Jump to content

Javi López (footballer, born 1986)

From Alfawiki
Javi López
Born
Javier López Rodríguez

(1986-01-21) January 21, 1986 (age 40)
Osuna, Province of Seville, Spain
OccupationProfessional footballer (retired)
Years active2007–2025
Known forFull-back for Espanyol and Adelaide United

Javier 'Javi' López Rodríguez (; born 21 January 1986) is a retired Spanish professional football player who predominantly operated as a full-back.

The majority of his playing years were spent at Espanyol, where he arrived in 2007 and accumulated 283 official matches.[1] In November 2020, he made a move to the Australian A-League by joining Adelaide United.

Espanyol

Originating from Osuna, Province of Seville, and having progressed through the youth system of Real Betis, López transferred to RCD Espanyol in 2007.[2] His first appearance for Espanyol’s senior team occurred on 4 October 2009 during a La Liga fixture versus Villarreal CF, where he entered as a late substitute in a goalless draw.[3] That season, he mainly featured with the reserves, who unfortunately faced relegation from Segunda División B.

Elevated to the first team for the 2010–11 campaign, López was deployed by coach Mauricio Pochettino in both defensive and midfield roles.[4] He participated in 27 league and cup fixtures as Espanyol achieved an eighth-place finish—their highest since the 2004–05 season.[5]

López netted his inaugural professional goal on 18 September 2011 in a 2–1 defeat against Real Zaragoza, a match in which he was also shown a red card.[6]

On 29 March 2014, after goalkeeper Kiko Casilla was sent off and no substitutions remained, López assumed the role of goalkeeper during a 1–0 loss to FC Barcelona.[7] He renewed his contract twice: initially in March 2017,[8] and again in April 2019 after fulfilling appearance requirements at age 33.[9]

He took over as captain during the 2015–16 season following Sergio García’s exit.[5] After Espanyol’s relegation in 2020, López agreed to a new contract on 21 July but ended it one month later in pursuit of fresh opportunities,[10][5] concluding his spell with the club at 283 appearances.

Adelaide United

On 25 November 2020, López signed a one-year contract with Adelaide United FC. His decision to join was influenced by fellow countryman Isaías, making him the sixth Spanish player to represent the A-League side.

In June 2021, both López and teammate Juande—also from Spain—renewed their agreements to remain for the upcoming season. López netted his inaugural goal for Adelaide on 1 January during a 4–0 victory against Wellington Phoenix FC at Hindmarsh Stadium. Contributing significantly to the club's fourth-place finish and subsequent semi-final appearance, he earned a spot on the league’s substitute bench in the team of the year at the PFA Footballer of the Year Awards. His contract was subsequently extended for an additional year.

Following the conclusion of the 2023–24 season, López agreed to a further contract alongside Isaías, signaling the end of his playing days as he pursued coaching certification with the club. Both players publicly announced their retirement on 13 May 2025, with López having amassed exactly 100 appearances for Adelaide United.

Honours

Individual

External links

  1. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Family
  2. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  3. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  4. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  6. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  7. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  8. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  9. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  10. ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2123: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
Retrieved from "https://www.alfawiki.org/index.php?title=Javi_López_(footballer,_born_1986)&oldid=64740"