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Jorge López
	López training with Zaragoza in 2009
Personal information
Full name	Jorge López Montaña
Date of birth	19 September 1978 (age 46)
Place of birth	Logroño, Spain
Height	1.82 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Youth career
	Logroñés
Senior career*
Years	Team
1996–1997	Logroñés B
1997–1999	Logroñés
1998	→ Las Rozas (loan)
1999–2003	Villarreal
2003–2007	Valencia
2004–2005	→ Mallorca (loan)
2007–2008	Racing Santander
2008–2011	Zaragoza
2011–2012	OFI
2013	Gent
2014	Cádiz
Total
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Jorge López Montaña (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈxoɾxe ˈlopeθ]; born 19 September 1978) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a right midfielder.

Over 11 seasons, he amassed La Liga totals of 271 matches and 36 goals, representing Villarreal, Valencia, Mallorca, Racing de Santander and Zaragoza in the competition and winning major titles with the second club, including the 2004 national championship.^[1]

Club career

López was born in Logroño, La Rioja. A product of hometown CD Logroñés' youth system, he signed for Villarreal CF in summer 1999, with whom he achieved La Liga promotion at the end of the season. Making his top-flight debut on 10 September 2000 in a 1–5 home loss against Rayo Vallecano,^[2] he finished the campaign missing only three league matches and scoring eight goals, with the Valencians finishing seventh.

Joining neighbours Valencia CF for 2003–04 in a €4 million deal,^[3] López played 26 matches and netted four times as they were proclaimed national champions. After a loan to fellow top-division side RCD Mallorca, he would only total 19 league appearances the next two seasons, mainly due to injuries.^[4]

López was released by Valencia in 2007, and was signed by Racing de Santander on a free transfer, where he was a key element in their first-ever qualification for the UEFA Cup after a sixth-place finish.^[5] On 25 November 2007, he scored the game's only goal in a home victory over his previous club.^[6]

Having already played one game in the 2008–09 season with Racing, a 1–1 home draw to Sevilla FC, López was sold to Segunda División's Real Zaragoza on 1 September 2008, for €3 million.^[7] He scored seven goals in 38 matches as his new team immediately returned to the top tier,^[8]^[9] surpassing the 3,000-minute mark, but featured significantly less the following campaign although he began it in the starting XI.

López left Zaragoza in July 2011, after failing to negotiate a new contract.^[10]^[11] He had his first experience abroad at the age of 33, joining OFI Crete F.C. in Greece.^[12]

In January 2013 López, who had become a free player due to financial problems in his previous club, moved to Belgium and joined several compatriots (including manager Víctor Fernández) at K.A.A. Gent.^[13] Following a brief spell in his country's Segunda División B with Cádiz CF,^[14] he retired at the age of 36.

Personal life

López's younger brother, Iñigo, was also a footballer.^[15]

Honours

Villarreal

UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2003

Valencia

La Liga: 2003–04^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b Donaire Pitarch, David (26 October 2013). "Jorge López y Farinós, dos jugadores con Villarreal y Valencia en el corazón" [Jorge López and Farinós, two players with Villarreal and Valencia in their hearts] (in Spanish). Vavel. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
^ Pérez, Javier (11 September 2000). "El Rayo vapulea al Villarreal" [Rayo obliterate Villarreal]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 February 2018.
^ Pérez Ortiz, Juan (4 January 2004). "El nuevo oficio de Jorge López" [Jorge López's new line of work]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 February 2018.
^ Medina, Irena (17 January 2017). "ESPECIAL DERBI: Jorge López, de estrella a gran secundario" [DERBY SPECIAL: Jorge López, from star to deluxe sidekick] (in Spanish). Vavel. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
^ "El Racing se mete por primera vez en la UEFA al ganar a Osasuna (1–0)" [Racing reach UEFA for the first time after beating Osasuna (1–0)]. 20 minutos (in Spanish). 18 May 2008. Retrieved 27 March 2014.
^ "Racing leave Valencia standing". UEFA. 25 November 2007. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
^ "Jorge López jugará en el Zaragoza" [Jorge López will play in Zaragoza]. Marca (in Spanish). 1 September 2008. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
^ "Jorge López da al Zaragoza la victoria en el campo del líder" [Jorge López gives win to Zaragoza in leader's ground]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 28 March 2009. Retrieved 9 May 2014.
^ "Fiesta en La Romareda para celebrar el ascenso" [Party at La Romareda to celebrate promotion]. Marca (in Spanish). 13 June 2009. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
^ "El Real Zaragoza reconoce que ni Carlos Diogo ni Jorge López seguirán en el equipo" [Real Zaragoza acknowledge neither Carlos Diogo or Jorge López will continue in team]. El Periódico de Aragón (in Spanish). 15 July 2011. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
^ "Real Zaragoza announce surprise departures of Carlos Diogo and Jorge Lopez". A Different League. 16 July 2011. Archived from the original on 8 January 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2013.
^ Labarga, Nacho (8 November 2011). "Jorge López: "La liga griega es muy competitiva, pero me gustaría volver a España"" [Jorge López: "The Greek League is very competitive, but I would like to return to Spain"]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 February 2018.
^ Acedo, Diego; Armero, Andrés (29 January 2013). "Jorge López se une al 'spanish Gent' de Víctor Fernández" [Jorge López joins Víctor Fernández's Spanish Gent]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 February 2018.
^ Grima, José (6 February 2014). "Jorge López ficha por el Cádiz a los 35 años" [Jorge López signs for Cádiz at the age of 35]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 February 2018.
^ Del Mar, Julia (26 May 2009). "Jorge López apuesta por el gran sueño amarillo" [Jorge López bets on big yellow dream]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 June 2013.