Unai López

Spanish footballer
Unai López
Personal information
Full name Unai López Cabrera[1]
Date of birth (1995-10-30) 30 October 1995 (age 28)[1]
Place of birth Errenteria, Spain
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[1]
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)
2016–2017Leganés (loan) 23 (2)
2017–2018 → Rayo Vallecano (loan) 39 (3)
2021– Rayo Vallecano 86 (2)
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 21:54, 10 March 2024 (UTC)

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.

Club career

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.[2][3] He made his debut as a senior with the farm team in the 2012–13 season in the Tercera División, and in July 2013 was promoted to the reserves in the Segunda División B.[4]

López was called up to the main squad by manager Ernesto Valverde on 2 July 2014, for pre-season matches.[5] In August, he was also included in a B list for that campaign's UEFA Champions League.[6]

On 27 August 2014, López was named on the bench for the Champions League play-off match against S.S.C. Napoli.[7] 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.[8] 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.[9]

On 26 July 2016, after a season back at the B side in the Segunda División, López was loaned to CD Leganés for one year.[10] On 1 August of the following year, he moved to second tier club Rayo Vallecano on a one-year loan deal.[11]

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.[12] 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.[13]

On 31 August 2021, López returned to Rayo on a three-year contract;[14] Athletic retained a first refusal clause on any future transfer, while also receiving "a series of economic compensations".[15]

International career

López represented Spain at under-16, under-18, under-19 and under-21 levels.[16] He made his debut for the last of those age groups on 9 September 2014, in a 1–1 home draw against Austria for the 2015 UEFA European Championship qualifiers.[17]

Career statistics

As of match played 31 August 2021[18]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
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
  1. ^ Three appearances in UEFA Champions League, one appearance in UEFA Europa League
  2. ^ Includes appearance in 2020 Copa del Rey final (played in 2021)

Honours

Rayo Vallecano

Athletic Bilbao

References

  1. ^ a b c "Unai López". Diario AS. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ "Jugadores relevantes" [Relevant players] (in Spanish). Antiguoko KE. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
  4. ^ Zubieta, Jon (19 July 2013). "Unai López se suma al nuevo proyecto de Cuco Ziganda" [Unai López added to Cuco Ziganda's new project]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  5. ^ "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.
  6. ^ "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.
  7. ^ "Athletic Club – SSC Napoli, alineaciones" [Athletic Club – SSC Napoli, lineups] (in Spanish). Athletic Bilbao. 27 August 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
  8. ^ "Aduriz relishing Athletic's group stage adventure". UEFA. 27 August 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
  9. ^ "El Athletic vence cómodamente al Levante (3–0)" [Athletic defeat Levante easily (3–0)] (in Spanish). EITB. 30 August 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
  10. ^ "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.
  11. ^ "Cesión de Unai López" [Unai López's loan] (in Spanish). Athletic Bilbao. 1 August 2017. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  12. ^ "Real Valladolid 1–4 Athletic Club". Inside Athletic. 8 March 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  13. ^ 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.
  14. ^ "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.
  15. ^ "Agreement between Rayo Vallecano, Unai López and Athletic Club". Athletic Bilbao. 31 August 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
  16. ^ "Unai López wiki, stats, net worth, career, strength and weakness". Athletic Updates. 26 September 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  17. ^ Gabilondo, Aritz (9 September 2014). "Austria evita el pleno de La Rojita con un gol en el 94'" [Austria prevent Little Reds from going all the way with 94th-minute goal]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  18. ^ Unai López at Soccerway
  19. ^ Artetxe, José Luis (21 September 2021). "El clásico brindis al sol" [Classic toasting in the sun]. Deia (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 September 2021.
  20. ^ Lowe, Sid (3 April 2021). "Real Sociedad beat Athletic to claim Copa del Rey and Basque glory". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  21. ^ 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

  • v
  • t
  • e
Rayo Vallecano – current squad