Gerard López facts for kids
Gerard as a Recreativo player in 2008
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Gerard López Segú | ||
| Date of birth | 12 March 1979 | ||
| Place of birth | Granollers, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.82 m | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Catalonia (manager) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1989–1993 | Granollers | ||
| 1993–1996 | Barcelona | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1996–1997 | Barcelona B | 32 | (10) |
| 1997–2000 | Valencia | 45 | (4) |
| 1998–1999 | → Alavés (loan) | 29 | (7) |
| 2000–2005 | Barcelona | 91 | (5) |
| 2005–2007 | Monaco | 13 | (1) |
| 2007–2008 | Recreativo | 18 | (0) |
| 2009–2011 | Girona | 31 | (4) |
| Total | 259 | (31) | |
| National team | |||
| 1996–1998 | Spain U18 | 9 | (5) |
| 1997 | Spain U20 | 4 | (0) |
| 1998–2000 | Spain U21 | 10 | (5) |
| 2000 | Spain | 6 | (2) |
| 1998–2008 | Catalonia | 6 | (2) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2013–2016 | Catalonia | ||
| 2015–2018 | Barcelona B | ||
| 2018– | Catalonia | ||
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Gerard López Segú (born on 12 March 1979), known simply as Gerard, is a Spanish former professional footballer. He is currently the manager of the Catalonia national team.
Gerard was a versatile midfielder known for his accurate passes and excellent ball control. Throughout his career, he played for several important clubs. These included Barcelona and Valencia. He even helped Valencia reach the Champions League final in 2000.
Over nine seasons, Gerard played 183 matches in La Liga, scoring 16 goals. He also represented Spain in the Euro 2000 tournament.
Contents
Gerard López Segú: A Football Star
Early Life and Club Journey
Gerard was born in Granollers, a city in Catalonia, Spain. He started his football journey in the youth system of FC Barcelona. In the 1996–97 season, when he was just 17, he made his first professional appearance. This was with Barcelona's B team.
Rising Through the Ranks
After his time at Barcelona B, Gerard joined Valencia CF. He made his top-league debut in La Liga on 31 August 1997. For the 1998–99 season, he was loaned to Deportivo Alavés. This team had just returned to the top division after 40 years.
Gerard had a fantastic season with Alavés, scoring seven goals. This made him the team's top scorer.
Valencia and Champions League
After his loan, Gerard returned to Valencia. He played a key role in helping them reach the final of the UEFA Champions League in 2000. During this period, he became known as one of Spain's best players. Many top European clubs, like Inter Milan and Manchester United, wanted to sign him.
However, in July 2000, Gerard decided to rejoin his former club, Barcelona. The deal was worth €24 million. On 5 April 2000, he scored three goals for Valencia against SS Lazio. This made him the youngest player ever to score a hat-trick in the Champions League knockout stages.
Return to Barcelona
Gerard played regularly for Barcelona during his second five-year spell. He was an important player, though not always a guaranteed starter. Unfortunately, injuries started to affect his career during this time. He left Barcelona after they won the national championship in 2005.
Later Career and Injuries
After leaving Barcelona, Gerard moved to France. He played two seasons with AS Monaco FC. During his time there, he suffered another serious injury. In 2007–08, he returned to Spain to play for Recreativo de Huelva in the top league.
After rejecting an offer from PAOK FC, Gerard trained with a local team, EC Granollers. In February 2009, he joined Girona FC in the second division. He got injured again shortly after joining. Despite this, he managed to score four goals in just six games.
Playing for Spain
Gerard's excellent performance with Valencia in the 1999–00 season led to his first call-up for the Spanish national team. He earned his first international appearance on 3 June 2000. This was in a 1–1 friendly match against Sweden. He went on to play five more matches for Spain and was chosen for UEFA Euro 2000.
Becoming a Coach
In October 2013, Gerard took over from Johan Cruyff as the manager of the Catalonia team. On 22 July 2015, he was appointed manager of Barcelona B. This was after they were relegated to Segunda División B.
At the end of the 2016–17 season, Gerard successfully coached his team back to the second division. He then signed a new contract for another year. However, on 25 April 2018, he was relieved of his duties. This happened when the team was in the relegation zone.
Family in Football
Gerard comes from a footballing family. His older brothers, Sergi and Julià López Segú (known as Juli), were also professional footballers. They both played as defenders.
Juli mainly played for Barcelona B in the second division. He also had a short spell in the top league with Real Valladolid in 1993–94.
Achievements
Club Honours
Valencia
- Supercopa de España: 1999 (Winner)
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 1999–2000
Barcelona
- La Liga: 2004–05 (Winner)
See also
In Spanish: Gerard López para niños
