Gerard López

This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is López and the second or maternal family name is Segú.
Gerard

Gerard as a Recreativo player
Personal information
Full name Gerard López Segú
Date of birth (1979-03-12) 12 March 1979
Place of birth Granollers, Spain
Height 1.82 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in)
Playing position Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Barcelona B / Catalonia (coach)
Youth career
1989–1993 Granollers
1993–1996 Barcelona
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1996–1997 Barcelona B 32 (10)
1997–2000 Valencia 45 (4)
1998–1999 → Alavés (loan) 29 (7)
2000–2005 Barcelona 91 (5)
2005–2007 Monaco 13 (1)
2007–2008 Recreativo 18 (0)
2009–2011 Girona 31 (4)
Total 259 (31)
National team
1996–1998 Spain U18 9 (5)
1997 Spain U20 4 (0)
1998–2000 Spain U21 10 (5)
2000 Spain 6 (2)
1998–2008 Catalonia 6 (2)
Teams managed
2013– Catalonia
2015– Barcelona B

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.


Gerard López Segú (born 12 March 1979), usually known as just Gerard, is a Spanish retired footballer, and the current coach of FC Barcelona B and the Catalonia national team.[1] An all-around midfielder, he was known for precision passes and ball control skills. During his career, he played for several clubs including Barcelona and Valencia, helping the latter reach the 2000 Champions League final.

Over the course of nine seasons, Gerard amassed La Liga totals of 183 games and 16 goals. He participated with Spain at Euro 2000.

Club career

Barcelona / Valencia

Born in Granollers, Barcelona, Catalonia, Gerard began his career in the FC Barcelona youth system and, in the 1996–97 season, made his professional debut with its B-team. As a 17-year-old he was signed by Valencia CF, making his La Liga debut on 31 August 1997 in a 1–2 away loss against RCD Mallorca (90 minutes played); for the 1998–99 campaign he was loaned to Deportivo Alavés, which had returned to the top flight after a four-decade absence.

After a breakout season with the Basque side, scoring seven goals, Gerard returned to Valencia, helping them reach the UEFA Champions League final.[2] During this time with the Che, he came to be regarded as one of the top players in Spain and, after receiving interest from several top clubs in Europe, including Inter Milan, A.C. Milan and Manchester United, he decided to join his former club Barcelona in July 2000, in a deal worth €22 million (£15 million).

Gerard would go on to appear regularly for the team during his five-year second spell, although never an undisputed starter. Injuries also began to curtail his career.[3][4][5]

Monaco / Retirement

After leaving Barça with the 2005 national championship, Gerard moved abroad, playing two unassuming seasons with France's AS Monaco FC[6] (also being severely injured[7]) and returning to Spain for 2007–08 with top level's Recreativo de Huelva.

After rejecting a move to PAOK FC, he trained for a few months with lowly EC Granollers, in Preferent Territorial de Catalunya.[8] In mid-February 2009, Gerard moved back to Catalonia, joining Girona FC until the end of the second division campaign;[9] shortly after arriving he was injured again, but managed to net four times in only six Segunda División games.[10][11][12]

Coaching

In October 2013, Gerard replaced Johan Cruyff as manager of Catalonia.[13] On 22 July 2015 he was appointed at Barcelona B, after the team's relegation to Segunda División B.[1]

International career

After a spectacular 1999–00 season with Valencia, on both fronts, Gerard received his first cap for Spain on 3 June 2000, in a 1–1 friendly with Sweden in Gothenburg. He went on to play in a further five internationals, being selected for UEFA Euro 2000.[14][15]

International goals

# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 2 September 2000 Koševo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina  Bosnia and Herzegovina 0–1 1–2 2002 World Cup qualification
2. 7 October 2000 Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid, Spain  Israel 1–0 2–0 2002 World Cup qualification

Personal life

Gerard's older brothers, Sergi and Julià López Segú (commonly known as Juli, born 1969), were also footballers, and defenders. The former, who also represented Barcelona, committed suicide at 39.[16]

The latter played almost exclusively for Barça B whilst it was in the second division, also having a brief first division spell (13 matches) with Real Valladolid, in 1993–94.[17][18]

Honours

Valencia
Barcelona

References

  1. 1 2 "Gerard López new Barça B coach". FC Barcelona. 22 July 2015. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  2. ↑ "Real Madrid 3–0 Valencia". The Guardian. 24 May 2000. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
  3. ↑ "Season over for Gerard". UEFA.com. 15 March 2002. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
  4. ↑ "Gerard thwarted by injury". UEFA.com. 13 January 2003. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
  5. ↑ "Gerard goes under the knife". UEFA.com. 27 November 2004. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
  6. ↑ "Monaco make double swoop". UEFA.com. 1 June 2005. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
  7. ↑ "Gerard ruled out for six months". UEFA.com. 7 November 2005. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
  8. ↑ "Gerard se entrena con el Granollers" [Gerard trains with Granollers] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 6 September 2008. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  9. ↑ "Mercado: El Girona ficha a Gerard López, ex Barça y Valencia" [Market: Girona signs Gerard López, ex Barça and Valencia] (in Spanish). Goal.com. 17 February 2009. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  10. ↑ "Gerard López salió, marcó y resolvió para el Girona" [Gerard López came, saw and conquered for Girona] (in Spanish). Marca. 24 May 2009. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  11. ↑ "El Girona roza la permanencia" [Girona nearly saved] (in Spanish). Marca. 30 May 2009. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  12. ↑ "El Eibar prolonga su racha: quince partidos sin ganar" [Eibar extends streak: fifteen games without a win] (in Spanish). Marca. 7 June 2009. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  13. ↑ "Gerard López, nuevo seleccionador catalán" [Gerard López, new Catalan national team manager] (in Spanish). Diario Gol. 7 October 2013. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
  14. ↑ "Spanish squad unveiled". BBC Sport. 28 May 2000. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
  15. ↑ "Iker y Gerard, las sorpresas" [Iker and Gerard, the surprises] (in Spanish). Mundo Deportivo. 26 May 2000. Retrieved 8 August 2013.
  16. ↑ "Fallece Sergi López, ex futbolista y hermano de Gerard, arrollado por un tren" [Sergi López, ex-footballer and brother of Gerard, dies, run over by train] (in Spanish). 20 Minutos. 4 November 2006. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
  17. ↑ "Juli: Julià López Segú". BDFutbol. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
  18. ↑ Tomàs, Manel; Clos, Jordi (29 October 2009). "Barça brothers". FC Barcelona. Retrieved 18 January 2014.

External links

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