Full name Alberto Lopo Garcia Weight 71 kg Number 23 Height 1.86 m | Playing position Role Footballer Name Alberto Lopo Career start 1998 | |
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Date of birth (1980-05-05) 5 May 1980 (age 35) Current team Deportivo de La Coruna (#23 / Defender) | ||
Entrevista a alberto lopo la experiencia de la liga
Alberto Lopo García (born 5 May 1980) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a central defender.
Contents
- Entrevista a alberto lopo la experiencia de la liga
- Sergio Ramos The DIRTIEST La Liga Player Top 5
- Espanyol
- Deportivo
- Later years
- International career
- Honours
- References
His physical style of play results in him being one of the most booked players every season in Spanish football. He spent 16 years of his career – youth years accounted for – at Espanyol, twice winning the Copa del Rey.
Over the course of 18 seasons, Lopo amassed La Liga totals of 409 games and 19 goals, also representing in the competition Deportivo and Getafe.
Sergio Ramos The DIRTIEST La Liga Player? Top 5
Espanyol
Born in Barcelona, Catalonia, Lopo spent the bulk of his professional career at local RCD Espanyol, where he started to play when he was ten. Soon the coaches noticed his defensive skills and, in April 1999 (aged eighteen), he made his debut in La Liga against Real Zaragoza, thus becoming the first player to have represented the club in all categories. His breakthrough came during 2001–02, when he only missed five league matches and scored his first goal (in the first league round and against Zaragoza) but also received his first red card, during a 0–2 away loss against city rivals FC Barcelona.
Lopo would remain a starter at Espanyol under several coaches (Juande Ramos, Javier Clemente, Luis Fernández and Miguel Ángel Lotina) until his departure, gaining in the process a reputation as a superb but excessively rough defender. In 2002–03 he was given 14 yellow cards in twenty-three matches, including two in a 2–5 loss at Racing de Santander. The following season, after agreeing to a three-year extension, he was presented with 15 yellow cards (including three sending-offs) and one red; between 2004 and 2006 he received another 21 yellow and two red cards, although the numbers somewhat decreased in the subsequent years.
With two Copa del Rey trophies conquered with the Pericos, in 2000 and 2006, Lopo rejected the club's offer for renewal of contract and signed for Deportivo de La Coruña. But although he was out of contract, Espanyol eventually started a court case against Deportivo to get financial compensation (an amount of €5.6 million was mentioned) for having educated the player in its youth system. Espanyol's claim was based on an agreement between most Spanish clubs, although the Galician side was not a part of it as its board never confirmed it. Lopo was considered as one of the best Spanish central defenders available when he was signed on a free transfer in May 2006; other clubs showing serious interest were Valencia CF, Villarreal CF, Manchester United and Newcastle United, but the stopper decided to follow the footsteps of ex-Espanyol players Joan Capdevila and Sergio.
Deportivo
In his first season, Lopo continued as always: playing most matches (31) and receiving a mention-worthy total of eleven yellow cards (this included a double one at home against Celta de Vigo – he was also sent off in the cup home match against Real Valladolid). In the first part of the season he formed a stopper partnership with Álvaro Arbeloa but, after Arbeloa was sold to Liverpool, it was Jorge Andrade (recovered from an important injury) who accompanied Lopo at the back: that defence, with Capdevila and Fabrizio Coloccini at the sides and Dudu Aouate as goalkeeper, kept 16 clean sheets in 38 matches, and much of Depor's points gained that season were based on the defensive performance of a team not capable of scoring sufficient goals; in late April 2007, Lopo's injury-time header gave Deportivo a much needed 1–0 home win against CA Osasuna.
During the summer of 2007, Lopo's status at the club increased, significantly, as stoppers Juanma and Andrade both left the club, the former on a free transfer to CD Tenerife, the Portuguese sold to Juventus FC. Lopo himself confirmed that Deportivo rejected a €5 million offer from Real Zaragoza for him. However, he would spend the first five months out of action, due to a recurrent leg injury.
An everpresent fixture throughout 2008–09, Lopo headed in the 2–1 home winner in the season opener against Real Madrid. During the campaign, as Deportivo finished seventh, he collected a total of 13 yellow cards (no ejections).
Later years
Lopo continued to be an undisputed starter for Depor in the following two seasons, with relegation befalling in 2010–11. In late June, the 31-year-old free agent signed a three-year contract with Getafe CF.
Lopo was played regularly during the first part of his first season. He missed several months, however, after fracturing his humerus during a game against his former team Espanyol.
On 29 January 2014, Lopo returned to Deportivo after cutting ties with the Madrid outskirts side. He achieved top level promotion in June, contributing with two goals in 16 appearances.
On 15 August 2016, aged 36, Lopo agreed to a one-year deal with second tier club Gimnàstic de Tarragona.
International career
In early November 2006, Lopo was picked by Spain national team coach Luis Aragonés for a friendly against Romania, and said about it: "Every player has to fight hard for his pick and to be part of the national team is a reward. This is probably the most important day in my career, it's a dream coming true”. In the end, he did not play during the 0–1 loss nor was he picked again for the national team.
In December 2001, Lopo made his debut for the regional team of Catalonia against Chile.