Walter Alberto López

Walter Alberto López Gasco (born 15 October 1985) is a Uruguayan footballer who currently plays for Italian club Salernitana in defence or midfield.

This article uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is López and the second or maternal family name is Gasco.
Walter López
López at West Ham United in 2009
Personal information
Full name Walter Alberto López Gasco
Date of birth (1985-10-15) 15 October 1985
Place of birth Montevideo, Uruguay
Height 1.82 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in)
Playing position(s) Left back
Club information
Current team
 Salernitana
Number 3
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2003 Racing Club 0 (0)
2004 San Martín de Tucumán 0 (0)
2005–2006 River Plate Montevideo 41 (4)
2007 → Xerez (loan) 10 (0)
2007 → Tecos (loan) 4 (0)
2008–2009 West Ham United 5 (0)
2009–2011 Cerro 0 (0)
2009–2010 → Brescia (loan) 30 (1)
2010 → Universitatea Craiova (loan) 0 (0)
2011 Universitatea Craiova 4 (0)
2011–2013 Peñarol 16 (2)
2012 → Cerro Porteño (loan) 29 (4)
2013–2015 Lecce 60 (2)
2015 Sol de América 21 (1)
2016–2017 Benevento 45 (1)
2017–2018 Spezia 38 (2)
2018–2019 Ternana 19 (2)
2019– Salernitana 13 (0)
National team
2006 Uruguay 3 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 20:47, 14 May 2019 (UTC)

Career

Born in Montevideo, López began his career at hometown club Racing Club and spent time in Argentina with San Martín de Tucumán, before moving to Uruguayan Primera División side River Plate Montevideo in 2005. While registered to the club, he spent time on loan in Spain, with Xerez, and in Mexico, with Tecos.[1][2]

He signed for West Ham United on 5 September 2008. On joining West Ham he was described by caretaker manager Kevin Keen as "a very attacking full-back who can get forward. Like David Di Michele, he is another West Ham-type player who will hopefully show everyone at the club what he can do". Michele had been signed by the club on loan around the same time.[3] López made his debut for West Ham United in a League Cup third round tie, playing the full game in an away defeat at Watford on 23 September 2008.[4] He made his Premier League debut as a late substitute in West Ham's 1–0 win over Manchester City on 1 March 2009.[5][6]

López failed to cement a place in the first team due to the presence of Congolese international Hérita Ilunga and, having made five substitute Premier League appearances, was subsequently released by West Ham at the end of the 2008–09 season.[6][7] He returned to Uruguay and signed for Primera División side Cerro. He was then loaned to Brescia of Italy's Serie B.[8] He managed one goal for the Italians, his first outside of South America, in 29 appearances.

In the summer of 2010, López was loaned to Romanian Liga 1 side FC Universitatea Craiova. After a six-month loan, at the start of 2011, the club decided to buy the player and López signed a contract for three years.[9]

In July 2011, López moved back to Uruguay and joined Peñarol. While signed to the club, he spent time on loan at Paraguayan club Cerro Porteño in 2012.[10]

In March 2013, he was arrested and sentenced to 90 days of community service for "crime simulation", after setting fire to his truck and reporting it stolen in order to claim insurance money.[11][12]

López left Peñarol in September 2013, moving back to Italy to join Serie C club Lecce.[13] After two seasons, he moved once again to Paraguay and joined Sol de América. A further spell in Italy followed, firstly with Campania club Benevento, before moving to Spezia in Liguria in August 2017.[1][14] On 19 July 2018, he signed a two-year contract with another Serie C club Ternana.[15]

On 31 January 2019, he moved to Serie B club Salernitana.[16]

López also holds a Spanish passport.[17]

International career

López made three appearances for Uruguay in 2006.[18]

Honours
Cerro Porteño
Peñarol

References
  1. "Walter Alberto Lopez". BDFA. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  2. "Walter Lopez". soccerstand.com. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  3. "Hammers snap up Lopez". Sky Sports. 5 September 2008. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  4. "Watford 1-0 West Ham". BBC Sport. 23 September 2008.
  5. "West Ham 1-0 Man City". BBC Sport. 1 March 2009.
  6. "Walter Lopez". westhamstats.info. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  7. "Summer squad latest". West Ham United FC. Archived from the original on 11 June 2009.
  8. "Dal West Ham arriva l'uruguaiano Lopez". Archived from the original on 11 March 2012.
  9. "Walter Lopez, DEFINITIV la Craiova". digisport.ro (in Romanian). 18 January 2011. Retrieved 27 February 2011.
  10. "Walter López deja Peñarol" [Walter Lopez leaves Peñarol]. espectador.com (in Spanish). 23 January 2012. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
  11. ""Zurdo" López fue procesado sin prisión por simular delito" ["Lefty" Lopez was indicted without detention for feigning offence]. El Observador (in Spanish). 6 March 2013. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
  12. "Walter López fue procesado" [Walter Lopez prosecuted] (in Spanish). 6 March 2013. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
  13. "Walter López, nuevo jugador de Lecce" [Walter Lopez, new player of Lecce]. futbol.com.uy (in Spanish). Montevideo COMM. 19 September 2013. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
  14. "Biennale per Walter Lopez, un altro uruguaiano per lo Spezia" (in Italian). 11 August 2017. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
  15. "Dallo Spezia Calcio arriva a titolo definitivo Walter Lopez" (in Italian). Ternana Calcio. 19 July 2018.
  16. "Walter Lopez è un giocatore della Salernitana. Castiglia alla Ternana" (in Italian). Salernitana. 31 January 2019.
  17. "Lopez si allena con la prima squadra" (in Italian). bresciaonline.it. 5 August 2009.
  18. "Walter Lopez". 11v11.com. Association of Football Statisticians. Retrieved 5 December 2017.
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