Javier López Vallejo Explained
| Javier López Vallejo |
| Birth Date: | 22 September 1975 |
| Birth Place: | Pamplona, Spain |
| Position: | Goalkeeper |
| Youthclubs1: | Osasuna |
| Years1: | 1992–1995 |
| Caps1: | 79 |
| Goals1: | 0 |
| Years2: | 1994–1999 |
| Caps2: | 150 |
| Goals2: | 0 |
| Years3: | 1999–2007 |
| Caps3: | 120 |
| Goals3: | 0 |
| Years4: | 2006–2007 |
| Clubs4: | → Recreativo (loan) |
| Caps4: | 30 |
| Goals4: | 0 |
| Years5: | 2007–2010 |
| Caps5: | 38 |
| Goals5: | 0 |
| Years6: | 2010 |
| Caps6: | 10 |
| Goals6: | 0 |
| Years7: | 2010–2011 |
| Caps7: | 3 |
| Goals7: | 0 |
| Totalcaps: | 430 |
| Totalgoals: | 0 |
| Nationalyears1: | 1990–1992 |
| Nationalcaps1: | 17 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 0 |
| Nationalyears2: | 1991 |
| Nationalcaps2: | 6 |
| Nationalgoals2: | 0 |
| Nationalyears3: | 1991–1994 |
| Nationalcaps3: | 21 |
| Nationalgoals3: | 0 |
| Nationalyears4: | 1995 |
| Nationalcaps4: | 2 |
| Nationalgoals4: | 0 |
| Nationalyears5: | 1995 |
| Nationalcaps5: | 5 |
| Nationalgoals5: | 0 |
| Nationalyears6: | 1993–1998 |
| Nationalcaps6: | 4 |
| Nationalgoals6: | 0 |
| Nationalyears7: | 1997 |
| Nationalcaps7: | 2 |
| Nationalgoals7: | 0 |
| Nationalyears8: | 2003–2005 |
| Nationalcaps8: | 3 |
| Nationalgoals8: | 0 |
| Nationalyears9: | 2006 |
| Nationalcaps9: | 1 |
| Nationalgoals9: | 0 |
Javier López Vallejo (born 22 September 1975) is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
Club career
Born in Pamplona, López Vallejo began his career at hometown's CA Osasuna, making his first appearance for the main squad not yet 19 in a 3–0 home win over Sporting de Gijón on 15 May 1994, although the Navarrese had already been relegated from La Liga.[1] He became an undisputed starter from the 1995–96 season onwards.[2]
López Vallejo signed for Villarreal CF in 1999 alongside teammate Jesús Unanua (also a goalkeeper), appearing in all the games during the 1999–2000 campaign as the club returned to the top flight after a one-year absence. He retained first-choice status the following two years.[3]
With the signing of Pepe Reina in 2002 and the subsequent arrival of imports Sebastián Viera and Mariano Barbosa, however, López Vallejo was consecutively demoted to backup and third-choice.[4] In order to search more playing opportunities he joined Recreativo de Huelva in the same league on loan for the 2006–07 season, where he played the majority of the Andalusians' matches.[2]
In 2007–08, López Vallejo signed for Real Zaragoza on a free transfer, where he backed up former Real Madrid player César (two games).[5] As the latter moved to Tottenham Hotspur in August 2008 he became the starter, with the side now in the Segunda División, and was instrumental as they immediately returned to the top tier.[6] [7]
López Vallejo started the 2009–10 season on the bench, then became first-choice over Juan Pablo Carrizo.[8] However, he lost his position in January 2010 with the arrival of new coach José Aurelio Gay and, later that month, was released by mutual consent;[9] he immediately found a new team, joining Levadiakos F.C. in Greece alongside his compatriot Kike Sola, from former club Osasuna.[10]
International career
In 1991, López Vallejo helped the Spain under-17s to win the UEFA European Championship in Switzerland (then named under-16).[11] Later that year, in the FIFA World Cup equivalent, he was the starter in a final runner-up position in Italy.[12]
López Vallejo also won caps for the unofficial Navarre[13] and Basque Country regional sides.[14]
Honours
Villarreal
2003,[15] 2004[16]
Spain U16
1991[17]
Spain U17
Notes and References
- http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1994/05/16/pagina-28/1284401/pdf.html#&mode=fullScreen El Sadar se despide con fiesta (Party at the Sadar in goodbye)
- https://www.ultimahora.es/deportes/otros-deportes/2007/04/05/495477/lopez-vallejo-orbita-del-mallorca.html López Vallejo, en la órbita del Mallorca (López Vallejo, tracked by Mallorca)
- https://navarra.okdiario.com/articulo/centenario-osasuna/lopez-vallejo-jugo-anos-villarreal-desechar-oferton-milan-17-anos/20211013110410381166.html López Vallejo: jugó siete campañas en el Villarreal tras desechar un 'ofertón' del Milán con 17 años (López Vallejo: he played seven campaigns at Villarreal after rejecting 'mammoth offer' from Milan at age 17)
- https://as.com/futbol/2006/09/10/mas_futbol/1157869650_850215.html Vallejo, Arzo y Cazorla, a ser profetas en su tierra (Vallejo, Arzo y Cazorla, being prophets in their homeland they must)
- https://www.elperiodicodearagon.com/deportes/2007/08/02/guardaespaldas-48006183.html El guardaespaldas (The bodyguard)
- https://www.heraldo.es/noticias/deportes/lopez_vallejo_ano_mas.html López Vallejo, un año más (López Vallejo, another year)
- https://www.cope.es/blogs/yojugueenprimera/2016/05/05/lopez-vallejo-el-portero-psicologo-que-pudo-jugar-en-el-milan/ López Vallejo: el portero psicólogo que pudo jugar en el Milan (López Vallejo: the psychologist goalkeeper who could have played for Milan)
- https://www.heraldo.es/noticias/deportes/se_abre_porteria.html Se abre la portería (Open goal)
- https://www.heraldo.es/noticias/deportes/gay_habia_que_tomar_decisiones_aunque_fueran_impopulares.html Gay: "Había que tomar decisiones aunque fueran impopulares" (Gay: "One had to make decisions even though people might not like it")
- https://www.marca.com/2010/02/01/futbol/futbol_internacional/espanoles_mundo/1264980424.html López Vallejo y Kike Sola ya brillan en Grecia (López Vallejo and Kike Sola already shining in Greece)
- https://www.elperiodicomediterraneo.com/deportes/2006/01/13/javier-lopez-vallejo-portero-villarreal-42889914.html Javier López Vallejo PORTERO DEL VILLARREAL C. F.: "Lo que peor se lleva es que te consideren un suplente" (Javier López Vallejo VILLARREAL C. F. GOALKEEPER: "The worst thing to handle is having people thinking of you as a backup")
- https://www.si.com/soccer/2017/10/26/que-fue-de-los-finalistas-del-mundial-sub17-de-espana ¿Qué fue de los finalistas del Mundial sub17 de España? (What happened to the Spanish under17 World Cup finalists?)
- https://as.com/futbol/2003/12/28/mas_futbol/1072566008_850215.html Navarra, sin rival en su estreno como selección (Navarra, no opposition in their debut as national team)
- https://www.20minutos.es/deportes/noticia/euskadi-serbia-cronica-186192/0/ Euskadi se da un festín a costa de la Serbia de Clemente (Euskadi throw feast at the expense of Clemente's Serbia)
- https://www.diariocordoba.com/noticias/deportes/villarreal-jugara-uefa-primera-vez-historia_75764.html El Villarreal jugará la UEFA por primera vez en su historia (Villarreal will play UEFA for the first time in their history)
- https://www.elmundo.es/elmundodeporte/2004/08/23/champions/1093263539.html Villarreal vuelve a la UEFA tras ganar la Intertoto (Villarreal return to UEFA after winning the Intertoto)
- https://www.rsssf.org/tablese/ec-u16-91.html European U-16 Championship 1991
