PROFILE | Lens’ Facundo Medina worthy of Argentina’s recognition | OneFootball

There is normally only ever one reason why Facundo Medina’s name wouldn’t appear on the teamsheet for Lens and that would be because the combative defender has picked up a suspension for collecting too many yellow cards. Last season, Medina reached double figures for yellow cards in Ligue 1 and received 15 in total across all competitions.

And this season he already has four to his name in the league and managed to see the first red card of his career when he received a double booking during Lens’s short-lived Europa Conference League qualification campaign. For most players, this kind of stat would set off warning bells, and suggest a player out of control. However, for Medina, it is like a badge of honour.

The defender is that cliched image of a warrior doing the dirty tasks to protect the team. The kind of player that the turn of the century supposedly left behind. And as his now-head coach, Will Still stated, “When I was at Reims, he was a player I hated. He drove me crazy on the pitch, but he’s the first guy you want to have on your team.”

This is largely because of his ability to read the game and frustrate the opposition. Under his former head coach Franck Haise, Medina was used almost exclusively as one of the centre-backs in a back three. His understanding of when to press and intercept was part of what made Lens’s high line so effective as it meant he could snuff out the opponent’s attempt to pick apart weaknesses.

Medina moved around by Still

Whilst, this skillset has not changed under Still, the Anglo-Belgian head coach has begun to stray from a back three. Still, Medina has remained one of the first names on the teamsheet although he is often now deployed as a centre-midfielder or more frequently as a left-back. This change has given the Argentine a better chance to demonstrate something that can be often lost in the analysis of the defender: he is exceptional on the ball.

All that has been missing for the defender this year has been more frequent recognition from his international manager Lionel Scaloni. Medina only received one call-up in 2024 as an emergency last-minute pick where he came on for the final minute of Argentina’s 1-0 victory over Peru. It was a rushed moment as according to Still, Medina had “to pay for his own flight” but perhaps it is this kind of dedication that will eventually see him earn more caps.

GFFN | Nick Hartland