Club legend · Forward
Adrián López Atlético Madrid profile, career and honours
The free transfer that kept paying out
Few signings in modern Atlético Madrid history cost so little and returned so much. Adrián López arrived in the summer of 2011 without a transfer fee, released from his Deportivo La Coruña contract after the Galician club dropped out of Primera. Within a year he had a European trophy. Within three he was a Spanish champion.
The Asturian, born in the mountain town of Teverga, had built his reputation at Riazor as a mobile, intelligent forward who worked the channels rather than living purely in the box. At Atlético he found the perfect setting for that profile. First under Gregorio Manzano and then, from December 2011, under Diego Simeone, Adrián was asked to run for the team, press defenders and link play around Radamel Falcao. He did all of it, and still found time to score.
His first season was his best in front of goal. He reached nine goals in La Liga in 2011–12 and added decisive contributions in Europe. The one supporters remember most came at Mestalla in the Europa League semi-final, where his goal settled the second leg against Valencia and sent Atlético to Bucharest. In the final he started up front as Athletic Club were beaten 3-0, Falcao scoring twice and Diego adding the third. Adrián did not get on the scoresheet that night, but the run does not happen without him.
Team sheet
Adrián scored the goal at Mestalla that won the 2012 Europa League semi-final second leg against Valencia, the result that booked the final in Bucharest.
Medals kept coming
August 2012 brought the UEFA Super Cup, a 4-1 dismantling of Chelsea in Monaco. The following May, Atlético beat Real Madrid 2-1 after extra time at the Bernabéu to win the Copa del Rey, ending a run of derby defeats that had stretched back fourteen years. Adrián was part of that squad too, even as his starting minutes began to shrink.
The arrival of Diego Costa’s peak form and David Villa in 2013 pushed him further down the order. He played nineteen league matches in 2013–14, scoring twice, and agreed a free transfer to Porto announced in the spring while the title race was still alive. He left the Vicente Calderón as a champion, a member of the squad that took La Liga to the final day and clinched it with the 1-1 draw at Camp Nou.
For supporters, the affection was real. He was the sort of forward Atlético crowds have always valued, honest in his running, unselfish around better-paid teammates, and reliable on the biggest away nights. That he cost nothing only sharpened the appreciation. His story sits naturally alongside the other names on the legends page, and the trophies he helped win are covered in detail in the honours section.
After Atlético
Porto never quite worked out. Injuries interrupted his rhythm and loan spells at Villarreal and back at Deportivo followed before he returned to Spain permanently with Osasuna in 2019, playing his final seasons in Pamplona. At international level his peak came in 2011, when he finished as top scorer of the European Under-21 Championship that Spain won in Denmark.
His Atlético years overlap with the most storied stretch in the club’s recent past, the foundation seasons of the Simeone era described in the club history. Match reports and transfer stories from that period are preserved in the news archive.
Career at a glance
| Spell | Years | Notes | Spell | Years | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deportivo La Coruña | 2006–2011 | Emerged at Riazor, left on a free after relegation | |||
| Atlético Madrid | 2011–2014 | Four trophies; scored in the 2012 Europa League semi-final | |||
| Porto | 2014–2019 | Loan spells at Villarreal and Deportivo | |||
| Osasuna | 2019–2021 | Final seasons back in Primera |
Adrián López FAQ
What did Adrián López win at Atlético Madrid?
Four major trophies: the 2011–12 Europa League, the 2012 UEFA Super Cup, the 2012–13 Copa del Rey and the 2013–14 La Liga title.
Did Adrián López score in the 2012 Europa League final?
No. He started the 3-0 win over Athletic Club in Bucharest, but the goals came from Radamel Falcao, who scored twice, and Diego. Adrián's decisive contribution in that run was his semi-final goal against Valencia at Mestalla.
Why did Adrián López leave Atlético in 2014?
His minutes had fallen sharply behind Diego Costa and David Villa, and he agreed a free transfer to Porto that was announced before the 2013–14 title was sealed. He still left as a La Liga champion.
Where did Adrián López play before Atlético?
He came through at Deportivo La Coruña and joined Atlético on a free transfer in the summer of 2011 after Deportivo were relegated from Primera.