Jorge López Montaña


Jorge López Montaña is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a right midfielder.
Over 11 seasons, he amassed La Liga totals of 271 matches and 36 goals, representing Villarreal, Valencia, Mallorca, Racing de Santander and Zaragoza in the competition and winning major titles with the second club, including the 2004 national championship.

Club career

López was born in Logroño, La Rioja. A product of hometown CD Logroñés' youth system he was purchased by Villarreal CF in the summer of 1999, with whom he achieved La Liga promotion at the end of the season. Making his top-flight debut on 10 September 2000 in a 1–5 home loss against Rayo Vallecano, he finished the campaign missing only three league matches and scoring eight goals, with the Valencians finishing seventh.
Joining neighbours Valencia CF for 2003–04 in a €4 million deal, López played 26 matches and netted four times as they were proclaimed national champions. After a loan to fellow league side RCD Mallorca, he would only collect 19 league appearances in the next two seasons combined, mainly due to injuries.
López was released by Valencia in 2007, and was signed by Racing de Santander on a free transfer, where he was a key element in the team's first-ever qualification to the UEFA Cup after a sixth-place finish. On 25 November 2007, he scored the game's only goal in a home triumph against his previous club.
Having already played one game in the 2008–09 season with Racing, a 1–1 home draw to Sevilla FC, López was sold to Segunda División's Real Zaragoza on 1 September 2008, for €3 million. He scored seven goals in 38 matches as his new team immediately returned to the top tier, surpassing the 3,000-minute mark, but featured significantly less in the following campaign although he began it in the starting XI.
López left Zaragoza in July 2011, after failing to negotiate a new contract. He had his first experience abroad at the age of 33, joining OFI Crete F.C. in Greece.
In January 2013 López, who had become a free player due to financial problems in his previous club, moved to Belgium and joined several compatriots at K.A.A. Gent. After a brief spell in his country's Segunda División B with Cádiz CF, he retired at the age of 36.

Personal life

López's younger brother, Iñigo, was also a footballer.

Honours

Villarreal
Valencia