Javier "Javi" Lara Grande (born 4 December 1985) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a central midfielder. He is the sporting director of Primera Federación club Ibiza.

Club career Born in Montoro, Córdoba, Lara graduated from local club Córdoba CF's youth setup, and made his senior debut with the reserves in the 2003–04 season, in the Tercera División. After Segunda División B loan stints with CD Villanueva,Javi Lara ya ejerce de rojillo (Javi Lara already acts as a red); Minuto 90, 31 January 2006 (in Spanish) Real UniónJavi Lara se marcha al Real Unión de Irún (Javi Lara goes to Real Unión de Irún); Minuto 90, 26 July 2006 (in Spanish) and Écija Balompié,Javi Lara deja el Real Unión de Irún y jugará la segunda vuelta en el Écija (Javi Lara leaves Real Unión de Irún and will play the second round with Écija) ; ABC, 27 January 2007 (in Spanish) he moved to another reserve team, UD Almería B, in August 2007.Javi Lara y Chapi firman en Almería B y Díter Zafra (Javi Lara and Chapi sign with Almería B and Díter Zafra); Minuto 90, 6 August 2007 (in Spanish)

In summer 2008, Lara joined RSD Alcalá also of the fourth division. On 20 July 2009, he signed a two-year contract with Elche CF in the Segunda División.El Elche ficha a Javi Lara y consigue la cesión del jugador del Valencia Ximo Navarro (Elche sign Javi Lara and get loan of Valencia player Ximo Navarro); Marca, 20 July 2009 (in Spanish) He played his first match as a professional on 3 September 2009, starting and featuring the full 90 minutes in a 3–2 away loss against FC Cartagena in the second round of the Copa del Rey.'Hat trick' de Toché y épica remontada del Cartagena (Toché 'hat trick' and epic comeback from Cartagena); Marca, 3 September 2009 (in Spanish) He made his league debut three days later, coming on as a second-half substitute in the 4–1 defeat at CD Numancia.Un Numancia sobrado golea al Elche y se coloca líder por goles (Large Numancia thrash Elche and are leaders due to goals); Marca, 6 September 2009 (in Spanish)

On 29 January 2010, having been sparingly used by the Andalusians, Lara was loaned to CD Alcoyano until June.Javi Lara se marcha cedido al Alcoyano (Javi Lara goes on loan to Alcoyano); Marca, 29 January 2010 (in Spanish) He then moved to Valencia CF's B team in January 2011,El Mestalla ficha a Javi Lara (Mestalla sign Javi Lara) ; Valencia CF, 17 January 2011 (in Spanish) following which he competed in division three with Lucena CFLas maletas de Lara se detienen en Lucena (Lara's luggage stops in Lucena) ; Córdoba Deporte, 29 August 2011 (in Spanish) and Alcoyano.El cordobés Javi Lara vuelve a la disciplina del Alcoyano (Córdoba's own Javi Lara returns to Alcoyano's discipline); Diario Información, 14 July 2012 (in Spanish)

On 17 July 2013, Lara signed a one-year deal with SD Ponferradina.La Ponferradina ficha por un año a Javi Lara (Ponferradina sign Javi Lara for a year); Marca, 17 July 2013 (in Spanish) On 24 June of the following year, he moved to SD Eibar, recently promoted to La Liga.Javi Lara primer fichaje de la S.D. Eibar (Javi Lara first signing of S.D. Eibar) ; SD Eibar, 24 June 2014 (in Spanish) He made his debut in the Spanish top flight on 24 August 2014, starting and scoring the game's only goal (also the club's first ever in the competition) through a free kick in a win against Real Sociedad at the Ipurua Municipal Stadium.Lara seals dream start for Eibar; ESPN FC, 24 August 2014

Lara moved abroad at the age of 29, joining ATK in the Indian Super League on 17 July 2015.Javi Lara, nueva adquisición del Atlético de Kolkata (Javi Lara, new Atlético de Kolkata acquisition); Atlético Madrid, 17 July 2015 (in Spanish) He scored his first goal for the team on 13 October in their first home game of the season, a 2–1 victory over Kerala Blasters FC with Pelé in attendance at the Salt Lake Stadium.

In November 2015, after being ruled out due to injury, Lara was consequently released and replaced by his compatriot Jorge Alonso. On 2 February 2016, he returned to his home country by agreeing to a short-term deal at CD Tenerife.Javi Lara, nuevo jugador del CD Tenerife (Javi Lara, new player of CD Tenerife); CD Tenerife, 2 February 2016 (in Spanish)

On 12 August 2016, Lara returned to India and Atlético Kolkata,Helder Postiga retained as Atletico de Kolkata marquee; Borja, Lara stay; Hindustan Times, 12 August 2016 winning the championship after defeating Kerala Blasters in a penalty shoot-out. On 10 January 2017, he signed for Córdoba until 30 June.Javi Lara, nuevo jugador del Córdoba C.F. (Javi Lara, new player of Córdoba C.F.); Córdoba CF, 10 January 2017 (in Spanish)

Lara returned to Spain in August 2019, with the 33-year-old joining UD Ibiza for two seasons as a free agent. He was a regular starter in the side's first-ever promotion to the second division in 2021, before leaving on 18 May 2022.

On 4 July 2022, Lara signed for AD Alcorcón of Primera Federación. He contributed 41 matches and six assists in all competitions in his debut campaign, winning promotion to the second tier and subsequently renewing his contract; he scored twice from 34 appearances in 2023–24, as they went down immediately.

Lara remained in the lower leagues subsequently, his last club being Linares Deportivo in the Segunda Federación. On 21 January 2025, the 39-year-old was appointed sporting director of his former employers Ibiza.

Career statistics

ClubSeasonLeagueCupOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsVillanueva (loan)2005–06Segunda División B122——122Real Unión (loan)2006–07Segunda División B5020—70Écija (loan)2006–07Segunda División B131——131Elche 2009–10Segunda División9010—100Alcoyano (loan)2009–10Segunda División B150—20170Lucena 2011–12Segunda División B315—40355Alcoyano 2012–13Segunda División B40942114512Ponferradina 2013–14Segunda División37410—384Eibar 2014–15La Liga31120—331ATK 2015Indian Super League61——61Tenerife 2015–16Segunda División16100—161ATK2016Indian Super League173——173Córdoba 2016–17Segunda División21100—2112017–18Segunda División24000—240Total45100—451Career total277281027129431

Honours ATK Indian Super League: 2016

References

External links