Full name Antonio Lopez Guerrero 1999–2001 Atletico Madrid B Weight 74 kg Years Team Height 1.76 m | Playing position Role Footballer Place of birth Benidorm, Spain Name Antonio Lopez Career start 1999 | |
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Date of birth (1981-09-13) 13 September 1981 (age 34) Current team RCD Mallorca (#6 / Defender) Profiles | ||
Antonio López Guerrero ([anˈtonjo ˈlopeθ ɣeˈreɾo]; born 13 September 1981) is a Spanish former footballer who played mainly as a left back.
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He spent most of his professional career with Atlético Madrid, appearing in more than 300 official games and winning four major titles, including two Europa League trophies. Also in La Liga, he played for Osasuna.
López represented Spain at the 2006 World Cup.
Atlético Madrid
A product of Atlético Madrid's youth system, López was born in Benidorm, Province of Alicante. He first appeared for the first team in 2000–01 whilst the Colchoneros were in the second division, and contributed with 20 matches the following season for a La Liga return, after a two-year hiatus.
Subsequently, López was loaned for two seasons to fellow top division club CA Osasuna, where he missed only five league games combined. During his Navarre spell he scored twice (both of the goals coming in 2002–03), most notably in a 1–0 home success against RCD Espanyol on 15 December 2002.
In his second spell with Atlético, López quickly gained first-choice status. However, during the 2007–08 campaign he lost his position to Mariano Pernía, and would end serving more time at right-back due to injuries to teammates Giourkas Seitaridis and Juan Valera; when selected, he was the side's undisputed captain.
On 15 March 2009, López scored the winner through a rare header as Atlético came from behind 0–2 to beat Villarreal CF at home. After the coach change, with former club player Abel Resino taking over for Javier Aguirre, he was made the starter, but an injury made Pernía finish the season in the starting XI.
Benefitting from a road accident to Pernía in the summer, López played most of 2009–10. On 2 January 2010, again with his head – but in the last minute – he netted against Sevilla FC at home to make it 2–1; on 1 April he scored in the same fashion, making it 2–1 at Valencia CF for the UEFA Europa League (eventually 2–2), a competition which Atlético won in Hamburg with the player playing the entire 120 minutes of the 2–1 win against Fulham, and lifting the trophy as captain.
Mallorca
In late May 2012, after 343 official games in ten senior seasons, López was released by Atlético. The following month he signed for two years with fellow league side RCD Mallorca, with an option for a further season.
International career
López made his debut with Spain on 30 March 2005, in a 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Serbia and Montenegro in Belgrade (0–0). During the successful campaign he scored his first international goal, at San Marino on 12 October, hitting home from 25 metres in the first minute of a 6–0 routing.
Supposed to back up Asier del Horno during the final stages, López would not benefit from the former's injury days before the tournament started, as Argentine-born Pernía would be promoted to first-choice. He would only appear against Saudi Arabia in Germany, with Spain being eliminated in the round-of-16.