Claudio López (footballer)

Claudio López

Personal information
Full name	Claudio Javier López
Date of birth	July 17, 1974 (1974-07-17)
Place of birth	Río Tercero, Argentina
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Playing position	Forward, Winger
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1992–1996	Río Tercero	116	(25)
1996–2000	Valencia	126	(47)
2000–2004	Lazio	106	(29)
2004–2006	América	75	(21)
2007–2008	Racing Club	34	(10)
2008–2009	Kansas City Wizards	57	(13)
2010–2011	Colorado Rapids	11	(0)
National team‡
1996	Argentina Olympic	6	(2)
1995–2003	Argentina	55	(10)
Honours Competitor for Argentina Men's Football Silver 1996 Atlanta Team
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of November 9, 2010. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of April 13, 2010

Claudio López (born July 17, 1974 in Río Tercero) is a former Argentine footballer who most recently played for Red Star Belgrade in Serbian SuperLiga.

He is known by the nickname "El Piojo", meaning "the louse", and is well known for his pace, dribbling skills and world class finishing.

Career

Early career

López began his professional career with Estudiantes de La Plata in his native Argentina in 1990 as a 16-year old. However, he moved to Racing the next year, where he would remain until he transferred in 1996 to Spanish club Valencia.

Europe

López remained with Valencia for five years, helping the team to be runner-up in the UEFA Champions League in the 1999-2000 season, when he was transferred to Lazio of Serie A for a sum of 35 million Euros.^{[citation needed]} He was partnered with Hernán Crespo. Unfortunately, López suffered from injury problems while at Lazio, and was unable to fulfill the hopes that accompanied him, but the Lazio's fans consider López an idol, because he made great and beautiful goals. While in Lazio, in the UEFA Champions League season 2000-2001, he scored an olympic goal against Anderlecht in Olimpico Roma Stadium.

Mexico, return to Racing

López joined Club América for the 2004 Apertura, where he played in 17 games, scoring four goals. The following season, Clausura 2005 brought better results, with López scoring a total of 14 goals overall and helping the team to its tenth League championship in its history. It was his first and only league championship with any team. Claudio was instrumental to the team's success, also helping them win the CONCACAF Champions' Cup by scoring two goals in the Final over Tecos UAG.He played the Fifa Club World Cup in 2006.

In 2007 López returned to Racing, 11 years after his departure from the club, and the country. In most of those games, usually coming in as a late sub, López scored several important goals.

Major League Soccer

On March 7, 2008, it was announced López had signed with the Kansas City Wizards on a free transfer. López fell under the league’s designated player qualification, which means only the first $415,000 of his salary counted against Kansas City Wizards’ team salary cap. He has since had his contract restructured to take him below designated player status. He scored on his debut for Kansas City against DC United on March 29, 2008.

On 23 February 2010 the Argentinean striker left after two seasons Kansas City Wizards. "We would have liked to have Claudio back in 2010, but unfortunately it became clear early in the contract negotiations that we could not give him what he desired," Wizards Manager Peter Vermes said.

López was later signed by league rivals Colorado Rapids on April 2, 2010.

After the 2010 MLS season Colorado declined Lopez's contract option and Lopez elected to participate in the 2010 MLS Re-Entry Draft. Lopez became a free agent in Major League Soccer when he was not selected in the Re-Entry draft.

International

López had a distinguished career with Argentina. After winning a silver medal with the Under-23 team during the 1996 Summer Olympics, López made appearances in both the 1998 and 2002 World Cups. He scored against Netherlands in the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

Club statistics

Club performance			League		Cup		Continental		Total
Season	Club	League	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Argentina			League		Cup		South America		Total
1992/93	Racing	Primera División	19	1
1993/94			36	3
1994/95			26	3
1995/96			35	18
Spain			League		Copa del Rey		Europe		Total
1996/97	Valencia	La Liga	32	3	2	0	6	2	40	5
1997/98			32	12	5	0	-	-	37	12
1998/99			32	21	6	9	4	0	42	30
1999/00			34	11	2	0	18	6	54	17
Italy			League		Coppa Italia		Europe		Total
2000/01	Lazio	Serie A	16	0	0	0	6	5	22	5
2001/02			29	10	1	0	8	2	38	12
2002/03			34	15	4	0	9	2	47	17
2003/04			27	4	5	0	4	0	36	4
Mexico			League		Cup		North America		Total
2004/05	América	Primera División	33	13
2005/06			30	5
2006/07			12	3
Argentina			League		Cup		South America		Total
2006/07	Racing	Primera División	18	5
2007/08			16	5
United States			League		Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup		North America		Total
2008	Kansas City Wizards	Major League Soccer	28	6	2	1			30	7
2009			29	7	2	0			31	7
2010	Colorado Rapids		11	0	2	0			13	0
Country	Argentina		150	35
	Spain		130	47	20	9	28	8	173	64
	Italy		106	29
	Mexico		75	21
	United States		68	13	6	1			74	14
Total			525	145

National team statistics

Argentina national team
Year	Apps	Goals
1995	2	0
1996	5	0
1997	8	2
1998	12	3
1999	4	0
2000	8	2
2001	8	3
2002	6	0
2003	2	0
Total	55	10

Honours

Valencia CF

• Copa del Rey: 1998-99
• Spanish Super Cup: 1999

S.S. Lazio

• Coppa Italia: 2003-04
• Italian Super Cup: 2000

Club América

• Primera División de México: Clausura 2005
• CONCACAF Champions' Cup: 2006
• Campeón de Campeones: 2004-2005

Colorado Rapids

• Major League Soccer

• Eastern Conference Championship: 2010
• MLS Cup: 2010

See also

• List of current MLS players
• List of current MLS players with national team caps

External links

• MLS player profile
• Guardian statistics
• Profile and statistics of Claudio López at Football Database
• (Spanish) Racing Club's official website
• (Spanish) Argentine Primera statistics