Lazaros Rota
.jpg) Rota playing for Greece in 2022 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 23 August 1997 | ||
| Place of birth | Katerini, Greece | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position | Right-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | AEK Athens | ||
| Number | 12 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –2017 | Iraklis | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2017–2018 | Slavoj Trebišov | 12 | (1) |
| 2018–2020 | Zemplín Michalovce | 40 | (2) |
| 2020–2021 | Fortuna Sittard | 31 | (0) |
| 2021– | AEK Athens | 119 | (4) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2020– | Greece | 25 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 18 February 2026 ‡ National team caps and goals as of 18 November 2025 | |||
Lazaros Rota (Greek: Λάζαρος Ρότα; Albanian: Lazar Rota; born 23 August 1997) is a Greek professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Super League club AEK Athens and the Greece national team.[1]
Club career
Rota started his career with the second team of Iraklis Reserves. He continued in FK Slavoj Trebišov, a 2. Liga (Slovakia) club until he signed a professional contract with Zemplín Michalovce.
Zemplín Michalovce
Rota made his professional Fortuna Liga debut for Zemplín Michalovce against DAC Dunajská Streda on 29 July 2018. He played the entirety of 4–1 defeat away at the MOL Aréna.[2]
Fortuna Sittard
Rota's move to Fortuna Sittard was announced on 31 January 2020. He signed a 3.5-year contract with the Dutch club.[3] On 31 August, the Dutch club announced that the two sides had reached a mutual consensus to terminate the contract.[4]
AEK Athens
On 2 September 2021, AEK Athens announced the acquisition of Rota, for the next three years for an undisclosed fee.[5] On 10 April, he scored an equaliser, which was later voted the best goal of matchday 28, against Aris.[6] The following week he scored in Ioannina against the local team. His goal was again voted the best of the specific matchday.[7]
International career
Rota was eligible to play for the Albania national team, due to having ethnic Albanian parents, and the Greece national team.[8] In August 2020, Rota had called up to Greece national team for the UEFA Nations League against Slovenia and Kosovo. He made his debut on 11 October 2020 in a Nations League game against Moldova.[9]
Career statistics
Club
- As of 11 September 2025
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Europe | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Slavoj Trebišov | 2017–18 | 2. Liga | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 12 | 1 | |
| Zemplín Michalovce | 2018–19 | Slovak First Football League | 26 | 1 | 7 | 1 | — | 33 | 2 | |
| 2019–20 | 14 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 15 | 1 | |||
| Total | 40 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 48 | 3 | ||
| Fortuna Sittard | 2019–20 | Eredivisie | 5 | 0 | — | — | 5 | 0 | ||
| 2020–21 | 24 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 26 | 0 | |||
| 2021–22 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 31 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 0 | ||
| AEK Athens | 2021–22 | Super League Greece | 23 | 2 | 4 | 0 | — | 27 | 2 | |
| 2022–23 | 31 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 36 | 0 | |||
| 2023–24 | 22 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5[b] | 0 | 28 | 2 | ||
| 2024–25 | 24 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4[c] | 0 | 33 | 0 | ||
| 2025–26 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6[c] | 0 | 8 | 0 | ||
| Total | 102 | 4 | 15 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 132 | 4 | ||
| Career total | 186 | 7 | 25 | 1 | 15 | 0 | 226 | 8 | ||
- ^ Includes Slovak Cup, KNVB Cup, Greek Football Cup
- ^ Two appearances in UEFA Champions League, three appearances in UEFA Europa League
- ^ a b Appearances in UEFA Conference League
Honours
- AEK Athens
References
- ^ Αυτός είναι ο Λάζαρος Ρότα που θέλει στην Εθνική ο Φαν'τ Σχιπ! 26 August 2020, www.gazzetta.gr
- ^ FC DAC 1904 Dunajská Streda - MFK Zemplín Michalovce 4:1 29 July 2018, futbalnet.sk
- ^ "Michalovce prišli o oporu, Rota prestúpil do Holandska | ProFutbal.sk". profutbal.sk (in Slovak). Archived from the original on 1 February 2020. Retrieved 1 February 2020.
- ^ "Η Φορτούνα Σιτάρντ άφησε ελεύθερο τον Λάζαρο Ρότα". www.sport24.gr (in Greek). 31 August 2021. Retrieved 1 September 2021.
- ^ "ΑΕΚ: Επίσημα στην Ένωση ο Λάζαρος Ρότα". www.sport24.gr (in Greek). 2 September 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
- ^ "Στον Λάζαρο Ρότα το Best Goal | video | athlitiko". Athlitiko.gr | Το αθλητικό site της Κρήτης. 12 May 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
- ^ newsroom, sport-fm. "Στον Ρότα το βραβείο για το καλύτερο γκολ της 5ης αγωνιστικής των Playoffs και 4ης των Playouts". sport-fm.gr (in Greek). Retrieved 24 August 2022.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ "Futbollisti me origjinë shqiptare grumbullohet me Greqinë, mbrojtësi mund të debutojë kundër Kosovës". 2 September 2020.
- ^ "Greece v Moldova game report". ESPN. 11 October 2020.
External links
- Lazaros Rota at Soccerway.com
- Lazaros Rota at WorldFootball.net
- Lazaros Rota at Soccerbase.com
- Lazaros Rota at National-Football-Teams.com
- Lazaros Rota at FBref.com
- Lazaros Rota at kicker (in German)
- Lazaros Rota at EU-Football.info
