He left the club in the end of the following year after failing to agree new terms, and subsequently joined Figueirense; on 29 February 2008, however, he returned to Sport.

[2] Lucena quickly established himself as a starter for the Leão, lifting the 2008 Copa do Brasil and three Campeonato Pernambucano titles in a row.

[3][4] On 11 July 2012, after two months training to regain match fitness, Lucena signed a contract with Sport's rivals Santa Cruz.

[6] Lucena left Coelho in the end of 2014, and subsequently represented clubs in the Rio Grande do Sul: Novo Hamburgo in 2015,[7] and Aimoré in 2016.

He remained at the club even after Nelsinho was fired, and was named interim manager in February 2019, after Milton Cruz was dismissed;[9] however, he was not in charge of the first team in any matches, as Guto Ferreira was hired.