Antonio López (footballer, born 1981)

Antonio López Guerrero (Spanish pronunciation: [anˈtonjo ˈlopeθ ɣeˈreɾo]; born 13 September 1981) is a Spanish former footballer who played mainly as a left back.

For other people named Antonio Lopez, see Antonio Lopez (disambiguation).
In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is López and the second or maternal family name is Guerrero.

Antonio López
López in action for Atlético Madrid in 2007
Personal information
Full name Antonio López Guerrero
Date of birth (1981-09-13) 13 September 1981
Place of birth Benidorm, Spain
Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Position(s) Left back
Youth career
Atlético Madrid
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1999–2001 Atlético Madrid B 39 (3)
2000–2012 Atlético Madrid 216 (11)
2002–2004 → Osasuna (loan) 71 (2)
2012–2014 Mallorca 17 (0)
Total 343 (16)
National team
2002–2003 Spain U21 6 (0)
2005–2007 Spain 16 (1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

He spent most of his professional career with Atlético Madrid, appearing in more than 300 official matches and winning four major titles, including two Europa League trophies. Also in La Liga, he played for Osasuna.

López represented Spain at the 2006 World Cup.

Club career

Atlético Madrid

A product of Atlético Madrid's youth system, López was born in Benidorm, Province of Alicante. He first appeared for the first team in 2000–01 whilst the Colchoneros were in the second division, and contributed with 20 matches the following season for a La Liga return, after a two-year hiatus.

Subsequently, López was loaned for two seasons to fellow top division club CA Osasuna, where he missed only five league games combined. During his Navarre spell he scored twice (both of the goals coming in 2002–03), most notably in a 1–0 home success against RCD Espanyol on 15 December 2002.[1]

In his second spell with Atlético, López quickly gained first-choice status. However, during the 2007–08 campaign he lost his position to Mariano Pernía, and would end serving more time at right-back due to injuries to teammates Giourkas Seitaridis and Juan Valera;[2] when selected, he was the side's undisputed captain.[3][4]

On 15 March 2009, López scored the winner through a rare header as Atlético came from behind 0–2 to beat Villarreal CF at home.[5] After the coach change, with former club player Abel Resino taking over for Javier Aguirre, he was made the starter, but an injury made Pernía finish the season in the starting XI.

Benefitting from a road accident to Pernía in the summer, López played most of 2009–10. On 2 January 2010, again with his head – but in the last minute – he netted against Sevilla FC at home to make it 2–1;[6] on 1 April he scored in the same fashion, making it 2–1 at Valencia CF for the UEFA Europa League (eventually 2–2),[7] a competition which was won in Hamburg with the player playing the entire 120 minutes of the 2–1 win against Fulham, and lifting the trophy as captain.[8]

Mallorca

In late May 2012, after 343 official games in ten senior seasons, López was released by Atlético.[9] The following month, he signed for two years with fellow league side RCD Mallorca with an option for a further season.[10]

International career

López made his debut with Spain on 30 March 2005, in a 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Serbia and Montenegro in Belgrade (0–0).[11] During the successful campaign, he scored his first international goal at San Marino on 12 October, hitting home from 25 metres in the first minute of a 6–0 routing.[12]

Supposed to back up Asier del Horno during the final stages, López would not benefit from the former's injury days before the tournament started, as Argentine-born Pernía would be promoted to first-choice. He would only appear against Saudi Arabia in Germany,[13] with Spain being eliminated in the round-of-16.

International goals
#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.12 October 2005Olimpico, Serravalle, San Marino San Marino0–10–62006 World Cup qualification[12]

Honours

Atlético Madrid

References
  1. Soto, Víctor (16 December 2002). "Tercera victoria consecutiva de Osasuna en casa" [Third straight home win for Osasuna]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 January 2017.
  2. "Perea, Jurado, Seitaridis y Valera, bajas frente al Betis" [Perea, Jurado, Seitaridis and Valera, unavailable against Betis] (in Spanish). Terra. 1 December 2007. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  3. "Antonio López es el nuevo capitán del Atlético" [Antonio López is the new Atlético captain]. Marca (in Spanish). 16 July 2009. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  4. "Antonio López ejerce de Pepe Reina en el colofón de la fiesta colchonera" [Antonio López plays Pepe Reina at the height of colchonera party] (in Spanish). Telecinco. 10 May 2012. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  5. "Atlético Madrid 3–2 Villarreal". ESPN Soccernet. 15 March 2009. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
  6. "Last gasp Lopez winner". ESPN Soccernet. 2 January 2010. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
  7. "Villa keeps Los Che in the tie". ESPN Soccernet. 1 April 2010. Retrieved 22 May 2012.
  8. McNulty, Phil (12 May 2010). "Atletico Madrid 2–1 Fulham". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 13 May 2010. Retrieved 13 May 2010.
  9. Aznar, Luis (22 May 2012). "Antonio López: "Todo lo que me llevo del Atlético es bueno"" [Antonio López: "I only take good things from Atlético"]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 May 2012.
  10. Mallorca snap up Lopez; ESPN Soccernet, 26 June 2012
  11. Sámano, José (31 March 2005). "España se queda corta" [Spain come up short]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  12. Torres towers in Spain win Archived 21 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine; UEFA, 12 October 2005
  13. "Saudi Arabia 0–1 Spain". BBC Sport. 23 June 2006. Retrieved 28 January 2017.
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