Javi López


Javier 'Javi' López Rodríguez is a Spanish footballer who plays for and captains RCD Espanyol as a full back or central midfielder.
He spent his entire professional career with Espanyol, having signed in 2007.

Club career

Born in Osuna, Seville, Andalusia, and a product of Real Betis' youth ranks, López signed with RCD Espanyol in 2007. On 4 October 2009 he made his debut for the first team of the latter club, in a La Liga match against Villarreal CF, taking the pitch with less than ten minutes to go as the ten-man side eventually held off the hosts to a 0–0 draw; the vast majority of his first season was spent, however, with the reserves, which suffered relegation from the third division.
López was definitely promoted to the main squad for the 2010–11 campaign, being used by manager Mauricio Pochettino in various midfield and defender positions. He scored his first goal as a professional on 18 September 2011, but in a 1–2 away loss to Real Zaragoza where he was also sent off for two bookable offences, one of them resulting in a penalty.
On 29 March 2014, after Kiko Casilla was sent off late in the home fixture against FC Barcelona and his team had no replacements left, López played as a goalkeeper. He conceded no goals, in a 0–1 defeat.