Francisco José López Fernández

Paco López
Personal information
Full nameFrancisco José López Fernández
Date of birth19 September 1967
Place of birthSilla, Spain
Height1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Playing positionForward
Club information
Current team
Villarreal B (coach)
Youth career
Valencia
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1985–1989Valencia B
1989Carcaixent
1989–1991Torrent
1991–1994Hércules89(25)
1994–1995Extremadura7(1)
1995Levante
1995–1998Castellón89(28)
1998–1999Murcia29(7)
1999–2002Benidorm
Teams managed
2004–2005Villarreal C
2005–2008Catarroja
2008–2009Benidorm
2009–2011Alcoyano
2011Cartagena
2012–2013Valencia B
2013–2014Villarreal C
2014–Villarreal B
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).
This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is López and the second or maternal family name is Fernández.

Francisco José 'Paco' López Fernández (born 19 September 1967) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a forward, and the current manager of Villarreal CF B.

Club career

Born in Silla, Valencia, Valencian Community, López graduated from Valencia CF's youth setup, and made his senior debuts with the reserves in Tercera División.

In the 1991 summer López joined Hércules CF in Segunda División B. After appearing regularly in the 1992–93 campaign, which ended in promotion, he played his first match as a professional on 19 September 1993, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 0–2 away loss against Real Burgos CF for the Segunda División championship.[1]

On 16 October López scored his first professional goal, netting the third of a 4–0 home win against Villarreal CF.[2] In 1994 he moved to CF Extremadura, also in the second level.

After appearing sparingly, López moved to Levante UD in the third level in January 1995. In July he moved to CD Castellón in the same level, and scored a career-best 16 goals in the 1997–98 season.

In the 1998 summer López signed for Real Murcia, also in the third division. After appearing regularly he moved to Benidorm CF, retiring with the latter in 2002, aged 34.

Manager career

López started his managerial career in 2004, with Villarreal's C-team. In July 2008, after three full seasons at Catarroja CF, he signed with another club he had represented as a player, Benidorm in division three.[3]

On 16 July 2009 López was appointed at the helm of CD Alcoyano.[4] He was relieved from his duties on 11 April 2011, after falling from first to fourth in only five matches.[5]

On 27 May 2011 López was appointed FC Cartagena manager.[6] On 19 September he was sacked, after losing all four matches in the second level.[7]

On 24 October 2012 López returned to his first club Valencia Mestalla, replacing fired Sergio Ventosa.[8] On 17 June of the following year he left the club, after narrowly avoiding relegation,[9] and returned to Villarreal C on 13 November.[10]

On 22 May 2014 López was promoted to the reserves, after the departure of Lluís Planagumà.[11]

References

  1. ↑ Va por ti, Balint (That goes for you, Balint); El Mundo Deportivo, 20 September 1993 (Spanish)
  2. ↑ El Hércules no da ninguna opción (Hércules does not give any options); El Mundo Deportivo, 17 October 1993 (Spanish)
  3. ↑ Paco López, a Foietes (Paco López, to Foietes); Diario Información, 22 July 2008 (Spanish)
  4. ↑ Paco López cree que es un ´desafío´ dirigir al Alcoyano (Paco López believes it is a 'challenge' to manage Alcoyano); Diario Información, 16 July 2009 (Spanish)
  5. ↑ Paco López, destituido como entrenador del Alcoyano (Paco López, sacked as Alcoyano manager); La Verdad, 11 April 2011 (Spanish)
  6. ↑ Paco López será el técnico del Cartagena la próxima campaña (Paco López will be the manager of Cartagena in the following season); Marca, 27 May 2011 (Spanish)
  7. ↑ Paco López deja el Cartagena y llega Javi López (Paco López leaves Cartagena and Javi López arrives); Diario AS, 19 September 2011 (Spanish)
  8. ↑ Paco López ficha por el Valencia Mestalla (Paco López signs for Valencia Mestalla); La Verdad, 24 October 2012 (Spanish)
  9. ↑ Rufete comunica a Paco López que no seguirá en el Valencia Mestalla (Rufete tells Paco López that he will not remain at Valencia Mestalla); Deporte Valenciano, 17 June 2013 (Spanish)
  10. ↑ Oficial: Villarreal"C", Paco López nuevo entrenador (Official: Villarreal "C", Paco López new manager); Todo Mercado Web, 13 November 2013 (Spanish)
  11. ↑ Paco López tomará las riendas del Villarreal B (Paco López will take the strides of Villarreal B); El Mercantil Valenciano, 22 May 2014 (Spanish)

External links