Jordi López (footballer)

Jordi López Felpeto (born 28 February 1981) is a Spanish former footballer who played mainly as a defensive midfielder, currently a manager.

Jordi López
López with Mallorca
Personal information
Full name Jordi López Felpeto[1]
Date of birth (1981-02-28) 28 February 1981 (age 43)[1]
Place of birth Granollers, Spain
Height 1.82 m (5 ft 11+12 in)[1]
Position(s) Defensive midfielder
Youth career
Barcelona
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1998–2002 Barcelona C 64 (8)
2001–2002 Barcelona B 6 (1)
2002–2004 Real Madrid B 69 (6)
2003–2004 Real Madrid 2 (0)
2004–2006 Sevilla 37 (2)
2006–2008 Mallorca 24 (0)
2007–2008Racing Santander (loan) 14 (0)
2009 Queens Park Rangers 10 (1)
2009–2011 Swansea City 15 (0)
2011 Vitesse 15 (2)
2011–2012 OFI 24 (1)
2012–2013 Hoverla Uzhhorod 17 (2)
2013–2016 Llagostera 77 (6)
2016–2017 Sabadell 26 (1)
Total 400 (30)
Managerial career
2018–2021 Cornellà (assistant)
2021–2023 Terrassa
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

He achieved La Liga figures of 77 games and two goals over five seasons, representing Real Madrid, Sevilla, Mallorca and Racing de Santander and winning the 2005–06 UEFA Cup with the second of those clubs. He also played professionally in England, Wales, the Netherlands, Greece and Ukraine.

Playing career edit

Born in Granollers, Barcelona, Catalonia,[2] López played for both FC Barcelona and Real Madrid's reserves to start his senior career.[3] After appearing in five matches with the latter's first team in the 2003–04 season,[4] he represented Sevilla FC for two years.[5] With the Andalusians, he took part in ten games during the 2005–06 victorious run in the UEFA Cup and scored the only goal in an away win against FC Lokomotiv Moscow,[6] netting his first La Liga one in the 3–1 victory at RCD Espanyol on 10 April 2005.[7]

López moved to RCD Mallorca for 2006–07, being loaned the following campaign to fellow top-flight side Racing de Santander,[8] where he was often used from the bench as the Cantabrians achieved a first-ever UEFA Cup qualification.[9] He was subsequently released by Mallorca, and immediately started training with Portsmouth. However, on 19 August 2008, it was revealed he was having a trial with Blackburn Rovers also from the English Premier League; both spells were unsuccessful and he returned to the Balearic Islands, being left to train on his own for the first months of 2008–09 and cutting ties on 17 December.[10][11][12]

In January 2009, López was expected to sign during the transfer window with Birmingham City of the Football League Championship, but failed his medical.[13] The following month, he joined another club in the country and its second division, Queens Park Rangers, for the final 15 fixtures of the season,[14] making his debut as a 69th-minute substitute for Matteo Alberti at Barnsley (2–1 loss).[15] He scored his first and only goal for QPR in a 2–1 home win against Bristol City, on 21 March.[16]

After some speculation, López agreed terms to join former Queens Park Rangers boss Paulo Sousa at Swansea City on 16 July 2009, subject to a medical. Four days later, he agreed to a two-year deal.[17][18]

López failed to win a first-team berth during his two-season spell in Wales, also struggling with injury. On 13 January 2011, he terminated his contract by mutual consent[19] and, the following day, signed for Eredivisie's SBV Vitesse coached by his compatriot Albert Ferrer, leaving five months later.[20]

López then spent one year in the Super League Greece with OFI Crete F.C.[21] and another in the Ukrainian Premier League with FC Hoverla Uzhhorod.[22] The 32-year-old returned to his homeland subsequently, joining UE Llagostera of Segunda División B[23] and helping them to achieve a first-ever promotion to the Segunda División in his debut season;[24] in June 2015, he renewed his two-year contract for another season.[25]

Before retiring in 2017 at the age of 36, López represented third-tier CE Sabadell FC.[26]

Coaching career edit

López spent three years as assistant at UE Cornellà.[27][28] On 21 June 2021, he was appointed manager of Segunda Federación club Terrassa FC.[29]

Honours edit

Sevilla

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Jordi López at WorldFootball.net
  2. ^ Jiménez, Jordi (18 June 2006). "Grande ofrece un millón al Sevilla por Jordi López" [Grande offers one millon to Sevilla for Jordi López]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  3. ^ Torres, Fabián (26 September 2014). "Jordi López: "Soy del Barça y del Madrid por agradecimiento"" [Jordi López: "I am of Barça and Madrid out of thankfulness"]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  4. ^ Caamaño, A. (30 July 2004). "Jordi López puede ser el quinto fichaje del Sevilla" [Jordi López may be Sevilla's fifth signing]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  5. ^ "Ocho años fichando mediocentros" [Eight years signing central midfielders]. ABC (in Spanish). 14 June 2009. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  6. ^ "El Sevilla sale victorioso del hielo de Moscú" [Sevilla emerge victorious from Moscow ice]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 16 February 2006. Retrieved 30 May 2014.
  7. ^ "Espanyol 1–3 FC Sevilla". ESPN Soccernet. 10 April 2005. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  8. ^ "Se confirma la cesión del mallorquinista Jordi López" [Loan of Mallorca man Jordi López confirmed]. El Periódico de Aragón (in Spanish). 4 August 2007. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  9. ^ "El Racing de Santander consigue la mayor hazaña de su historia" [Racing de Santander with biggest feat of their history] (in Spanish). RTVE. 19 May 2008. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  10. ^ Adrover, S. (13 August 2008). "Sin equipo para los descartes" [No place for the surplus]. Diario de Mallorca (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  11. ^ York, Gary (21 August 2008). "Blackburn Rovers give trials to pair". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  12. ^ "Jordi López rescinde su contrato con el Real Mallorca" [Jordi López terminates his contract with Real Mallorca]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 17 December 2008. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  13. ^ Tattum, Colin (3 January 2009). "Birmingham manager shelves deal for ex Real Mallorca midfielder". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  14. ^ "QPR boss Sousa seals Lopez deal". BBC Sport. 17 February 2009. Retrieved 24 September 2009.
  15. ^ "Barnsley 2–1 QPR". BBC Sport. 28 February 2009. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
  16. ^ "QPR 2–1 Bristol City". BBC Sport. 21 March 2009. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
  17. ^ "Swans agree terms with Lopez". Swansea City A.F.C. 16 July 2009. Archived from the original on 17 July 2009. Retrieved 16 July 2009.
  18. ^ "Swans announce Lopez capture". Sky Sports. 20 July 2009. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  19. ^ "Midfielder Jordi Lopez terminates Swansea City stay". BBC Sport. 13 January 2011. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
  20. ^ "Vitesse strikt middenvelder López" [Vitesse sign midfielder López] (in Dutch). Nederlandse Omroep Stichting. 15 January 2011. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  21. ^ Rincón, Jaime (19 March 2012). "Torres recupera el gol y no renuncia a la Eurocopa" [Torres rediscovers scoring ways and does not give up on Eurocup]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  22. ^ "Rescinde Pere Segarra y firma Jordi López Felpeto" [Pere Segarra cuts ties and Jordi López Felpeto signs]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 17 August 2013. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  23. ^ Aragón, Gerard (30 November 2013). "La Segunda B se abre al mundo" [Segunda B shows itself to the world]. Sport (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  24. ^ "Llagostera obra el milagro y asciende a la Liga Adelante" [Llagostera work miracle and promote to Liga Adelante]. Marca (in Spanish). 21 June 2014. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  25. ^ Subirana, Pere (9 June 2015). "Jordi López renueva con el Llagostera" [Jordi López renews with Llagostera]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  26. ^ a b "Sevilla: ¿Qué fue de los campeones de la UEFA en Eindhoven?" [Sevilla: What happened to the UEFA champions in Eindhoven?]. ABC (in Spanish). 27 March 2020. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  27. ^ "Jordi López se incorpora al cuerpo técnico de la UE Cornellà" [Jordi López joins UE Cornellà's coaching staff] (in Spanish). UE Cornellà. 11 July 2018. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  28. ^ Gil, Jordi (18 January 2021). "Un 'galáctico' en el banquillo del Cornellà" [A 'galactic' in Cornellà's bench]. Sport (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  29. ^ Cadalso, Josep (21 June 2021). "Jordi López es fixa l'objectiu de la permanència" [Jordi López's goal is that of survival]. Diari de Terrassa (in Catalan). Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  30. ^ "Jordi López, el 'galáctico' del UE Llagostera, en la Liga Show Adelante" [Jordi López, UE Llagostera's 'galactic', in the Show Adelante League] (in Spanish). La Liga. 19 March 2015. Retrieved 7 February 2023.

External links edit