Alberto Lopo

Alberto Lopo García, Lopo (born 5 May 1980 in Barcelona), is a Spain professional football (soccer) who currently plays as a central defender for Deportivo de La Coruña. His physical style of play results in him being one of the most booked players every season in Spanish football.

Lopo spent the bulk of his professional career at Espanyol, where he started to play when he was ten. Soon the coaches noticed his defensive skills and, in April 1999 (aged eighteen), he debuted in La Liga against Real Zaragoza, thus becoming the first player to have represented the club in all categories. His breakthrough came during the season 2001/2002, when he only missed five league matches and scored his first goal (in the first league round and against Zaragoza) but also received his first red card during a 2-0 loss at rivals FC Barcelona.

He would remain a starter at Espanyol under several coaches (Juande Ramos, Javier Clemente, Luis Fernández and Miguel Ángel Lotina) until his departure in May 2006, gaining in the process a reputation as a superb but excessively rough defender. In 2002/2003, he was given 14 yellow cards in twenty-three matches including two in a 5-2 loss at Racing Santander. The following season, Lopo was presented 15 yellow cards (including three sending-offs) and one red card. Between 2004 and 2006 he received another 21 yellow cards and two red cards, although the numbers somewhat decreased in the subsequent years.

With two Copa del Rey in 2000 and 2006 conquered at the Catalonia outfit, Lopo rejected the club's offer for renewal of contract and signed for Deportivo La Coruña. But although he was out of contract, Espanyol eventually started a court case against Deportivo to get financial compensation (an amount of €5,6 million was mentioned) for having educated the player in their youth system. Espanyol’s claim is based on an agreement between most Spanish clubs, but Deportivo is not part of this agreement because Depor’s board never confirmed it. The case still hasn’t been solved. Lopo was considered as one of the best Spanish central defenders available when he was signed on a free transfer by Deportivo in May 2006. Other clubs showing serious interest were Valencia CF, Villarreal CF, Manchester United and Newcastle United, but the stopper decided to follow the footsteps of ex-Espanyol players Joan Capdevila and Sergio González.

In his first season at Deportivo (2006/2007), Lopo continued as always: playing most matches (31) and receiving a mention-worthy total of eleven yellow cards (this includes a double one at home against Celta Vigo; Lopo was also sent off in the cup home match against Real Valladolid). In the first part of the season he formed a partnership with Álvaro Arbeloa. After Arbeloa was sold to Liverpool, it was Jorge Andrade (recovered from an important injury) who accompanied Lopo at the back. That defence, with Capdevila and Fabrizio Coloccini at the sides and Dudu Aouate as goalkeeper, kept 16 clean sheets in 38 matches. Much of Depor’s points gained that season were based on the defensive performance of a team not capable of scoring sufficient goals. In April 2007, Lopo’s injury-time header gave Deportivo a much needed 1-0 home win against Osasuna.

During the summer of 2007, Lopo’s status at the club increased, significantly, as stoppers Juanma Delgado and Andrade both left the club, the former on a free transfer to CD Tenerife, the Portugal sold to Juventus. Lopo himself confirmed that Deportivo rejected a €5 million offer from Real Zaragoza for him. However, he would spend the first five months out of action, due to a recurrent leg injury.