Ricardo
Ricardo playing for Osasuna in 2008
Personal information
Full name Ricardo López Felipe[1]
Date of birth (1971-12-30) 30 December 1971[1]
Place of birth Madrid, Spain
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 1+1⁄2 in)[1]
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Youth career
Atlético Madrid
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1990–1998 Atlético Madrid B 146 (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 440 (0)
International career
1989 Spain U18 2 (0)
2001–2002 Spain 2 (0)
Managerial career
2018 Racing Ferrol
2019 Valladolid (youth)
2021–2022 Ejea
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

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

He played 279 La Liga matches over 15 seasons, starting his career at Atlético Madrid where he struggled to break through, then representing mostly Valladolid (four seasons) and Osasuna (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 and Valladolid

Born in Madrid, Ricardo began his professional career at Atlético Madrid, working his way through the reserves and going on to represent the senior squad until 1998. Barred by José Francisco Molina, he only managed one first-team appearance which came during the 1996–97 season, in a 3–2 away win against Real Zaragoza on 2 June 1997.[2]

Subsequently, Ricardo was transferred to Real Valladolid, also in La Liga. He spent four years at the club, becoming first-choice in the 2001–02 campaign (all 38 matches played) while also being selected as a member of the Spanish squad for the 2002 World Cup, though he did not play in the finals.[3]

Manchester United

On 30 August 2002, Ricardo joined English club Manchester United in a three-year deal worth £1.5 million.[4] Signed to provide cover for the injured Fabien Barthez and the inexperienced Roy Carroll, he found first-team opportunities rare, appearing in four UEFA Champions League matches and just once in the Premier League. He marked his only appearance in the latter competition, against Blackburn Rovers on 19 April 2003, by conceding a penalty with his first touch after he fouled Andy Cole, but saved David Dunn's attempt in an eventual 3–1 victory.[5][6]

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."[7]

After helping Racing narrowly 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.[8]

Osasuna

Ricardo was eventually released by the club on a free transfer, at the end of 2004–05.[8] Subsequently, he signed for CA Osasuna on a two-year deal,[9] quickly becoming the Navarrese side's first-choice and totalling over 100 league appearances in his first three seasons; he also helped them reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup in his second year by contributing 12 matches,[10] but lost his job midway through 2008–09 to newly signed Roberto.[11]

Ricardo regained his first-choice status in the following top-division campaigns,[12] 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 as low as third-string.[13][14]

Ricardo came out of retirement in January 2013 to rejoin Osasuna as an emergency signing, after backup goalkeeper Asier Riesgo suffered a foot injury.[15] At 41, he was the second-oldest player in the history of the Spanish top flight, surpassed only by 48-year-old Harry Lowe of Real Sociedad in 1935.[16] His only game of this spell was a 15-minute cameo in the final fixture, a 4–2 loss at Real Madrid in which he conceded the last goal.[17]

Ricardo quit the game for good at the end of the campaign, stating "I don't quit football, football quits me".[18]

Coaching

Recommended by head coach Juan Carlos Garrido, Ricardo joined Belgium's Club Brugge KV in June 2013 as a goalkeeping coach. Near the end of October, a player licence was sought out for him as both the second and third goalkeeper were unavailable due to injury;[19] over three years and starting in July 2014, he worked in the same capacity with the Japan national team[20] and Arsenal's academy in that Asian country.[21]

On 2 January 2018, Ricardo was appointed head coach of Segunda División B side Racing de Ferrol.[22] On 13 June 2019, he was named manager of former club Valladolid's under-19s.[23]

Ricardo became manager of SD Ejea in the newly formed Segunda División RFEF on 21 October 2021.[24] After ten matches and only one win, he was dismissed.[25]

International career

Ricardo played twice for Spain, his debut coming on 14 November 2001 in a friendly with Mexico.[26] 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.[27]

Ricardo was selected for the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Japan and South Korea.[28]

Honours

Atlético Madrid

References

  1. 1 2 3 Ricardo at AS.com (in Spanish)
  2. ↑ Andrés, Mariano (3 June 1997). "El Atleti muestra su ambición" [Atleti show their ambition]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  3. ↑ Arilla, Alberto (27 January 2022). "Ricardo López: "El Manchester United es lo que es gracias a Ferguson"" [Ricardo López: "Manchester United is what it is thanks to Ferguson"] (in Spanish). Box to Box. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  4. ↑ "Ricardo signs for Man Utd". BBC Sport. 30 August 2002. Retrieved 20 January 2010.
  5. ↑ "Scholes sinks Rovers". BBC Sport. 19 April 2003. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
  6. ↑ "Manchester United goalkeepers between Peter Schmeichel and Edwin van der Sar". The Daily Telegraph. 27 January 2011. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
  7. ↑ "United keeper Ricardo says move to Santander is no step down". Sports Illustrated. 24 August 2003. Retrieved 21 November 2007.
  8. 1 2 "Man. United release keepers Carroll and Ricardo". Times of Malta. 27 May 2005. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  9. ↑ "Ricardo to aid Osasuna rearguard". UEFA. 16 June 2005. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
  10. ↑ Burke, Chris (4 May 2007). "So near but so far for Ricardo". UEFA. Retrieved 22 April 2010.
  11. ↑ Martínez de Zúñiga, Uxue (29 August 2008). "Roberto: "Ricardo y yo llevamos bien la rivalidad"" [Roberto: "Ricardo and I have a quite sane rivalry"]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  12. ↑ Valenciano Andía, José Carlos (9 January 2012). "Portero a los 40" [The 40-year-old goalkeeper] (in Spanish). El Sadar. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  13. ↑ "Mendilibar sorprende con el descarte en la convocatoria de Ricardo" [Mendilibar surprises by not calling Ricardo]. Marca (in Spanish). 27 August 2011. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
  14. ↑ "Mendilibar vuelve a dejar fuera de la lista a Ricardo, Rubén y Raitala" [Mendilibar leaves Ricardo, Rubén and Raitala out of squad again]. Marca (in Spanish). 29 January 2012. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
  15. ↑ "Ricardo: "Llego con la ilusión de un chaval que sube del juvenil"" [Ricardo: "I arrive with the hunger of a youth team player"]. Marca (in Spanish). 3 January 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  16. ↑ "Valerón es el cuarto jugador más veterano en jugar en Primera" [Valerón is the fourth most veteran to play in Primera]. La Provincia (in Spanish). 13 December 2015. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  17. ↑ "Ricardo se despide como el jugador más viejo de la Liga" [Ricardo bids farewell today as La Liga's oldest player]. Hoy (in Spanish). 2 June 2013. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  18. ↑ "Ricardo López anuncia su retirada" [Ricardo López announces retirement]. Marca (in Spanish). 30 May 2013. Retrieved 30 May 2013.
  19. ↑ "Club Brugge vraagt licentie voor keeperstrainer (41)" [Club Brugge request licence for goalkeeper trainer (41)] (in Dutch). Sporza. 18 October 2013. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  20. ↑ McKirdy, Andrew (24 July 2014). "Aguirre confirmed as Japan's next manager". The Japan Times. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
  21. ↑ Gil, Dani (7 December 2017). "Entrevista MD a Ricardo López: "El Mundial juzgará si De Gea es el mejor portero del mundo"" [MD interview to Ricardo López: "The World Cup will judge if De Gea is the world's best goalkeeper"]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 August 2019.
  22. ↑ García González, Sergio (2 January 2018). "Ricardo López nuevo entrenador del Racing de Ferrol" [Ricardo López new manager of Racing de Ferrol]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  23. ↑ "El Juvenil A, en manos de Ricardo" [Juvenil A, in Ricardo's hands] (in Spanish). Real Valladolid. 13 June 2019. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  24. ↑ "Ricardo López, nuevo entrenador del Ejea" [Ricardo López, new manager of Ejea]. Heraldo de Aragón (in Spanish). 21 October 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  25. ↑ "Ricardo López deja de ser entrenador del Ejea" [Ricardo López is no longer manager of Ejea]. Heraldo de Aragón (in Spanish). 17 January 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  26. ↑ Gascón, Javier (15 November 2001). "La selección aburre" [National team are a bore]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  27. ↑ Besa, Ramon (22 August 2002). "Poca luz para tanto estreno" [Too little light for so many premieres]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 February 2016.
  28. ↑ "Luque, novedad en la lista de Camacho para el Mundial" [Luque, novelty in Camacho's World Cup squad]. ABC (in Spanish). 13 May 2002. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
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