Lenny Ivo Lobato Romanelli (born 3 February 2001) is a Brazilian professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...

who plays as a winger for

Sport Recife Sport Club do Recife (), commonly known as Sport Recife or simply Sport, is a Brazilian sports club, located in Recife, Pernambuco. Founded in 1905, the club currently competes in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, the top tier of football i ...

on loan from Argentinian club Vélez Sarsfield.

Club career

Lobato spent six months with Brazilian side Madureira before heading to Argentina. He initially spent time with

All Boys Club Atlético All Boys () is an Argentine sports club based in Floresta, Buenos Aires. The institution is mostly known for its association football, football team, which currently plays in the Primera B Nacional, the second division of the Arge ...

Primera B Nacional Primera Nacional (usually called simply Nacional B, (English "National B Division"), and known as Primera B Nacional until the 2019–20 season) is the second division of the Argentine football league system. The competition is made up of 38 team ...

, though was unable to remain due to contractual issues. At the age of sixteen, Lobato joined Vélez Sarsfield; via a trial that his ''El Fortín''-supporting uncle had set up, with the help of the latter's brother-in-law Alejandro Chiossi who worked for them. It was Lobato's second trial with Vélez, following one he had aged ten. The winger soon trained with the first-team squad on numerous occasions; under both

Gabriel Heinze Gabriel Iván Heinze (; born 19 April 1978) is an Argentine football coach and former player. As a player, he operated as a defender, either as a left-back or a centre-back. Nicknamed '' Gringo'', he made a name for himself at Paris Saint-Germai ...

and

Mauricio Pellegrino Mauricio Andrés Pellegrino Luna (; born 5 October 1971) is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a centre-back, currently manager of Lanús. After nearly one decade with Vélez Sarsfield, he spent the vast majority of his ...

. In November 2020, Lobato signed his first professional contract. Lobato was moved into Mauricio Pellegrino's senior squad for the first time on 17 February 2021, as the winger made the bench for a

Copa Argentina The Copa Argentina (English: ''Argentine Cup''), officially known as the "Copa Argentina AXION energy" due to sponsorship reasons, is an official football cup competition organized by the Argentine Football Association (AFA). The first editions ...

round of sixty-four encounter with Deportivo Camioneros of

Torneo Federal A The Torneo Federal A () is one of the two professional leagues that form the regionalised third level of the Argentine football league system, along with Primera B Metropolitana. The competition was established in 2014 as a result of a change in t ...

. With the scoreline at 3–1 to Vélez, Lobato was substituted on in place of Cristian Tarragona for the final seven minutes of the victory at the

Estadio Julio Humberto Grondona Estadio Julio Humberto Grondona, nicknamed ''El Viaducto'', is a association football, football stadium located in the city of Sarandí, Buenos Aires, Sarandí in Avellaneda Partido, Argentina. It is owned and operated by Arsenal de Sarandí, Arse ...

; he picked up a late yellow card.

International career

Lobato is eligible to represent Argentina or Brazil at international level. He has yet to announce his allegiances for either nation, stating he would treat any call-up equally. He previously stated that he feels more Brazilian than Argentine when in Argentina, but more Argentine than Brazilian when in Brazil. In regards to club football, he said that he hopes to play in Brazilian football at some point in his career.

Personal life

Lobato is the grandson of 20th century Argentine dancer and actress Nelida Lobato. His family, including parents Gabriela and Adrián, were born in Argentina, though Lobato was born in Búzios, Brazil and remained in that country until joining Vélez Sarsfield in 2017.

Career statistics

Notes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lobato, Lenny 2001 births People from Armação dos Búzios Footballers from Rio de Janeiro (state) Living people Brazilian people of Argentine descent Brazilian people of Italian descent Sportspeople of Argentine descent Men's association football forwards Brazilian men's footballers Club Atlético Vélez Sarsfield footballers Sport Club do Recife players Argentine Primera División players Campeonato Brasileiro Série B players Brazilian expatriate men's footballers Expatriate men's footballers in Argentina Brazilian expatriate sportspeople in Argentina 21st-century Brazilian sportsmen