Diego López Rodríguez

Diego López

López signing autographs in the 2011 preseason
Personal information
Full name	Diego López Rodríguez
Date of birth	3 November 1981 (1981-11-03)
Place of birth	Paradela, Spain
Height	1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)
Playing position	Goalkeeper
Club information
Current club	Villarreal
Number	13
Youth career
1994–1999	Lugo
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1999–2000	Lugo	0	(0)
2000–2003	Real Madrid C	57	(0)
2001–2002	→ Alcorcón (loan)	0	(0)
2003–2005	Real Madrid B	33	(0)
2005–2007	Real Madrid	2	(0)
2007–	Villarreal	156	(0)
National team‡
2009–	Spain	1	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 19 February 2012. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 26 January 2010

This name uses Spanish naming customs; the first or paternal family name is López and the second or maternal family name is Rodríguez.

Diego López Rodríguez (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈdjeɣo ˈlopeθ]; born 3 November 1981) is a Spanish footballer who plays for Villarreal CF as a goalkeeper.

Club career

Real Madrid

López was born in Paradela, Lugo, Galicia. A youth graduate from hometown's CD Lugo, he moved to Real Madrid at almost 19 and, after a loan at another side from the capital, AD Alcorcón, he eventually moved up to Real's B team, starting in his second season, which ended in Segunda División promotion.

López served as first-team backup to Iker Casillas in the following two La Liga seasons. In the closing stages of 2005–06, he appeared in two back-to-back away wins, against CA Osasuna (as Casillas was sent off) and Racing de Santander, adding a UEFA Champions League group stage game at Olympiakos FC, a 1–2 defeat.

Villarreal

In late June 2007, López signed for Villarreal CF for a reported fee of €6 million, and started the season as second-choice to Uruguayan Sebastián Viera but, after a string of fine performances (he played in the domestic and UEFA Cups), he was awarded first-team action, finishing the season with 20 appearances.

In 2008–09, López was everpresent, helping Villarreal finish fifth in the league, as he did not miss one minute of action. More of the same in the following season, but the team could only rank seventh, thus out of the European zone; however, as fifth-placed RCD Mallorca was expelled from European competition due to bankruptcy, the Valencian took its place in the qualifying rounds of the UEFA Europa League.

International career

López was first called-up by Spain, as the third goalkeeper, for two 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers – both against Turkey, in late March/early April 2009. He was named by national side boss Vicente del Bosque for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa, in the same predicament (behind Casillas and Pepe Reina), and did not play any matches there.

On 12 August 2009, in a 3–2 friendly win in Macedonia, López made his national team debut, playing the last 30 minutes in the place of Reina, and keeping a clean sheet.

External links

• Villarreal official profile
• BDFutbol profile
• National team data (Spanish)
• Transfermarkt profile