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 (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
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) | |
| International career | |||
| 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) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2013–2016 | Catalonia | ||
| 2015–2018 | Barcelona B | ||
| 2018– | Catalonia | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Gerard López Segú (born March 12, 1979), known 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.
During his career, he played for several well-known clubs. These included Barcelona and Valencia. He 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 at Euro 2000.
Contents
Gerard's Football Journey: Club Career Highlights
Starting Out at Barcelona and Valencia
Gerard was born in Granollers, Catalonia. He started his football journey in the youth system of FC Barcelona. In the 1996–97 season, he made his first professional appearance. This was with Barcelona's B team.
When he was 17, Valencia CF signed him. He made his La Liga debut on August 31, 1997. This was in a match against RCD Mallorca. For the 1998–99 season, he was loaned to Deportivo Alavés. This team had just returned to the top league after 40 years.
Success and Return to Barcelona
Gerard had a fantastic season with Deportivo Alavés. He scored seven goals, which was the most for his team. After this, he went back to Valencia. He helped them reach the final of the UEFA Champions League in 2000. During his time with Valencia, he became one of Spain's top players.
Many big European clubs, like Inter Milan and Manchester United, were interested in him. But Gerard decided to rejoin his old club, Barcelona, in July 2000. This deal was worth €24 million. On April 5, 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.
Gerard played regularly for Barcelona during his second five-year period there. However, he was not always a guaranteed starter. Injuries also began to affect his playing time.
Time at Monaco and Later Career
After leaving Barcelona in 2005, Gerard moved to France. He played two seasons with AS Monaco FC. During this time, he suffered serious injuries. He returned to Spain for the 2007–08 season to play for Recreativo de Huelva in the top division.
After turning down an offer from PAOK FC, Gerard trained with a smaller club, EC Granollers. In February 2009, he moved back to Catalonia. He joined Girona FC until the end of the season. Soon after joining, he got injured again. Despite this, he managed to score four goals in just six games in the Segunda División.
Gerard's International Career with Spain
After a great 1999–00 season with Valencia, Gerard played his first game for Spain. This was on June 3, 2000, in a friendly match against Sweden. He played five more matches for Spain. He was also chosen to play in UEFA Euro 2000.
Gerard's Coaching Career
In October 2013, Gerard became the manager of the Catalonia national team. He took over from Johan Cruyff. On July 22, 2015, he was appointed manager of Barcelona B. This happened after their relegation to Segunda División B.
At the end of the 2016–17 season, Gerard led his team back to the second tier of Spanish football. He then signed a new contract for another year. However, on April 25, 2018, Gerard was removed from his coaching role. This happened when the team was in the relegation zone.
Gerard's Family Life
Gerard has two older brothers, Sergi and Julià López Segú. Both of his brothers were also footballers and played as defenders. Sergi also played for Barcelona. Juli played mostly for Barcelona B and had a short time in the top league with Real Valladolid.
Gerard's Achievements and Awards
Club Honours
Valencia
- Supercopa de España: 1999
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 1999–2000
Barcelona
- La Liga: 2004–05
See also
In Spanish: Gerard López para niños
