Unai López Cabrera (Basque: [unai lopes̻]; Spanish: [ˈunaj ˈlopeθ]; born 30 October 1995) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for La Liga club Rayo Vallecano.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Unai López Cabrera[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 30 October 1995[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Errenteria, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[1] | ||
| Position | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Rayo Vallecano | ||
| Number | 17 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2008–2010 | Antiguoko | ||
| 2010–2011 | Real Sociedad | ||
| 2011–2013 | Athletic Bilbao | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2012–2013 | Basconia | 21 | (2) |
| 2013–2016 | Bilbao Athletic | 73 | (6) |
| 2014–2021 | Athletic Bilbao | 78 | (4) |
| 2016–2017 | → Leganés (loan) | 23 | (2) |
| 2017–2018 | → Rayo Vallecano (loan) | 39 | (3) |
| 2021– | Rayo Vallecano | 156 | (5) |
| International career | |||
| 2011 | Spain U16 | 5 | (2) |
| 2013 | Spain U18 | 1 | (0) |
| 2013–2014 | Spain U19 | 12 | (3) |
| 2014 | Spain U21 | 2 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 13:03, 27 May 2026 (UTC) | |||
Club career
editBorn in Errenteria, Gipuzkoa, López joined Athletic Bilbao's youth system in 2011 at the age of 14 from neighbouring Real Sociedad, after starting out at Antiguoko.[2][3] He made his debut as a senior with the farm team in the 2012–13 season in the Tercera División, and in July 2013 was promoted to the reserves in the Segunda División B.[4]
López was called up to the main squad by manager Ernesto Valverde on 2 July 2014, for pre-season matches.[5] In August, he was also included in a B list for that campaign's UEFA Champions League.[6]
On 27 August 2014, López was named on the bench for the Champions League play-off match against SSC Napoli.[7] He made his first-team debut the following day, coming on as a substitute for Markel Susaeta in the 72nd minute of a 3–1 home win and also providing an assist to Ibai Gómez in the last goal.[8] His La Liga bow took place on the 30th, when he featured 23 minutes in the 3–0 defeat of Levante UD also at the San Mamés Stadium.[9]
On 26 July 2016, after a season back at the B side in the Segunda División, López was loaned to CD Leganés for one year.[10] On 1 August of the following year, he moved to second tier club Rayo Vallecano on a one-year loan deal.[11]
López scored his first competitive goal for Athletic on 8 March 2020, from a free kick to open a 4–1 away league victory over Real Valladolid.[12] He featured regularly during the 2019–20 campaign, but subsequently fell down the pecking order after the emergence of newer youth prospects such as Oihan Sancet, Unai Vencedor and Oier Zarraga.[13]
On 31 August 2021, López returned to Rayo on a three-year contract;[14] Athletic retained a first refusal clause on any future transfer, while also receiving "a series of economic compensations".[15] He went on to make 222 appearances across two spells with ten goals,[16] including 13 for the finalists of the 2025–26 UEFA Conference League.[17][18]
International career
editLópez represented Spain at under-16, under-18, under-19 and under-21 levels.[19] He made his debut for the last of those age groups on 9 September 2014, in a 1–1 home draw against Austria for the 2015 UEFA European Championship qualifiers.[20]
Career statistics
edit- As of match played 27 May 2026[21]
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | Continental | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Basconia | 2012–13 | Tercera División | 21 | 2 | — | — | 21 | 2 | ||
| Bilbao Athletic | 2013–14 | Segunda División B | 33 | 4 | — | — | 33 | 4 | ||
| 2015–16 | Segunda División | 40 | 2 | — | — | 40 | 2 | |||
| Total | 73 | 6 | — | — | 73 | 6 | ||||
| Athletic Bilbao | 2014–15 | La Liga | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4[a] | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| 2018–19 | La Liga | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20 | La Liga | 26 | 1 | 4[b] | 0 | — | 30 | 1 | ||
| 2020–21 | La Liga | 26 | 3 | 5 | 0 | — | 31 | 3 | ||
| Total | 78 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 93 | 4 | ||
| Leganés (loan) | 2016–17 | La Liga | 23 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | 24 | 2 | |
| Rayo Vallecano (loan) | 2017–18 | Segunda División | 39 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | 40 | 3 | |
| Rayo Vallecano | 2021–22 | La Liga | 27 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 30 | 0 | |
| 2022–23 | La Liga | 34 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 36 | 0 | ||
| 2023–24 | La Liga | 35 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | 39 | 1 | ||
| 2024–25 | La Liga | 32 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | 34 | 3 | ||
| 2025–26 | La Liga | 28 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 13[c] | 2 | 43 | 2 | |
| Total | 156 | 5 | 13 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 182 | 7 | ||
| Career total | 390 | 22 | 26 | 0 | 17 | 2 | 433 | 24 | ||
- ↑ Three appearances in UEFA Champions League, one appearance in UEFA Europa League
- ↑ Includes appearance in 2020 Copa del Rey final (played in 2021)
- ↑ Appearances in UEFA Conference League
Honours
editRayo Vallecano
Athletic Bilbao
- Copa del Rey runner-up: 2019–20,[23] 2020–21[24]
Rayo Vallecano
- UEFA Conference League runner-up: 2025–26[17]
References
edit- 1 2 3 "Unai López". Diario AS. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
- ↑ Artazu, M. (25 May 2011). "El Athletic ficha al cadete realista Unai López" [Athletic sign Real cadet Unai López]. El Diario Vasco (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
- ↑ "Jugadores relevantes" [Relevant players] (in Spanish). Antiguoko KE. Archived from the original on 5 October 2017. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
- ↑ Zubieta, Jon (19 July 2013). "Unai López se suma al nuevo proyecto de Cuco Ziganda" [Unai López added to Cuco Ziganda's new project]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 October 2023.
- ↑ "El canterano Unai López hará la pretemporada a las órdenes de Valverde" [Youth player Unai López will make the pre-season at the orders of Valverde]. Marca (in Spanish). 2 July 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
- ↑ "Kepa, Unai López y Aketxe, en la lista B para la Champions" [Kepa, Unai López and Aketxe, in the B list for Champions]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 14 August 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
- ↑ "Athletic Club – SSC Napoli, alineaciones" [Athletic Club – SSC Napoli, lineups] (in Spanish). Athletic Bilbao. 27 August 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
- ↑ "Athletic second-half comeback ousts Napoli". UEFA. 27 August 2014. Retrieved 29 March 2025.
- ↑ "El Athletic vence cómodamente al Levante (3–0)" [Athletic defeat Levante easily (3–0)] (in Spanish). EITB. 30 August 2014. Retrieved 28 July 2020.
- ↑ "Unai López, talento y juventud para la zona de creación" [Unai López, talent and youth for the creative zone] (in Spanish). CD Leganés. 26 July 2016. Archived from the original on 27 July 2016. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
- ↑ "Cesión de Unai López" [Unai López's loan] (in Spanish). Athletic Bilbao. 1 August 2017. Archived from the original on 2 August 2017. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
- ↑ "Real Valladolid 1–4 Athletic Club". Inside Athletic. 8 March 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
- ↑ Altuna, Manex (30 July 2021). "Marcelino pone en evidencia que no cuenta con Unai López al dejarle sin convocar" [Marcelino makes it clear he does not count with Unai López after not selecting him]. Naiz (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 September 2021.
- ↑ "Unai López nuevo jugador del Rayo Vallecano" [Unai López new player of Rayo Vallecano] (in Spanish). Rayo Vallecano. 31 August 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
- ↑ "Agreement between Rayo Vallecano, Unai López and Athletic Club". Athletic Bilbao. 31 August 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
- ↑ Marcos, Nagore (2 June 2026). "El futbolista que interesa al Athletic pero que se puede ir con Mendilibar" [The footballer who interests Athletic but could leave with Mendilibar]. Deia (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 June 2026.
- 1 2 McKenna, Chris (27 May 2026). "Crystal Palace 1–0 Rayo Vallecano". BBC Sport. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
- ↑ Velasco, Juanma (2 June 2026). "Unai López se acerca a Olympiacos" [Unai López getting close to Olympiacos]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 June 2026.
- ↑ "Unai López wiki, stats, net worth, career, strength and weakness". Athletic Updates. 26 September 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
- ↑ Gabilondo, Aritz (9 September 2014). "Austria evita el pleno de La Rojita con un gol en el 94'" [Austria prevent Little Reds from going all the way with 94th-minute goal]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 October 2023.
- ↑ Unai López at Soccerway
- ↑ Artetxe, José Luis (21 September 2021). "El clásico brindis al sol" [Classic toasting in the sun]. Deia (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 September 2021.
- ↑ Lowe, Sid (3 April 2021). "Real Sociedad beat Athletic to claim Copa del Rey and Basque glory". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
- ↑ Lowe, Sid (17 April 2021). "Messi stars as Barcelona thrash Athletic Bilbao to lift Copa del Rey". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
External links
edit- Unai López at Athletic Bilbao
- Unai López at BDFutbol