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David López
	López playing for Espanyol in 2019
Personal information
Full name	David López Silva
Date of birth	9 October 1989 (age 35)
Place of birth	Barcelona, Spain
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s)	Defensive midfielder, centre-back
Team information
Current team	Girona
Number	5
Youth career
1997–1999	Sant Cugat
1999–2005	Mercantil
2005–2007	Damm
2007–2008	Espanyol
Senior career*
Years	Team
2008–2011	Espanyol B
2009–2010	→ Terrassa (loan)
2010–2014	Espanyol
2011–2012	→ Leganés (loan)
2012–2013	→ Huesca (loan)
2014–2016	Napoli
2016–2022	Espanyol
2022–	Girona
International career
2013	Catalonia
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:44, 20 December 2024 (UTC)

David López Silva (Spanish pronunciation: [daˈβið ˈlopeθ]; born 9 October 1989) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder or centre-back for La Liga club Girona.

He spent most of his career in two spells at Espanyol, making over 225 appearances. He also played for two years with Napoli in Italy's Serie A.

Club career

Espanyol

Born in Barcelona, Catalonia, López finished his youth career with local RCD Espanyol, and made his senior debut with the reserves in the 2008–09 season, in Tercera División. In August 2009 he was loaned to Terrassa FC of the Segunda División B,^[2] being a regular starter but suffering relegation.

López returned to Espanyol in June 2010, and made his main squad – and La Liga – debut on 26 September, coming on as a late substitute in a 1–0 home win against CA Osasuna.^[3] He continued to appear more regularly with the B side, however.

On 11 August 2011, López was loaned to CD Leganés in the third tier.^[4] A year later, he joined Segunda División club SD Huesca on the same basis.^[5]

López returned to Espanyol on 16 June 2013 after the Pericos recalled him.^[6] He scored his first goal in the top flight on 24 August, his team's first in a 3–1 home victory over Valencia CF.^[7]

Napoli

On 31 August 2014, SSC Napoli confirmed López' signing on a five-year contract.^[8] He made his Serie A debut on 21 September, playing the full 90 minutes and being booked in a 1–0 defeat at Udinese Calcio.^[9] He won the Supercoppa Italiana on 22 December in Qatar; he made a mistake for Carlos Tevez of Juventus FC to open the scoring, though his side won on a penalty shootout after a 2–2 draw.^[10]

López scored his first competitive goal for the Italians (from 39 appearances) on 7 May 2015, putting his team ahead in an eventual 1–1 home draw against FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League.^[11]

Espanyol return

On 26 August 2016, López returned to Espanyol on a four-year deal.^[12] During most of his second spell he was utilised by manager Quique Sánchez Flores as a central defender^[13]^[14] and, from that position, he scored in a 4–1 away loss to FC Barcelona in the Derbi barceloní on 18 December.^[15]

In August 2018, López agreed to an extension until 2023.^[16] He scored a top-flight best of four goals in the 2019–20 campaign, but his team were relegated;^[17]^[18] this started with the opener on 4 January in a 2–2 draw with Barcelona at the RCDE Stadium.^[19] On 23 February, he was sent off for the first time for the club, for two yellow cards in the opening 25 minutes of the 2–1 defeat at Real Valladolid.^[20]

López remained a regular as Espanyol won promotion as champions in May 2021.^[21] He scored once that season, equalising in a 3–1 win at CD Castellón on 26 March.^[22]

On 10 June 2022, López left as his contract was expiring. He featured in 237 official matches, scoring 12 times.^[23]

Girona

López remained in the top flight and his native region on 25 July 2022, on a two-year contract at Girona FC.^[24] In December 2023, aged 34, he extended his link to the club until June 2026.^[25] On 2 October, López scored the club's first ever international goal when he opened the scoreline in a 2–3 lost to Dutch-side Feyenoord.^[26]

International career

López was never capped by Spain at any level. He played one game for the unofficial Catalonia team on 30 December 2013, as a substitute in a 4–1 win over Cape Verde.^[27]

Career statistics

As of match played 20 December 2024^[28]^[29]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club	Season	League			National cup^[a]		Europe		Other		Total
Club	Season	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Espanyol B	2008–09	Tercera División	29	0	—		—		—		29	0
	2010–11	Tercera División	25	0	—		—		—		25	0
	Total		54	0	—		—		—		54	0
Terrassa (loan)	2009–10	Segunda División B	31	2	—		—		—		31	2
Espanyol	2010–11	La Liga	3	0	0	0	—		—		3	0
	2013–14	La Liga	33	2	4	1	—		—		37	3
	2014–15	La Liga	1	0	—		—		—		1	0
	Total		37	2	4	1	—		—		41	3
Leganés (loan)	2011–12	Segunda División B	30	4	2	0	—		—		32	4
Huesca (loan)	2012–13	Segunda División	38	3	2	0	—		—		40	3
Napoli	2014–15	Serie A	32	1	2	0	9^[b]	1	1^[c]	0	44	2
	2015–16	Serie A	25	1	2	0	8^[b]	0	—		35	1
	Total		57	2	4	0	17	1	1	0	79	3
Espanyol	2016–17	La Liga	36	3	1	0	—		—		37	3
	2017–18	La Liga	37	1	6	0	—		—		43	1
	2018–19	La Liga	21	0	3	0	—		—		24	0
	2019–20	La Liga	32	4	1	0	3^[b]	0	—		36	4
	2020–21	Segunda División	37	1	1	0	—		—		38	1
	2021–22	La Liga	18	0	0	0	—		—		18	0
	Total		181	9	8	0	3	0	—		196	9
Girona	2022–23	La Liga	20	3	0	0	—		—		20	3
	2023–24	La Liga	25	3	0	0	—		—		25	3
	2024–25	La Liga	17	1	1	0	4^[d]	1	0	0	22	2
	Total		62	7	1	0	4	1	0	0	67	8
Career total			490	29	25	1	24	2	1	0	540	32

^ Includes Copa del Rey, Coppa Italia
^ ^a ^b ^c Appearances in UEFA Europa League
^ Appearance in Supercoppa Italiana
^ Appearances in UEFA Champions League

Honours

Napoli

Supercoppa Italiana: 2014^[10]

Espanyol

Segunda División: 2020–21^[21]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "David López". Diario AS. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
^ "El RCD Espanyol cede al jugador del filial David López al Terrassa" [RCD Espanyol loan reserve team player David López to Terrassa] (in Spanish). Join Futbol. 31 August 2009. Archived from the original on 3 March 2014. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
^ Giraldo, Javier (26 September 2010). "El canterano Álvaro Vázquez desmonta a Osasuna" [Youth player Álvaro Vázquez brings Osasuna down]. El Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 April 2022.
^ "El Espanyol cede a David López al Leganés" [Espanyol loan David López to Leganés]. Marca (in Spanish). 11 August 2011. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
^ "El Huesca ficha al mediocentro David López Silva" [Huesca sign central midfielder David López Silva]. Marca (in Spanish). 14 June 2012. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
^ "El Espanyol recupera a David López" [Espanyol reclaim David López]. Marca (in Spanish). 16 June 2013. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
^ "Espanyol battle back for victory". ESPN FC. 24 August 2013. Archived from the original on 13 November 2013. Retrieved 26 February 2014.
^ "David Lopez moves to Napoli". S.S.C. Napoli. 31 August 2014. Retrieved 31 August 2014.
^ "Udinese 1–0 Napoli". BBC Sport. 21 September 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2015.
^ ^a ^b Voakes, Kris (22 December 2014). "Under-par Juventus finally punished as Napoli claims the Supercoppa". Goal. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
^ "Dnipro deny dominant Napoli". UEFA. 7 May 2015. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
^ "David López, welcome home!". RCD Espanyol. 26 August 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
^ "David López: "No esperaba jugar de central"" [David López: "I did not expect to play as stopper"]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 30 September 2016. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
^ Martínez Moriana, Andrea (20 November 2016). "David López: "Una victoria nos daría mucha confianza"" [David López: "We would grow significantly in confidence with a win"] (in Spanish). Vavel. Retrieved 21 December 2016.
^ Juárez, María Carmen (18 December 2016). "David López: "El gol marcado, un golpe de fe"" [David López: "The scored goal, a strike of faith"]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 December 2016.
^ Molero, Iván (1 August 2018). "Oficial: El Espanyol amarra a David López hasta 2023" [Official: Espanyol tie David López to them until 2023]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 November 2021.
^ "Cuarto gol de David López y cuarto de cabeza" [Fourth goal by David López and fourth with his head]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 2 July 2020. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
^ Besa, Ramon (8 July 2020). "El Barça desciende al Espanyol" [Barça relegate Espanyol]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 April 2022.
^ Dunne, Robbie (4 January 2020). "Espanyol salvage point against Barcelona with late Wu Lei strike". Diario AS. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
^ Munday, Billy (23 February 2020). "Real Valladolid hand defeat to ten-man Espanyol". Marca. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
^ ^a ^b "El Espanyol cae como campeón ante un Alcorcón salvado" [Espanyol fall as champions against saved Alcorcón]. Sport (in Spanish). 30 May 2021. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
^ López de Vicente, Sergio (26 March 2021). "Darder, el gran showman" [Darder, the great showman]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 November 2021.
^ "David López to leave RCD Espanyol". RCD Espanyol. 10 June 2022. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
^ "David López, experiència per a la línia defensiva" [David López, experience to the defensive lines] (in Catalan). Girona FC. 25 July 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
^ "David López amplia el seu contracte fins a la temporada 2025–2026" [David López extends his contract until the 2025–2026 season] (in Catalan). Girona FC. 19 December 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
^ "Feyenoord edge luckless Girona in five-goal thriller". Reuters. 2 October 2024. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
^ "Cataluña golea a Cabo Verde entre gritos de "independencia"" [Catalonia thrash Cape Verde amidst shouts of "independence"]. Marca (in Spanish). 30 December 2013. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
^ David López at Soccerway
^ David López at FBref.com