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ADRIÁN LÓPEZ RODRÍGUEZ
Squad Number 07/08: 28
Date of Birth: 25 February, 1987
Nationality: Spain
Contract: none yet
Transfer: - (Deportivo B)
Previous Clubs: Deportivo B, As Pontes
Buy-out Clause: ?
Height: ??? cm
Weight: ?? kg
Position: Defender (central)
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 Deportivo B player Adrián López became the first defender since the early nineties to came out of the youth team and to make an impact in the first team. Caparrós already used the Galician in two Copa matches during the season 2006/2007, but it was Lotina who gave him the chance to make his breakthrough at the start of the season 2007/2008. With tasks to mark strikers like Raúl Tamudo, Kanouté, Morientes and Van Nistelrooy, the defender stayed cool and impressed all.
The village of As Pontes, at a one-hour car drive to the east of La Coruńa, could become an important name in the history of Deportivo. David Rochela, considered one of Depor’s biggest youth talents, was born there. But so was Adrián López back in 1987. Both players know each other and Adrián López used to play at As Pontes with David Rochela’s brother, a central defender too.
When Adrián Lopéz moved to La Coruńa he was promoted by Deportivo B coach Tito Ramallo in 2006 from the Juveniles to Depor’s second team. After this all went fast. Adrián López played some friendlies with the first team and participated in some training sessions. On 10 January 2007 he played twelve minutes in the Copa match at Mallorca (1-2 win) by replacing the other Adrián, the Asturian striker, in Depor’s squad (it confused the stadium speaker). Striker Adrián scored his first official goal in the shirt of Deportivo that match while defender Adrián López was placed in midfield, to help out Sergio and to defend Depor’s lead after Juan Rodríguez was sent off. Coach Caparrós expressed his satisfaction after the match and said that “he did an important job and helped Sergio to clear the midfield”. As a reward, Adrián López was given another entry in the return match against Mallorca one week later (1-1). When defender Arbeloa was sold to Liverpool two weeks after it, Caparrós was quick with promoting Adrián López to the first squad and he became the second in the Caparrós era after Iago.
Deportivo B achieved promotion to Segunda B in 2007 while the club sold Jorge Andrade (to Juventus) and also saw Juanma (out of contract) leaving. When the season 2007/2008 went underway, with Lotina as new coach, it quickly became clear that the team was short on central defenders. Lopo and Coloccini were the starters, but injuries of Lopo and first replacement Pablo Amo caused the debut of new signing Aythami against Recreativo (0-2). His unlucky match against the Andalucians was the reason why Adrián López started the Primera match at Espanyol on 30 September 2007.
 Probably the youngest team ever in the history of Deportivo impressed at the Montjuic and only gave away a few opportunities, but the inexperience and lack of efficiency upfront were the reasons why the match was lost 1-0. There were compliments to Adrián López, who was given another opportunity at Sevilla one week later. This time the team were more mature with the result (0-1 win) and a striker like Kanouté failed to score against the Galicians. Valencia and Real Madrid did score seven goals against Depor’s defence in the matches after it, but in the next 180 minutes with Adrian López in defence the team leaked just one goal. It seems that Deportivo have found their local reference in defence.
As a player, Adrián López is a calm, concentrated and hard-working type with two feet on the ground. After he was moved by Caparrós to the first squad, he said: “In the world of football one can go from Tercera to Primera in just one year, but it can also happen in the opposite direction. One can go down as fast as one can reach the top”. As examples to follow he gave the names of Jorge Andrade and Lopo: “Two great players and I learn a lot from them. Looking in Depor’s history I also liked Naybet and Djukic. And I still have that image on my mind of Djukic missing that penalty…”. As Adrián López was seven-years old back then, a new generation really seems to have arrived.
Finally, the issue about his name used in the world of football. Striker Adrián López Álvarez was first in Depor’s squad and with it is called Adrián. However, defender Adrián López Rodríguez shares the first two names with the striker but nevertheless is referred to as Adrián López. It’s a personal wish of the player who initially became known as Piscu, a nickname given to him by someone in the crowd. “But if you ask my friends about Piscu, nobody will know that person”, defender Adrián López said about the topic.
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