Claudio López (footballer)

Claudio López
Personal information
Full name Claudio Javier López
Date of birth (1974-07-17) 17 July 1974
Place of birth Río Tercero, Argentina
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in)
Playing position Striker / Winger
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1992–1996 Racing Club 116 (25)
1996–2000 Valencia 126 (47)
2000–2004 Lazio 106 (29)
2004–2007 América 87 (27)
2007–2008 Racing Club 34 (10)
2008–2009 Kansas City Wizards 57 (13)
2010 Colorado Rapids 11 (0)
Total 537 (151)
National team‡
1996 Argentina Olympic 17 (7)
1995–2003 Argentina 55 (10)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 9 November 2010.

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 13 April 2010

Claudio Javier López (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈklauðjo ˈlopes], born 17 July 1974) is a retired Argentine footballer who played as a forward.

Club career

Early career

López began his professional career with Estudiantes de La Plata in his native Argentina in 1990 as a 16-year-old. However, he moved to Racing the next year, where he would remain until he transferred in 1996 to Spanish club Valencia.

Europe

López remained with Valencia for five years, helping the team to be runner-up in the UEFA Champions League in the 1999–2000 season, when he was transferred to Lazio of Serie A for a sum of 35 million Euro.[1] He was partnered with compatriot Hernán Crespo in the front-line. Unfortunately, López suffered from injury problems while at Lazio and was unable to fulfil the hopes that accompanied him, but Lazio fans still hold him in high regard because he scored beautiful goals. While in Lazio, in the UEFA Champions League season 2000–2001, he scored an Olympic goal (goal direct from a corner-kick) against Anderlecht in the Roman Olympic Stadium.

Mexico, return to Racing

López joined Club América for the 2004 Apertura, where he played in 17 games, scoring four goals. The following season, Clausura 2005 brought better results, with López scoring a total of 14 goals overall and helping the team to its tenth League championship in its history. It was his first and only league championship with any team. Claudio was instrumental to the team's success, also helping them win the CONCACAF Champions' Cup by scoring two goals in the Final over Tecos UAG. He played the Fifa Club World Cup in 2006.

In 2007 López returned to Racing, 11 years after his departure from the club, and the country. In most of those games, usually coming in as a late sub, López scored several important goals.

Major League Soccer

On 7 March 2008, it was announced López had signed with the Kansas City Wizards on a free transfer. López fell under the league's designated player qualification, which means only the first $415,000 of his salary counted against Kansas City Wizards’ team salary cap. He has since had his contract restructured to take him below designated player status. [2] He scored on his debut for Kansas City against D.C. United on 29 March 2008.

On 23 February 2010 the Argentine striker left after two seasons Kansas City Wizards.[3] "We would have liked to have Claudio back in 2010, but unfortunately it became clear early in the contract negotiations that we could not give him what he desired," Wizards Manager Peter Vermes said.[4]

López was later signed by league rivals Colorado Rapids on 2 April 2010.[5]

After the 2010 MLS season Colorado declined López's contract option and Lopez elected to participate in the 2010 MLS Re-Entry Draft. López became a free agent in Major League Soccer when he was not selected in the Re-Entry draft.

International career

López had a distinguished career with Argentina. After winning a silver medal with the Under-23 team during the 1996 Summer Olympics, López made appearances in both the 1998 and 2002 World Cups. He scored a goal against the Netherlands in the 1998 FIFA World Cup quarter-final, when he kicked the ball between Edwin van der Sar's legs to tie the match temporarily, although Argentina were ultimately defeated 2–1.

Style of play

A talented, hardworking, and well-rounded forward, with notable tactical intelligence and versatility, López was capable of playing anywhere along the front-line, as a striker, in a supporting role, and on the wing. He was highly regarded for his pace, technique, and dribbling skills, as well as his powerful striking ability with his left foot. He was also an effective set-piece and penalty taker. Throughout his career, he was known by the nickname "El Piojo", meaning "the louse".[6]

Club statistics

[7]

Club performance League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Argentina League Cup South America Total
1992–93RacingPrimera División191--10201
1993–943636510438
1994–95263--20283
1995–963517--223719
Spain League Copa del Rey Europe Total
1996–97ValenciaLa Liga3232062405
1997–98321250--3712
1998–99322169404230
1999–003411201865417
Italy League Coppa Italia Europe Total
2000–01[8]LazioSerie A1600065225
2001–02291010823812
2002–03341540924717
2003–042745040364
Mexico League Cup North America Total
2004–05AméricaPrimera División3313
2005–06305
2006–07123
Argentina League Cup South America Total
2006–07RacingPrimera División185
2007–08165
United States League Open Cup North America Total
2008Kansas City WizardsMajor League Soccer28621307
200929720317
2010Colorado Rapids11020130
Country Argentina 15035
Spain 1304720928817364
Italy 1062910027914338
Mexico 7521
United States 6813617414
Total 525145

National team statistics

[9]

Argentina national team
YearAppsGoals
199520
199650
199782
1998123
199940
200082
200183
200260
200320
Total5510

Honours

Valencia CF
S.S. Lazio
Club América
Colorado Rapids

Media

López was sponsored by sportswear company Nike and appeared in Nike commercials. In a global Nike advertising campaign in the run-up to the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan, he starred in a "Secret Tournament" commercial (branded "Scopion KO") directed by Terry Gilliam, appearing alongside football players such as Thierry Henry, Ronaldo, Edgar Davids, Fabio Cannavaro, Francesco Totti, Ronaldinho, Luís Figo and Hidetoshi Nakata, with former player Eric Cantona the tournament "referee".[10][11]

See also

References

  1. ↑ El fichaje estrellado: Claudio ‘piojo’ López
  2. ↑ KC OnDemand.com Article Detail Archived 29 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine.
  3. ↑ Claudio Lopez a Wizard no more | Sounders Insider – The News Tribune. Blog.thenewstribune.com (23 February 2010).
  4. ↑ Wizards part ways with Claudio Lopez Archived 19 March 2010 at the Wayback Machine.
  5. ↑ Colorado signs Argentine Claudio Lopez. Usatoday.Com (2 April 2010).
  6. ↑ Massimiliano Cappello (9 May 2015). "Che fine ha fatto? Lopez, una vita al massimo della velocità" [Whatever happened to him? Lopez, a life at top speed] (in Italian). Calcio Mercato. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
  7. ↑ Claudio López at National-Football-Teams.com
  8. ↑ Stats do not include 1/2 in Supercoppa Italiana.
  9. ↑ Claudio López at National-Football-Teams.com
  10. ↑ "A lighter shoe, cooler kits, a faster ball, a Secret Tournament – every touch counts". NikeBiz. Nike. Retrieved 21 July 2012.
  11. ↑ Cozens, Claire (3 April 2002). "Cantona hosts World Cup with a difference". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 21 July 2012.
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