Unai López
Unai López Cabrera (Basque: [unai lopes̻]; Spanish: [ˈunaj ˈlopeθ]; born 30 October 1995) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Rayo Vallecano as a defensive midfielder.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Unai López Cabrera | ||
| Date of birth | 30 October 1995 | ||
| Place of birth | Errenteria, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.69 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Rayo Vallecano | ||
| Number | 17 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2008–2010 | Antiguoko | ||
| 2010–2011 | Real Sociedad | ||
| 2011–2013 | Athletic Bilbao | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2012–2013 | Basconia | 21 | (2) |
| 2013–2016 | Bilbao Athletic | 73 | (6) |
| 2014–2021 | Athletic Bilbao | 78 | (4) |
| 2016–2017 | → Leganés (loan) | 23 | (2) |
| 2017–2018 | → Rayo Vallecano (loan) | 39 | (3) |
| 2021– | Rayo Vallecano | 62 | (1) |
| International career | |||
| 2011 | Spain U16 | 5 | (2) |
| 2013 | Spain U18 | 1 | (0) |
| 2013–2014 | Spain U19 | 12 | (3) |
| 2014 | Spain U21 | 2 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21 August 2023 (UTC) | |||
Club career Edit
Born in Errenteria, Gipuzkoa, López joined Athletic Bilbao's youth system in 2011 at the age of 14 from neighbouring Real Sociedad, after starting out at Antiguoko.[1][2] He made his debut as a senior with the farm team in the 2012–13 season in Tercera División, and in June 2013 was promoted to the reserves in Segunda División B.
López was called up to the main squad by manager Ernesto Valverde on 2 July 2014, for pre-season matches.[3] In August he was also added in the B list for the campaign's UEFA Champions League,[4] being awarded the number 29 jersey.
On 27 August 2014, López was named on the bench for the Champions League play-off match against S.S.C. Napoli.[5] He made his first-team debut the following day, coming on as a substitute for Markel Susaeta in the 72nd minute of a 3–1 home win and also providing an assist to Ibai Gómez in the last goal.[6] His La Liga bow took place on the 30th, when he featured 23 minutes in the 3–0 defeat of Levante UD also at the San Mamés Stadium.[7]
On 26 July 2016, after a season back at the B side in Segunda División, López was loaned to CD Leganés for one year.[8] On 1 August of the following year, he moved to second tier club Rayo Vallecano on a one-year loan deal.[9]
López scored his first competitive goal for Athletic on 8 March 2020, from a free kick to open a 4–1 away league victory over Real Valladolid.[10] He featured regularly during the 2019–20 campaign, but subsequently fell down the pecking order after the emergence of newer youth prospects such as Oihan Sancet, Unai Vencedor and Oier Zarraga.[11]
On 31 August 2021, López returned to Rayo on a three-year contract;[12] Athletic retained a first refusal clause on any future transfer, while also receiving "a series of economic compensations".[13]
Career statistics Edit
- As of match played 31 August 2021[14]
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | Continental | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Basconia | 2012–13 | Tercera División | 21 | 2 | — | — | 21 | 2 | ||
| Bilbao Athletic | 2013–14 | Segunda División B | 33 | 4 | — | — | 33 | 4 | ||
| 2015–16 | Segunda División | 40 | 2 | — | — | 40 | 2 | |||
| Total | 73 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 73 | 6 | ||
| Athletic Bilbao | 2014–15 | La Liga | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4[a] | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| 2018–19 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | |||
| 2019–20 | 26 | 1 | 4[b] | 0 | — | 30 | 1 | |||
| 2020–21 | 26 | 3 | 5 | 0 | — | 31 | 3 | |||
| Total | 78 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 93 | 4 | ||
| Leganés (loan) | 2016–17 | La Liga | 23 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | 24 | 2 | |
| Rayo Vallecano (loan) | 2017–18 | Segunda División | 39 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | 40 | 3 | |
| Career total | 234 | 17 | 13 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 251 | 17 | ||
- ^ Three appearances in UEFA Champions League, one appearance in UEFA Europa League
- ^ Includes appearance in 2020 Copa del Rey Final (played in 2021)
Honours Edit
Rayo Vallecano
Athletic Bilbao
- Copa del Rey runner-up: 2019–20,[16] 2020–21[17]
References Edit
- ^ Artazu, M. (25 May 2011). "El Athletic ficha al cadete realista Unai López" [Athletic sign Real cadet Unai López]. El Diario Vasco (in Spanish). Retrieved 15 September 2014.
- ^ "Jugadores relevantes" [Relevant players] (in Spanish). Antiguoko KE. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
- ^ "El canterano Unai López hará la pretemporada a las órdenes de Valverde" [Youth player Unai López will make the pre-season at the orders of Valverde]. Marca (in Spanish). 2 July 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
- ^ "Kepa, Unai López y Aketxe, en la lista B para la Champions" [Kepa, Unai López and Aketxe, in the B list for Champions]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 14 August 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
- ^ "Athletic Club – SSC Napoli, alineaciones" [Athletic Club – SSC Napoli, lineups] (in Spanish). Athletic Bilbao. 27 August 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
- ^ "Aduriz relishing Athletic's group stage adventure". UEFA. 27 August 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
- ^ "El Athletic vence cómodamente al Levante (3–0)" [Athletic defeat Levante easily (3–0)] (in Spanish). EITB. 30 August 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ^ "Unai López, talento y juventud para la zona de creación" [Unai López, talent and youth for the creative zone] (in Spanish). CD Leganés. 26 July 2016. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
- ^ "Cesión de Unai López" [Unai López's loan] (in Spanish). Athletic Bilbao. 1 August 2017. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
- ^ "Real Valladolid 1–4 Athletic Club". Inside Athletic. 8 March 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
- ^ Altuna, Manex (30 July 2021). "Marcelino pone en evidencia que no cuenta con Unai López al dejarle sin convocar" [Marcelino makes it clear he does not count with Unai López after not selecting him]. Naiz (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 September 2021.
- ^ "Unai López nuevo jugador del Rayo Vallecano" [Unai López new player of Rayo Vallecano] (in Spanish). Rayo Vallecano. 31 August 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
- ^ "Agreement between Rayo Vallecano, Unai López and Athletic Club". Athletic Bilbao. 31 August 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
- ^ Unai López at Soccerway
- ^ Artetxe, José Luis (21 September 2021). "El clásico brindis al sol" [Classic toasting in the sun]. Deia (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 September 2021.
- ^ Lowe, Sid (3 April 2021). "Real Sociedad beat Athletic to claim Copa del Rey and Basque glory". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
- ^ Lowe, Sid (17 April 2021). "Messi stars as Barcelona thrash Athletic Bilbao to lift Copa del Rey". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
External links Edit
- Unai López at Athletic Bilbao
- Unai López at BDFutbol