Diego López (Spanish footballer, born 1981) facts for kids
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López playing for Espanyol in 2017
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 3 November 1981 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Paradela, Spain | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.96 m | |||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1990–1994 | Sarriana | |||||||||||||||
| 1994–1999 | Lugo | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||
| 1999–2000 | Lugo | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2000–2003 | Real Madrid C | 62 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2001–2002 | → Alcorcón (loan) | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2003–2005 | Real Madrid B | 41 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2005–2007 | Real Madrid | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2007–2012 | Villarreal | 171 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2012–2013 | Sevilla | 8 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2013–2014 | Real Madrid | 52 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2014–2017 | AC Milan | 36 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | → Espanyol (loan) | 35 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2017–2022 | Espanyol | 160 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Rayo Vallecano | 2 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 571 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||
| 2001 | Spain U18 | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2009 | Spain | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 2005–2007 | Galicia | 3 | (0) | |||||||||||||
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Honours
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Diego López Rodríguez (born on 3 November 1981) is a Spanish former professional footballer. He played as a goalkeeper.
Diego López spent seven years with Real Madrid in his career. He also became well-known in La Liga while playing for Villarreal. He played in 230 official games for them over five seasons. In 2013, after a short time with Sevilla, he went back to Real Madrid.
López also played for the Spanish national team. He was part of the squad for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup.
Contents
Diego López's Football Journey
Starting Out at Real Madrid
Diego López was born in Paradela, Lugo, Galicia, Spain. He started playing football at his hometown club, CD Lugo. At 18, he joined Real Madrid. After a loan spell at AD Alcorcón, he moved up to Real Madrid's B team, called Real Madrid Castilla. He became their main goalkeeper in his second season. This helped the team get promoted to the Segunda División, which is the second-highest league in Spain.
López then became the backup goalkeeper for the main Real Madrid team. He played behind the famous goalkeeper Iker Casillas. In the 2005–06 season, he played in a few games. This included two away wins and a UEFA Champions League match against Olympiakos FC.
Success with Villarreal
In 2007, López joined Villarreal CF. He quickly became their main goalkeeper. In his first season, he played in the Copa del Rey (Spanish Cup) and the UEFA Cup (now UEFA Europa League). He finished the season having played 21 matches.
López played every minute of every league game in the 2008–09 season. He helped Villarreal finish fifth in the league. He continued to be a key player in the following seasons. In the 2011–12 season, Villarreal was unfortunately relegated from La Liga. López played in almost every game that season. He set a record for playing 121 straight top-flight games.
Time at Sevilla
On 22 May 2012, López signed a five-year contract with Sevilla. He shared the role of first-choice goalkeeper with Andrés Palop during his time there.
Coming Back to Real Madrid
On 25 January 2013, Diego López returned to Real Madrid. This happened after Iker Casillas got a hand injury. López signed a contract until June 2017. He said he had always dreamed of coming back to the club.
López played his first game back on 30 January 2013. It was a 1–1 draw against FC Barcelona in the Copa del Rey semi-finals. On 5 March, he made many important saves against Manchester United. Real Madrid won 2–1 and moved on in the UEFA Champions League. Their coach, José Mourinho, even said López was the best player in his team that day. López kept his starting spot for the rest of the season, even after Casillas was healthy again.
He continued to be the main goalkeeper at the start of the next season. This was when Carlo Ancelotti became the new coach. However, Casillas played in the Champions League and the Spanish Cup.
Playing in Italy with AC Milan
On 13 August 2014, Diego López moved to AC Milan in Italy. He played his first game for them on 31 August. He saved a late penalty in a 3–1 win against SS Lazio. Later, he got a thigh injury and was out for almost a month.
In the 2015–16 season, after a few games without a win, the manager decided to play 16-year-old Gianluigi Donnarumma instead of López.
Time at Espanyol
On 31 August 2016, López joined RCD Espanyol on a loan for the season. He played very well and was even named La Liga Player of the Month in November. He didn't let in any goals in three matches that month.
His move to Espanyol became permanent on 23 May 2017. He signed a three-year deal. He briefly lost his starting spot but got it back later. In the 2018–19 season, he was the only player to play in all 38 league games.
In August 2020, Espanyol was relegated to the second division. However, López signed for another season. He had a great year, letting in only 25 goals in 40 matches. This helped Espanyol win the Segunda División title.
Final Season at Rayo Vallecano
López signed a one-year contract with Rayo Vallecano on 2 July 2022. He joined them as a free agent. In December 2023, after being without a club for six months, he announced his retirement from football at age 42.
Playing for His Country
Spain National Team
Diego López was first called up to the Spanish national team in 2009. He was the third goalkeeper for two 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against Turkey. He was also part of the squad for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa. He didn't play any games there.
López earned his only cap (appearance) for Spain on 12 August 2009. He played the last 30 minutes of a friendly match against Macedonia. Spain won 3–2, and López didn't let in any goals.
Galicia Team
López also played three times for the unofficial Galicia team. His first game was on 29 December 2005. They won 3–2 against Uruguay.
How Diego López Played
Diego López was a strong and complete goalkeeper. He was tall and had a powerful presence. He was a good leader and was skilled at catching crosses. He had quick reactions and was good at knowing where to be on the field. He was also very good at stopping shots.
López was also known for his ball control and how he passed the ball. He was fast when he needed to run out of his goal to stop attackers.
Personal Life
Diego López married Iria Otero on 11 June 2011. They have three children together.
Honours and Achievements
Real Madrid
- Copa del Rey: 2013–14 (Spanish Cup winner)
- UEFA Champions League: 2013–14 (European Champions League winner)
Espanyol
- Segunda División: 2020–21 (Second Division winner)
Spain
- FIFA Confederations Cup third place: 2009
Individual Awards
- La Liga Player of the Month: November 2016
Images for kids
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López signing autographs with Villarreal in 2011
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López in action for Real Madrid in 2013
See also
In Spanish: Diego López Rodríguez para niños
