Óscar López (footballer, born 1980) facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Óscar López Hernández | ||
| Date of birth | 11 May 1980 | ||
| Place of birth | Cerdanyola, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1989–1998 | Barcelona | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1997–2001 | Barcelona C | 47 | (4) |
| 2000–2004 | Barcelona B | 93 | (5) |
| 2003–2006 | Barcelona | 8 | (0) |
| 2004–2005 | → Lazio (loan) | 14 | (0) |
| 2005–2006 | → Betis (loan) | 18 | (0) |
| 2006–2010 | Betis | 1 | (0) |
| 2007–2008 | → Gimnàstic (loan) | 15 | (0) |
| 2010–2011 | Numancia | 17 | (1) |
| 2011–2012 | Go Ahead Eagles | 7 | (1) |
| Total | 220 | (11) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2017–2024 | Barcelona (youth) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Óscar López Hernández (born on 11 May 1980) is a Spanish former footballer. He mostly played as a left-back, which is a defensive position. After he stopped playing, he became a manager.
Óscar López started his professional football journey with Barcelona. His career faced some challenges due to injuries.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Barcelona
Óscar López was born in Cerdanyola del Vallès, a town near Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. He grew up playing football in Barcelona's youth academy, known as the cantera. This is where young players learn and train to become professional footballers.
He played for Barcelona's C and B teams before joining the main squad. His first game for the senior team was on 25 May 2003. Barcelona won that game 3–1 against Recreativo de Huelva. He played in seven more La Liga games over the next two seasons.
Óscar also got to play in a European football match. This happened on 15 October 2003, in a big 8–0 win against Matador Púchov in the UEFA Cup.
Playing on Loan
Even though he played for Barcelona's main team, Óscar López found it hard to get a regular spot. So, in the 2004–05 season, he was loaned to Lazio, a team in Italy. He played 14 games in Serie A, which is Italy's top football league.
He also played in two Coppa Italia matches and four UEFA Cup games. However, he didn't become a regular starter for Lazio. Because of this, the team decided not to buy him permanently when his loan ended.
Time at Real Betis
On 3 August 2005, Óscar López returned to Spain. He was loaned to Real Betis, another Spanish football club. He made his debut for Betis in a 2–1 win against his former club, Barcelona. This game was the second leg of the Supercopa de España.
During the 2005–06 season, he played quite a bit, appearing in 27 matches across different competitions. This included two European tournaments. After this successful loan period, he signed a four-year contract to stay with Real Betis permanently.
Later Career and Injuries
In January 2007, Óscar López was loaned to Gimnàstic de Tarragona, a team that was struggling in the top league. While playing there, he got a serious knee injury. This injury kept him from playing for many months. Even so, his loan was extended for the 2007–08 season.
When he returned to Andalusia in July 2008, he was told to find a new team. He couldn't find one, so he spent the next year training with Betis but wasn't officially registered to play.
On 4 February 2010, Óscar López was finally allowed to leave Betis. He joined Numancia, a team in the Segunda División (Spain's second division). He scored his only goal as a professional in Spain on 16 May 2010. It was a 1–1 draw against Rayo Vallecano. Numancia did not manage to return to the top league that season. In June 2011, at 31 years old, he left the club.
Moving to the Netherlands and Retirement
Óscar López then moved to the Netherlands. On 23 December 2011, he joined Go Ahead Eagles, a team in the Dutch Eerste Divisie (the second-highest league). He signed a deal until June 2012, with a chance to extend it for another year.
After he stopped playing professional football, Óscar López returned to Camp Nou, Barcelona's stadium. He started a new career as a youth manager, helping to train the next generation of football players.
See also
In Spanish: Óscar López Hernández para niños
