Antonio López (footballer, born 1981) facts for kids
López in action for Atlético Madrid in 2007
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Antonio López Guerrero | ||
| Date of birth | 13 September 1981 | ||
| Place of birth | Benidorm, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.73 m | ||
| Playing position | Left-back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1996–1999 | 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) |
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Antonio López Guerrero was born on September 13, 1981. He is a Spanish former footballer who mostly played as a left-back. This means he played on the left side of the defense.
Antonio López spent most of his career playing for Atlético Madrid. He played over 300 games for the club. He helped them win four big titles, including two Europa League trophies. He also played for Osasuna and Mallorca in La Liga, which is Spain's top football league.
López also played for the Spanish national team. He represented his country at the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Contents
Playing for Football Clubs
Starting at Atlético Madrid
Antonio López grew up in Benidorm, Spain. He joined the youth team of Atlético Madrid when he was young. He first played for the main team in the 2000–01 season. At that time, Atlético Madrid was in the Segunda División, which is the second division of Spanish football.
He helped the team get back into La Liga (the top league) in the 2001–02 season. He played 20 matches that year.
Loan to Osasuna
After this, López was loaned to another top-division club, CA Osasuna, for two seasons. He played almost every game there, missing only five league matches. During his time at Osasuna, he scored two goals. One of his most important goals was a winning goal against RCD Espanyol in December 2002.
Returning to Atlético Madrid
When Antonio López came back to Atlético Madrid, he quickly became a key player. He often played as the team's captain. He even played in different defensive positions when his teammates were injured.
In March 2009, López scored a winning goal with a header against Villarreal CF. Atlético Madrid came back from being 2–0 down to win that game.
He played a lot in the 2009–10 season. On January 2, 2010, he scored another last-minute header against Sevilla FC, making the score 2–1. He also scored a goal in the Europa League quarter-finals against Valencia CF.
Atlético Madrid went on to win the UEFA Europa League that year. Antonio López played the entire final match in Hamburg against Fulham. He lifted the trophy as the team's captain after their 2–1 victory.
Moving to Mallorca
In May 2012, after playing 343 official games for Atlético Madrid, Antonio López left the club. The next month, he signed a two-year contract with RCD Mallorca.
Playing for Spain
Antonio López played his first game for the Spanish national team on March 30, 2005. It was a qualifying match for the 2006 FIFA World Cup against Serbia and Montenegro.
He scored his only goal for Spain during these qualifying games. On October 12, 2005, he scored from 25 meters away in the first minute of a game against San Marino. Spain won that match 6–0.
López was part of the Spanish team for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. He played in one match against Saudi Arabia. Spain was later knocked out of the tournament in the round of 16.
International Goal for Spain
Here is the goal Antonio López scored for Spain:
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 October 2005 | Olimpico, Serravalle, San Marino |  San Marino |
1–0 | 6–0 | 2006 World Cup qualification |
Trophies and Awards
Atlético Madrid
- UEFA Europa League: 2009–10, 2011–12
- UEFA Super Cup: 2010
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2007
- Segunda División: 2001–02
- Copa del Rey runner-up: 2009–10
See also
In Spanish: Antonio López (futbolista nacido en 1981) para niños
