- Claudio López (footballer)
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Claudio López Personal information Full name Claudio Javier López Date of birth July 17, 1974 Place of birth Río Tercero, Argentina Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Playing position Forward, Winger Senior career* Years Team Apps† (Gls)† 1992–1996 Racing Club 116 (25) 1996–2000 Valencia 123 (42) 2000–2004 Lazio 105 (28) 2004–2006 América 87 (27) 2007–2008 Racing Club 34 (10) 2008–2009 Kansas City Wizards 57 (13) 2010 Colorado Rapids 11 (0) National team‡ 1996 Argentina Olympic 6 (2) 1995–2003 Argentina 55 (10) HonoursCompetitor for 
ArgentinaMen's Football Silver 1996 Atlanta Team * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of November 9, 2010.
† Appearances (Goals).
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of April 13, 2010Claudio López (born July 17, 1974 in Río Tercero) is a former Argentine footballer who most recently played for Colorado Rapids in Major League Soccer.
He is known by the nickname "El Piojo", meaning "the louse", and is well known for his pace, dribbling skills and world class finishing.
Contents
Career
Early career
López began his professional career with Estudiantes de La Plata in his native Argentina in 1990 as a 16-year old. However, he moved to Racing the next year, where he would remain until he transferred in 1996 to Spanish club Valencia.
Europe
López remained with Valencia for five years, helping the team to be runner-up in the UEFA Champions League in the 1999-2000 season, when he was transferred to Lazio of Serie A for a sum of 35 million Euros.[citation needed] He was partnered with Hernán Crespo. Unfortunately, López suffered from injury problems while at Lazio, and was unable to fulfill the hopes that accompanied him, but the Lazio's fans consider López an idol, because he made great and beautiful goals. While in Lazio, in the UEFA Champions League season 2000-2001, he scored an olympic goal against Anderlecht in Olimpico Roma Stadium.
Mexico, return to Racing
López joined Club América for the 2004 Apertura, where he played in 17 games, scoring four goals. The following season, Clausura 2005 brought better results, with López scoring a total of 14 goals overall and helping the team to its tenth League championship in its history. It was his first and only league championship with any team. Claudio was instrumental to the team's success, also helping them win the CONCACAF Champions' Cup by scoring two goals in the Final over Tecos UAG.He played the Fifa Club World Cup in 2006.
In 2007 López returned to Racing, 11 years after his departure from the club, and the country. In most of those games, usually coming in as a late sub, López scored several important goals.
Major League Soccer
On March 7, 2008, it was announced López had signed with the Kansas City Wizards on a free transfer. López fell under the league’s designated player qualification, which means only the first $415,000 of his salary counted against Kansas City Wizards’ team salary cap. He has since had his contract restructured to take him below designated player status. [1] He scored on his debut for Kansas City against DC United on March 29, 2008.
On 23 February 2010 the Argentinean striker left after two seasons Kansas City Wizards.[2] "We would have liked to have Claudio back in 2010, but unfortunately it became clear early in the contract negotiations that we could not give him what he desired," Wizards Manager Peter Vermes said.[3]
López was later signed by league rivals Colorado Rapids on April 2, 2010.[4]
After the 2010 MLS season Colorado declined Lopez's contract option and Lopez elected to participate in the 2010 MLS Re-Entry Draft. Lopez became a free agent in Major League Soccer when he was not selected in the Re-Entry draft.
International
López had a distinguished career with Argentina. After winning a silver medal with the Under-23 team during the 1996 Summer Olympics, López made appearances in both the 1998 and 2002 World Cups. He scored against Netherlands in the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
Club statistics
Club performance League Cup Continental Total Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Argentina League Cup South America Total 1992/93 Racing Primera División 19 1 1993/94 36 3 1994/95 26 3 1995/96 35 18 Spain League Copa del Rey Europe Total 1996/97 Valencia La Liga 32 3 2 0 6 2 40 5 1997/98 32 12 5 0 - - 37 12 1998/99 32 21 6 9 4 0 42 30 1999/00 34 11 2 0 18 6 54 17 Italy League Coppa Italia Europe Total 2000/01 Lazio Serie A 16 0 ? ? 6 5 22 5 2001/02 29 10 ? ? 8 2 37 12 2002/03 34 15 ? 3 ? 3 34? 21 2003/04 27 4 ? 1 ? 2 27? 6 Mexico League Cup North America Total 2004/05 América Primera División 33 13 2005/06 30 5 2006/07 12 3 Argentina League Cup South America Total 2006/07 Racing Primera División 18 5 2007/08 16 5 United States League Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup North America Total 2008 Kansas City Wizards Major League Soccer 28 6 2 1 30 7 2009 29 7 2 0 31 7 2010 Colorado Rapids Major League Soccer 11 0 2 0 13 0 Country Argentina 150 35 Spain 130 47 20 9 28 8 173 64 Italy 106 29 Mexico 75 21 United States 68 13 6 1 74 14 Total 525 145 National team statistics
Argentina national team Year Apps Goals 1995 2 0 1996 5 0 1997 8 2 1998 12 3 1999 4 0 2000 8 2 2001 8 3 2002 6 0 2003 2 0 Total 55 10 Honours
- Copa del Rey: 1998-99
- Spanish Super Cup: 1999
- Coppa Italia: 2003-04
- Italian Super Cup: 2000
- Primera División de México: Clausura 2005
- CONCACAF Champions' Cup: 2006
- Campeón de Campeones: 2004-2005
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- Eastern Conference Championship: 2010
- MLS Cup: 2010
See also
References
- ^ KC OnDemand.com Article Detail
- ^ http://blog.thenewstribune.com/soccer/2010/02/23/claudio-lopez-a-wizard-no-more/
- ^ Wizards part ways with Claudio Lopez
- ^ http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/2010-04-02-2598623105_x.htm
- ^ http://www.national-football-teams.com/v2/player.php?id=304
- ^ http://www.national-football-teams.com/v2/player.php?id=304
External links
- MLS player profile
- Guardian statistics
- Profile and statistics of Claudio López at Football Database
- (Spanish) Racing Club's official website
- (Spanish) Argentine Primera statistics
Argentina squad – 1996 Summer Olympics Silver Medalists 
Argentina squad – 1998 FIFA World Cup Argentina squad – 2002 FIFA World Cup 1 Burgos • 2 Ayala • 3 Sorín • 4 Pochettino • 5 Almeyda • 6 Samuel • 7 C. López • 8 Zanetti • 9 Batistuta • 10 Ortega • 11 Verón (c) • 12 Cavallero • 13 Placente • 14 Simeone • 15 Husaín • 16 Aimar • 17 G. López • 18 K. González • 19 Crespo • 20 Gallardo • 21 Caniggia • 22 Chamot • 23 Bonano • Coach: BielsaCategories:- Argentine footballers
- Argentina international footballers
- Association football forwards
- Club América footballers
- Estudiantes de La Plata footballers
- Racing Club footballers
- S.S. Lazio players
- Valencia CF footballers
- Kansas City Wizards players
- Colorado Rapids players
- Serie A footballers
- La Liga footballers
- Expatriate footballers in Italy
- Expatriate footballers in Spain
- Expatriate footballers in Mexico
- Expatriate soccer players in the United States
- Olympic footballers of Argentina
- Olympic silver medalists for Argentina
- Footballers at the 1996 Summer Olympics
- 1998 FIFA World Cup players
- 2002 FIFA World Cup players
- People from Córdoba Province (Argentina)
- Argentine people of Spanish descent
- 1974 births
- Living people
- Argentine expatriate footballers
- Primera División Argentina players
- Primera División de México players
- Argentine expatriate sportspeople in Italy
- Argentine expatriate sportspeople in Mexico
- Argentine expatriate sportspeople in Spain
- Argentine expatriate sportspeople in the United States
- Olympic medalists in football
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