Adrián López Álvarez (Spanish pronunciation:[aˈðɾjanˈlopeθ]; born 8 January 1988), known simply as Adrián, is a Spanish former professional footballer who played as a forward, currently assistant coach at La Liga club Rayo Vallecano.
He amassed La Liga totals of 314 matches and 44 goals over 13 seasons, representing in the competition Deportivo, Málaga, Atlético Madrid, Villarreal and Osasuna and winning four major titles with the third club, including the 2013–14 league championship. In 2014 he signed with Porto from Portugal, being loaned several times during his contract.
Born in Teverga, Asturias, Adrián was a product of local Real Oviedo's youth system. He quickly made the transition into the first team, scoring three goals in 26 matches while playing in the Segunda División B. However, he did not have a professional contract because he was a youth player, and the only way to acquire his services for free was to offer him one.[5]
Deportivo
Deportivo de La Coruña obliged and, in October 2006, Oviedo were given a €331,000 compensation by the La Liga club.[6] Adrián's finest moment of 2006–07 arrived when, on 31 March 2007, he entered the league match at the Camp Nou in the 61st minute, and although FC Barcelona won it 2–1, he managed to score with a clever touch;[7] it was his only league goal of the campaign, in 15 appearances (six starts).
On 28 September 2008, Adrián netted his first goal for Málaga in a 2–1 home win over Real Valladolid,[10] and appeared regularly throughout the campaign albeit only scoring three times. For 2009–10 he returned to Deportivo, where he began to feature prominently in the starting XI in various attacking positions. On 23 March 2010, he equalised for 10-men – eventually nine – Depor at Sporting de Gijón, in a final 2–1 loss.[11]
In the same competition, on 25 August 2011, Adrián added a brace in a 4–0 away defeat of Vitória de Guimarães which ensured Atlético's qualification for the group stage 6–0 on aggregate.[18] His first league goal came in a 4–0 home win against Racing de Santander on 18 September, heading from an Arda Turan cross.[19]
As the volatile Reyes became increasingly disgruntled with his reserve status at the club, Adrián firmly established himself in the starting eleven. In two games separated by only five days, he scored four goals, two apiece against Real Zaragoza in the league (3–1 home victory) and Udinese Calcio (4–0, also at home) in the Europa League;[20][21] in the latter competition, as the team reached and won the final, he scored 11 times.[22][23]
On 17 December 2013, Adrián extended his contract with the Colchoneros until 30 June 2018.[24] On 30 April of the following year, he scored his third official goal of the season, starting and helping his team win 3–1 at Chelsea and progress to the final of the UEFA Champions League for the first time since 1974.[25]
Porto
On 12 July 2014, Adrián signed a five-year deal with Portuguese club FC Porto, who paid €11 million to Atlético Madrid for 60% of his economic rights.[26] He scored his first goal for his new team on 17 September, in a 6–0 rout of FC BATE Borisov in the Champions League group stage.[27] It was his only goal in 18 competitive appearances over his first season.[28]
Adrián returned to Spain and its top division on 31 August 2015, after agreeing to a one-year loan with Villarreal CF.[29] After several months on the sidelines with a left leg tendon ailment,[30] he scored his first goal the following 28 February, concluding a 3–0 home victory against Levante UD.[31]
On 11 August 2017, Adrián returned to Deportivo on a one-year loan deal.[34] He scored a team and career-best nine goals, but the club was relegated from the top flight after four years.[35]
On 19 October 2018, in a match against amateurs S.C. Vila Real in the third round of the Taça de Portugal, Adrián netted four times in a 6–0 away rout.[36] He scored his first goal in the Primeira Liga the following 2 March, but in a 1–2 home loss to S.L. Benfica which leapfrogged the hosts to take first place with ten rounds remaining.[37]
Osasuna
Adrián returned to Spain's top flight on 30 July 2019, with the free agent joining newly promoted CA Osasuna on a one-year contract.[38] On 22 May 2021, after 46 competitive matches, he was released.[39]
Málaga
On 31 March 2022, aged 34, Adrián returned to Málaga on a short-term deal.[40] He retired in 2023 due to injury problems, even though he did not make any official announcement.[41]
In February 2024, López was appointed assistant manager of Rayo Vallecano.[42]
International career
Adrián competing against Egor Filipenko in an under-21 match against Belarus in June 2011
In the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup held in Canada, Adrián scored a hat-trick for Spain in the final group stage game against Jordan on 7 July, with all three goals coming in a span of ten minutes late in the first half.[43]
Subsequently, he represented the under-21s in two UEFA European Championships. In the 2011 edition in Denmark, Adrián scored a brace in a 2–0 group stage victory over the Czech Republic,[44] adding another in the next match against Ukraine (3–0).[45] In the semi-final against Belarus, he scored the late 1–1 which took the game into extra time, adding another in that period in an eventual 3–1 win;[46] he was awarded the Golden Boot as the highest scorer in the tournament.[47]
^Hidalgo, Dani (5 November 2011). "Adrián sostiene al Atlético en Europa" [Adrián provides for Atlético in Europe] (in Spanish). Diario AS. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
^"¡Bienvenido, Adrián!" [Welcome, Adrián!] (in Spanish). Villarreal CF. 31 August 2015. Archived from the original on 2 September 2015. Retrieved 31 August 2015.