| Unai López | |
| Full Name: | Unai López Cabrera[1] |
| Birth Date: | 30 October 1995 |
| Birth Place: | Errenteria, Spain |
| Height: | 1.70 m |
| Position: | Defensive midfielder |
| Currentclub: | Rayo Vallecano |
| Clubnumber: | 17 |
| Youthyears1: | 2008–2010 |
| Youthclubs1: | Antiguoko |
| Youthyears2: | 2010–2011 |
| Youthclubs2: | Real Sociedad |
| Youthyears3: | 2011–2013 |
| Youthclubs3: | Athletic Bilbao |
| Years1: | 2012–2013 |
| Caps1: | 21 |
| Goals1: | 2 |
| Years2: | 2013–2016 |
| Caps2: | 73 |
| Goals2: | 6 |
| Years3: | 2014–2021 |
| Caps3: | 78 |
| Goals3: | 4 |
| Years4: | 2016–2017 |
| Clubs4: | → Leganés (loan) |
| Caps4: | 23 |
| Goals4: | 2 |
| Years5: | 2017–2018 |
| Clubs5: | → Rayo Vallecano (loan) |
| Caps5: | 39 |
| Goals5: | 3 |
| Years6: | 2021– |
| Caps6: | 100 |
| Goals6: | 3 |
| Nationalyears1: | 2011 |
| Nationalcaps1: | 5 |
| Nationalgoals1: | 2 |
| Nationalyears2: | 2013 |
| Nationalcaps2: | 1 |
| Nationalgoals2: | 0 |
| Nationalyears3: | 2013–2014 |
| Nationalcaps3: | 12 |
| Nationalgoals3: | 3 |
| Nationalyears4: | 2014 |
| Nationalcaps4: | 2 |
| Nationalgoals4: | 0 |
| Club-Update: | 20:02, 13 September 2024 (UTC) |
Unai López Cabrera (in Basque unai lopes̻/; pronounced as /es/; born 30 October 1995) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for Rayo Vallecano as a defensive midfielder.
Born 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 S.S.C. 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]
López represented Spain at under-16, under-18, under-19 and under-21 levels.[16] 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.[17]
| 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 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 73 | 6 | |||
| Athletic Bilbao | 2014–15 | La Liga | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 24 | 0 | |
| 2018–19 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | ||||
| 2019–20 | 26 | 1 | 4 | 0 | — | 30 | 1 | ||||
| 2020–21 | 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 | ||
| Career total | 234 | 17 | 13 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 251 | 17 | |||
Rayo Vallecano
Athletic Bilbao