Gustavo Adrián López

Gustavo López
Personal information
Full nameGustavo Adrián López Pablo
Date of birth13 April 1973
Place of birthValentín Alsina, Argentina
Height1.74 m (5 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Playing positionWinger
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1991–1995Independiente74(9)
1996–1999Zaragoza105(12)
1999–2007Celta238(22)
2007–2008Cádiz33(2)
Total450(45)
National team
1994–2003Argentina32(4)
* 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 Pablo.

Gustavo Adrián López Pablo (born 13 April 1973) is an Argentine retired footballer who played as a left winger.

He spent the vast majority of his professional career in Spain, amassing La Liga totals of 310 games and 33 goals over the course of 11 seasons (13 in the country overall), in representation of Zaragoza and Celta. He started his career with Independiente.

An Argentine international for nine years, López represented the nation at the 2002 World Cup and two Copa América tournaments.

Club career

Early years / Zaragoza

Born in Valentín Alsina, Buenos Aires, López began his career with local Club Atlético Independiente in 1991. He won four major titles with the club during his spell, all arriving in his last years.

In January 1996 López moved to Spain with Real Zaragoza, for a club record 420 million pesetas, making his La Liga debut on the 7th in a 1–1 home draw against Rayo Vallecano. He scored five goals in 32 games in his third full season, helping the Aragonese to the ninth position in the table; during most of his stint with the club, he partnered countryman Kily González.[1]

Celta

López rejoined former Zaragoza manager Víctor Fernández at Celta de Vigo in the 1999 summer, and quickly became an essential first-team unit. He netted twice in five appearances in the 2000–01 edition of the Copa del Rey, helping the side to the final against his former club (1–3 loss in Seville), then contributed with 33 matches (29 starts, 2.232 minutes of action) in the 2002–03 campaign as the Galicians finished fourth and qualified for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in their history.

At the end of 2006–07, after having suffered his second relegation with Celta and having already renewed his contract twice by reducing his wages, 34-year-old López decided to leave the club, amassing official totals of 292 games and 29 goals.[2] He retired at the end of the following season, also dropping down a level with Cádiz CF, in Segunda División,[3] then worked as commentator for Canal+ on their coverage of the Argentine Primera División, as well as running training camps for children.

International career

López gained 32 caps for Argentina and scored four goals, making his debut against Romania in December 1994. He represented the country at the 1997 and 1999 Copa América tournaments, being an unused squad member at the ill-fated 2002 FIFA World Cup in Japan and South Korea.

Additionally, López helped the under-23 side win the silver medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, scoring in the 3–1 group stage win against the United States.

Honours

Club

Independiente
Celta

Country

Individual

References

  1. ↑ "Despedida de Gustavo López y Killy" [Farewell to Gustavo López and Killy] (in Spanish). El País. 31 May 1999. Retrieved 23 June 2013.
  2. ↑ "Gustavo López" (in Spanish). Yo Jugué en el Celta. 16 April 2008. Retrieved 23 June 2013.
  3. ↑ "Calderón y Gustavo López sólo piensan en la victoria ante el Alavés" [Calderón and Gustavo López only think about winning against Alavés] (in Spanish). La Voz Digital. 15 February 2008. Retrieved 23 June 2013.

External links