Ángel López (footballer)

Ángel Domingo López Ruano (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈaŋxel ˈlopeθ]; born 10 March 1981), is a Spanish former professional footballer. An attacking right back, he could also operate as a right midfielder.

This article uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is López and the second or maternal family name is Ruano.
Ángel López
Personal information
Full name Ángel Domingo López Ruano
Date of birth (1981-03-10) 10 March 1981
Place of birth Las Palmas, Spain
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position(s) Right back / Midfielder
Youth career
Las Palmas
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1998–2000 Las Palmas B
2000–2003 Las Palmas 81 (1)
2003–2007 Celta 159 (6)
2007–2012 Villarreal 104 (2)
2012–2013 Betis 11 (1)
2013–2016 Las Palmas 71 (2)
Total 426 (12)
National team
2001–2003 Spain U21 14 (0)
2006–2008 Spain 5 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Club career

Ángel was born in Las Palmas, Canary Islands. After first appearing professionally with hometown's UD Las Palmas, playing 64 La Liga games from 2000 to 2002, he made a name for himself as a stamina-filled wingback at fellow league club RC Celta de Vigo,[1] signing with the Galicians in the 2003 January transfer window. He appeared in 15 league matches during the second part of the season as the team qualified to the UEFA Champions League for the first time ever; however, also with the player as first-choice, they would be relegated at the end of the 2003–04 campaign.[2]

On the last day of 2007–08's summer transfer deadline, Ángel joined Villarreal CF. During the season where the team dubbed the Yellow Submarine achieved a best-ever runner-up league position, he split right-back duties with veteran Javi Venta, a situation which again befell in the following campaign (22 matches for Venta, 21 for López).

In 2009–10, Ángel again battled with Venta for first-choice duties.[3] On 4 April 2010 he scored his first goal for Villarreal, shooting from 30 yards to open the score at Real Valladolid in an eventual 2–0 win.[4]

After Venta's departure to Levante UD, Ángel was the undisputed first-choice right-back. On 9 January 2011, during a 2–4 away loss against Real Madrid, he suffered a severe injury in his left knee – anterior cruciate ligament – being sidelined for the next six months.[5]

International career

Ángel won his first cap for the Spanish national team in a 0–1 friendly defeat with Romania in Cádiz, on 15 November 2006.[6]

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References
  1. Ángel watches over Celta; UEFA, 13 February 2004
  2. "Ángel López" (in Spanish). Yo Jugué en el Celta. 10 April 2008. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  3. "Ángel: "Tengo ganas de jugar y no salir más del once titular"" [Ángel: "I'm looking forward to playing and staying in the starting XI for good"] (in Spanish). Marca. 27 November 2009. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  4. Villarreal claim rare away win; ESPN Soccernet, 4 April 2010
  5. Ángel estará seis meses de baja (Ángel to miss six months); Marca, 12 January 2011 (in Spanish)
  6. "Marica da otro varapalo a la España de Luis" [Marica strikes another blow to Luis' Spain] (in Spanish). Marca. 15 November 2006. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
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