Ricardo (footballer, born 1971)

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

Ricardo playing for Osasuna in 2008
Personal information
Full name Ricardo López Felipe
Date of birth (1971-12-30) 30 December 1971
Place of birth Madrid, Spain
Height 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Playing position Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team
 Japan (goalkeeper coach)
Youth career
Atlético Madrid
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
1991–1998 Atlético Madrid B 135 (0)
1991–1992 → Ávila (loan) 15 (0)
1994–1997 Atlético Madrid 1 (0)
1998–2002 Valladolid 53 (0)
2002–2005 Manchester United 1 (0)
2003–2004 → Racing Santander (loan) 34 (0)
2005–2012 Osasuna 189 (0)
2013 Osasuna 1 (0)
Total 429 (0)
National team
1989 Spain U18 2 (0)
2001–2002 Spain 2 (0)
Teams managed
2014– Japan (goalkeeper coach)

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

† Appearances (goals)

Ricardo López Felipe (born 30 December 1971), known simply as Ricardo, is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

Over the course of 15 seasons he played 278 La Liga games, starting his career at Atlético Madrid, where he struggled to break through, he went on to play for Valladolid for four seasons and Osasuna for eight. He also spent two years with Manchester United in the Premier League.

Ricardo won two international caps for Spain and was part of the squad for the 2002 World Cup.

Club career

Atlético / Valladolid

Born in Madrid, Ricardo began his professional career at Atlético Madrid, working his way through the reserves, going on to be part of the senior squad. Snubbed by José Francisco Molina, he only managed one first team appearance for the club, which came during the 1996–97 season, in a 3–2 away win against Real Zaragoza on 2 June 1997.

Subsequently, Ricardo was signed by fellow La Liga club Real Valladolid in 1998. He spent four years at the club, becoming first-choice during the 2001–02 campaign, where he played all 38 matches, while also being selected as a member of the Spanish squad for the 2002 World Cup, though he did not play in the finals.

Manchester United

On 30 August 2002, Ricardo joined English club Manchester United in a three-year deal worth £1.5 million.[1] Signed to provide cover for the injured Fabien Barthez and the inexperienced Roy Carroll, he found first-team opportunities rare, appearing in only four UEFA Champions League matches and just once in the Premier League. He marked his only Premier League appearance, against Blackburn Rovers, on 19 April 2003, by conceding a penalty with his first touch after he fouled Andy Cole, although he saved David Dunn's penalty kick in an eventual 3–1 win.[2][3]

On 23 August 2003, Ricardo agreed to a loan transfer to Racing de Santander for 2003–04 season – the deal included an option to make transfer permanent the following June. On his return to Spain, Ricardo was quoted in the Spanish sports daily AS as saying:

"It's not a backward step. When I received the offer I was delighted to have the chance to return to Spain. I missed the Spanish league ... All I feel is gratitude toward Manchester. The club treated me very well. It was a lovely experience which was well worth it."[4]

After helping Racing avoid top flight relegation, Ricardo returned to Manchester United and proclaimed his ambition to take the number one jersey from Barthez. However, he was never again picked for the first team following the arrival of Tim Howard and Carroll's improvement.

Osasuna

Ricardo was eventually released by the club on a free transfer at the end of the 2004–05 season. Subsequently he signed for CA Osasuna on a two-year deal,[5] becoming the Navarrese outfit's automatic first-choice 'keeper and making over 100 league appearances in his first three seasons; he also helped the team reach the semifinals of the UEFA Cup in his second season, making 12 appearances in the competition.[6] He temporarily lost his place in the first team midway through the 2008–09 season to newly signed Roberto.

Ricardo regained his first-choice status in the following season, rarely missing a game for Osasuna even though he was approaching his 40s. In the 2011–12 season, however, still under manager José Luis Mendilibar, he was demoted to third-choice 'keeper.[7][8]

Ricardo came out of retirement in January 2013 to rejoin Osasuna as an emergency signing, after backup goalkeeper Asier Riesgo suffered a foot injury.[9] At 41, he was the second-oldest player in the history of the Spanish top flight, surpassed only by 48-year-old Harry Lowe for Real Sociedad in 1935.[10]

He retired at the end of the season, stating "I don't quit football, football quits me".[11]

Club Brugge

Recommended by head coach Juan Carlos Garrido, Ricardo joined Belgian team Club Brugge K.V. in June 2013 as a goalkeeping coach. Near the end of October that year a player licence was sought out for him, as both the second and third goalkeeper were unavailable due to injury.[12]

International career

Ricardo played twice for Spain, his debut coming on 14 November 2001 in a friendly with Mexico.[13] In a testimonial match for Ferenc Puskás the following summer, during a 1–1 draw against Hungary in Budapest, he received his second and final cap; in both cases, he came on as a substitute for Iker Casillas.[14]

Honours

Atlético Madrid
Manchester United

References

  1. ↑ Ricardo signs for Man Utd; BBC Sport, 30 August 2002
  2. ↑ Scholes sinks Rovers; BBC Sport, 19 April 2003
  3. ↑ Manchester United goalkeepers between Peter Schmeichel and Edwin van der Sar; The Daily Telegraph
  4. ↑ United keeper Ricardo says move to Santander is no step down; Sports Illustrated, 24 August 2003
  5. ↑ Ricardo to aid Osasuna rearguard; UEFA.com, 16 June 2005
  6. ↑ So near but so far for Ricardo; UEFA.com, 4 May 2007
  7. ↑ Mendilibar sorprende con el descarte en la convocatoria de Ricardo (Mendilibar surprises by not calling Ricardo); Marca, 27 August 2011 (Spanish)
  8. ↑ Mendilibar vuelve a dejar fuera de la lista a Ricardo, Rubén y Raitala (Mendilibar leaves Ricardo, Rubén and Raitala out of squad again); Marca, 29 January 2012 (Spanish)
  9. ↑ Ricardo: "Llego con la ilusión de un chaval que sube del juvenil" (Ricardo: "I arrive with the hunger of a youth team player"); Marca, 3 January 2013 (Spanish)
  10. ↑ "Valerón es el cuarto jugador más veterano en jugar en Primera" (in Spanish). La Provincia. 13 December 2015. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  11. ↑ Ricardo López anuncia su retirada (Ricardo López announces retirement); Marca, 30 May 2013 (Spanish)
  12. ↑ Club Brugge vraagt licentie voor keeperstrainer (41) (Club Brugge requests licence for goalkeeper trainer (41)); Sporza, 18 October 2013 (Dutch)
  13. ↑ La selección aburre (National team is a bore); Mundo Deportivo, 15 November 2001 (Spanish)
  14. ↑ Poca luz para tanto estreno (Too little light for so many premieres); El País, 22 August 2002 (Spanish)

External links

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