Diego López Rodríguez

Diego López

López signing autographs in the 2011 preseason
Personal information
Full name	Diego López Rodríguez
Date of birth	3 November 1981 (1981-11-03) (age 30)
Place of birth	Paradela, Spain
Height	1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)
Playing position	Goalkeeper
Club information
Current club	Villarreal
Number	13
Youth career
1994–1999	Lugo
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1999–2000	Lugo	0	(0)
2000–2003	Real Madrid C	57	(0)
2001–2002	→ Alcorcón (loan)	0	(0)
2003–2005	Real Madrid B	33	(0)
2005–2007	Real Madrid	2	(0)
2007–	Villarreal	144	(0)
National team‡
2009–	Spain	1	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 6 November 2011. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 26 January 2010

This name uses Spanish naming customs; the first or paternal family name is López and the second or maternal family name is Rodríguez.

Diego López Rodríguez (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈdjeɣo ˈlopeθ]; born 3 November 1981 in Paradela, Lugo, Galicia) is a Spanish footballer who plays for Villarreal CF as a goalkeeper.

Club career

A youth graduate from hometown's CD Lugo, López moved to Real Madrid at almost 19. After a loan at another side from the capital, AD Alcorcón, he eventually moved up to Real's B team, starting in his second season, which ended in a Segunda División promotion.

López served as first-team backup to Iker Casillas in the following two La Liga seasons. In the closing stages of 2005–06, he appeared in two back-to-back away wins, against CA Osasuna (as Casillas was sent off),^[1] and Racing de Santander,^[2] adding a UEFA Champions League group stage contest at Olympiakos FC, in a 1–2 defeat.^[3] In 2007 López signed for Villarreal for a reported fee of €6 million,^[4] and started the season as second-choice to Uruguayan Sebastián Viera but, after a string of fine performances (he played in the domestic and UEFA Cups), he was awarded first-team action, finishing the season with 20 appearances.

In 2008–09, López was everpresent, helping Villarreal finish fifth in the league, as he did not miss one minute of action. More of the same in the following season, but the team could only rank seventh, thus out of the European zone; however, as fifth-placed RCD Mallorca was expelled from European competition due to bankruptcy, the Valencian took its place in the qualifying rounds of the UEFA Europa League.

International career

López was first called-up by Spain, as the third goalkeeper, for two 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers – both against Turkey, in late March/early April 2009.

He was named by national side boss Vicente del Bosque for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa, in the same predicament (behind Casillas and José Manuel Reina), and did not play any matches there.

On 12 August 2009, in a 3–2 friendly win in Macedonia, López made his national team debut, playing the last 30 minutes in the place of Reina, and keeping a clean sheet.

References

1. ^ "Osasuna 0-1 Real Madrid". ESPN Soccernet. 30 April 2006. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=188635&cc=5739. Retrieved 17 May 2011. 
2. ^ "Racing Santander 2-3 Real Madrid". ESPN Soccernet. 4 May 2006. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=188379&cc=5739. Retrieved 17 May 2011. 
3. ^ "Olympiakos 2-1 Real Madrid: Second-string". ESPNsoccernet. 6 December 2005. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=188827&cc=5739. Retrieved 17 May 2011. 
4. ^ "Diego López signs at Villarreal". UEFA.com. 26 June 2007. http://www.uefa.com/memberassociations/news/newsid=555607.html. Retrieved 26 November 2008. 

External links

• Villarreal official profile
• BDFutbol profile
• National team data (Spanish)
• Transfermarkt profile

Persondata
Name	López Rodríguez, Diego
Alternative names	López, Diego
Short description	Footballer
Date of birth	3 November 1981
Place of birth	Paradela, Spain
Date of death
Place of death