Íñigo López (footballer)

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Íñigo López

| image =

| fullname = Íñigo López Montaña{{WorldFootball.net|inigo-lopez}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1982|7|23|df=y}}

| birth_place = Logroño, Spain

| height = 1.85 m

| position = Centre-back

| currentclub =

| clubnumber =

| youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = Las Rozas

| years1 = 2002–2004 | clubs1 = Las Rozas | caps1 = | goals1 =

| years2 = 2004–2006 | clubs2 = Atlético Madrid B | caps2 = 34 | goals2 = 4

| years3 = 2006–2007 | clubs3 = S.S. Reyes | caps3 = 27 | goals3 = 1

| years4 = 2007–2010 | clubs4 = Alcorcón | caps4 = 85 | goals4 = 17

| years5 = 2010–2013 | clubs5 = Granada | caps5 = 91 | goals5 = 8

| years6 = 2013–2014 | clubs6 = PAOK | caps6 = 3 | goals6 = 0

| years7 = 2014 | clubs7 = → Celta (loan) | caps7 = 9 | goals7 = 1

| years8 = 2014–2015 | clubs8 = Córdoba | caps8 = 21 | goals8 = 0

| years9 = 2015–2018 | clubs9 = Huesca | caps9 = 63 | goals9 = 3

| years10 = 2018–2019 | clubs10 = Extremadura | caps10 = 7 | goals10 = 0

| years11 = 2019 | clubs11 = Deportivo La Coruña | caps11 = 1 | goals11 = 0

| years12 = 2019–2020 | clubs12 = S.S. Reyes | caps12 = 7 | goals12 = 0

| totalcaps = 348 | totalgoals = 34

| club-update =

}}

Íñigo López Montaña (born 23 July 1982) is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a central defender.

Club career

Born in Logroño, La Rioja, López began his career with Atlético Madrid B in the Segunda División B in 2004, going on to spend six seasons in that tier, his next club being Madrid neighbours UD San Sebastián de los Reyes. In 2007, he signed for AD Alcorcón also in the community, appearing in 35 league games in his first year (five goals) but only five in the following.

López was again a regular starter for Alcorcón in 2009–10, and scored a career-best seven goals as the team promoted to Segunda División for the first time ever.{{cite web|url=http://www.granadaenjuego.com/index.php?page=12&liar=6166|title=AD Alcorcón, rival para el ascenso|trans-title=AD Alcorcón, promotion rivals|publisher=Granada en Juego|language=Spanish|date=May 2010|accessdate=28 February 2018}}{{cite news|url=http://www.superdeporte.es/futbol/2010/06/22/ontinyent-ascenso-descalabro-arbitral/98269.html|title=El Ontinyent, sin ascenso tras un descalabro arbitral|trans-title=Ontinyent, no promotion after refereeing meltdown|publisher=Super Deporte|language=Spanish|date=22 June 2010|accessdate=28 February 2018}} He also took part in the memorable Alcorconazo in the round of 32 of the Copa del Rey, in which the club secured the most famous victory in its history after defeating Real Madrid 4–0 at home and 4–1 on aggregate.{{cite news|url=http://www.marca.com/futbol/copa-rey/2016/11/10/581f94a6468aeb914a8b456e.html|title=Nadie supera el 'Alcorconazo'|trans-title=No one tops the 'Alcorconazo'|publisher=Marca|language=Spanish|date=10 November 2016|accessdate=28 February 2018}}

In the summer of 2010, López joined Granada CF in the second division,[http://www.as.com/futbol/articulo/inigo-lopez-deja-alcorcon-pone/dasftb/20100729dasdasftb_59/Tes Iñigo López deja el Alcorcón y pone rumbo a Granada (Íñigo López leaves Alcorcón and heads for Granada)]; Diario AS, 29 July 2011 (in Spanish) and achieved a second consecutive promotion, also the second in a row for the Andalusians, while contributing four goals. He made his La Liga debut on 1 October 2011 in a 1–0 away loss against Valencia CF,[http://espnfc.com/en/report/327696/report.html?soccernet=true&cc=null Valencia triumphant despite profligacy]; ESPN Soccernet, 1 October 2011 and netted four times during the season – two of those in narrow wins over Athletic Bilbao (1–0, away)[http://espnfc.com/en/report/327699/report.html?soccernet=true&cc=null Granada shock Bilbao]; ESPN Soccernet, 27 November 2011 and Málaga CF (2–1, at home)[http://espnfc.com/en/report/338671/report.html?soccernet=true&cc=null Lopez strike sinks Malaga]; ESPN Soccernet, 6 February 2012– to help the side to retain their league status.

López moved abroad for the first time on 19 June 2013, with the 30-year-old signing a two-year contract with PAOK FC from the Super League Greece.[http://www.paokfc.gr/nea/o-inigo-lopez-montana-ston-paok/ Ο Íñigo López Montaña στον ΠΑΟΚ (Íñigo López Montaña signs with PAOK)]; PAOK FC, 19 July 2013 (in Greek) He returned to Spain on 23 January of the following year, after being loaned to RC Celta de Vigo for five months.[http://www.marca.com/2014/01/23/futbol/equipos/celta/1390482681.html Íñigo López llegará cedido al Celta (Íñigo López will arrive on loan at Celta)]; Marca, 23 January 2014 (in Spanish)

On 1 August 2014, López agreed to a one-year deal at Córdoba CF, recently promoted to the top flight.[http://www.cordobacf.com/-/inigo-lopez-nuevo-jugador-del-cordoba-c-f- Iñigo López nuevo jugador del Córdoba C.F. (Iñigo López new player of Córdoba C.F.)]; Córdoba CF, 1 August 2014 (in Spanish) He played 21 matches as his team were immediately relegated, and signed for SD Huesca in the second tier on 14 July 2015.[http://www.sdhuesca.es/noticia.php?clave=_4EC13QNZW Íñigo López, nuevo fichaje (Íñigo López, new signing)]; SD Huesca, 14 July 2015 (in Spanish)

López helped to achieve promotion to the top division in the 2017–18 campaign, but contributed just four appearances to this feat.{{cite news|url=https://granadacf.ideal.es/inigo-lopez-sitio-20180621100719-nt.html|title=Íñigo López no tiene sitio en el Huesca|trans-title=Íñigo López has no room in Huesca|publisher=Ideal|language=Spanish|date=21 June 2018|accessdate=4 January 2019}} He subsequently terminated his contract, and signed a one-year deal with Extremadura UD in the same league after having trained with them since August.[https://www.extremaduraud.com/el-club-inscribe-a-inigo-lopez/ El club inscribe a Íñigo López (The club registers Íñigo López)]; Extremadura UD, 21 September 2018 (in Spanish)

On 31 January 2019, free agent López moved to division two side Deportivo de La Coruña on a six-month deal.{{cite web|url=https://www.rcdeportivo.es/noticia/inigo-lopez-nuevo-jugador-del-depor|title=Iñigo López, nuevo jugador del Dépor|trans-title=Iñigo López, new player of Dépor|publisher=Deportivo La Coruña|language=Spanish|date=31 January 2019|accessdate=11 February 2019}}

Personal life

López's older brother, Jorge, was also a footballer.{{cite news|url=http://www.marca.com/2009/05/26/futbol/mas_futbol/1243334246.html|title=Jorge López apuesta por el gran sueño amarillo|trans-title=Jorge López bets on big yellow dream|publisher=Marca|language=Spanish|date=26 May 2009|accessdate=21 June 2013}}