Spanish footballer
In this
Spanish name , the first or paternal
surname is
López and the second or maternal family name is
Cabrera .
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]
Honours
Rayo Vallecano
Athletic Bilbao
References
^ a b c "Unai López" . Diario AS . Retrieved 4 October 2023 .
^ 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 .
^ 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 .
^ "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 wiki, stats, net worth, career, strength and weakness" . Athletic Updates. 26 September 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2023 .
^ 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 .
^ 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