forward. He was awarded an Italian passport during his time in Lazio, thanks to descent.
Career
Castromán began his professional career with Vélez Sársfield in 1997, with Marcelo Bielsa as a coach. His consistent performances in midfield awarded him a lucrative transfer to S.S. Lazio in the Italian Serie A, in 2001. There he became suddenly popular amongst Lazio's fans because of a late equalising goal scored in the very last minute of a derby against AS Roma that was leading the game 2–1 until then.
In 2003 he was loaned to fellow Italians Udinese before returning to Vélez in 2004.
Castromán, a firm favourite with the Vélez fans, reinforced his place in the history of the club by helping the team to win the Argentine Primera División Clausura tournament in 2005 after the club's run of 7 years without a trophy. During that tournament, Vélez' coach Miguel Ángel Russo, seeing the team's position of right and left winger were well covered by Jonás Gutiérrez and Marcelo Bravo, used Castromán as a second striker. Castromán played at great level in his new position, and was the team's topscorer along Rolando Zárate during the aforementioned Clausura tournament. After personal differences with Vélez Sársfield coach, Ricardo La Volpe, Castromán decided it was time to change teams, joining Club América of Mexico.
After only six months with Club América he was transfer listed on 17 December 2007 putting an end to his time with the club where injuries, poor physical condition and poor discipline on and off the field led to his departure. He was loaned to Boca Juniors for US$1,050,000. Though not a first choice player in Boca, he was part of the Apertura 2008 and 2008 Recopa Sudamericana winning teams.
He signed a one-year contract with Racing Club de Avellaneda on 6 February 2009.
National team
Castromán played 5 games for Argentina.
National team statistics
| Argentina national team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2000 | 1 | 0 |
| 2001 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 | 0 | 0 |
| 2003 | 3 | 0 |
| 2004 | 0 | 0 |
| 2005 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 5 | 0 |
Honours
Vélez Sársfield
- Argentine Primera División (2): Clausura 1998, Clausura 2005
S.S. Lazio
- Coppa Italia (1): 2003–04
Boca Juniors
- Argentine Primera División (1): Apertura 2008
- Recopa Sudamericana (1): 2008
Argentina U-20 national football team
- South American Youth Championship (1): 1999