Pau López

Pau

Personal information
Full name	Pau López Sabata
Date of birth	(1994-12-13) 13 December 1994
Place of birth	Girona, Spain
Height
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team	Espanyol
Number	13
Youth career
2007–2013	Espanyol
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2013–2014	Espanyol B	35	(0)
2014–	Espanyol	38	(0)
International career‡
2016–	Spain U21	1	(0)
2015–	Catalonia	1	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15 May 2016 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 28 March 2016

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

Pau López Sabata (born 13 December 1994), known simply as Pau, is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for RCD Espanyol as a goalkeeper.

Club career

Born in Girona, Catalonia, Pau joined RCD Espanyol's youth setup in 2007, aged 12. He made his senior debuts with the B-team in the 2013–14 season, in Segunda División B.

On 12 June 2014, Pau signed a new four-year deal with the Pericos, being also promoted to the main squad. He played his first match as a professional on 17 December, starting in a 1–0 home win against Deportivo Alavés for the campaign's Copa del Rey and being first-choice in the tournament as his team reached the semifinals for the first time in nine years.

Pau's debut in La Liga occurred on 1 February 2015, after starter Kiko Casilla was sent off in the 40th minute of the fixture at Sevilla FC for handling Iago Aspas' shot outside of the penalty area, and he conceded once in an eventual 2–3 defeat. After the latter's departure to Real Madrid in the summer, he became first-choice.

On 6 January 2016, during an away fixture against FC Barcelona for the domestic cup, Pau repeatedly stamped on Lionel Messi after the two players became entangled, in an action that eluded the referee but was caught on camera.

International career

Pau made his international debut on 26 December 2015, having a Man of the match performance for Catalonia in a 0–1 friendly loss to the Basque Country. On 28 March 2016, he played his first game with the Spanish under-21 team, in a 1–0 win against Norway at the Estadio Nueva Condomina.

On 17 May 2016, Pau and Espanyol teammate Marco Asensio were called up to the full side for an international friendly against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

External links

• Espanyol official profile (Catalan)
• Pau López profile at BDFutbol
• Pau López profile at Futbolme (Spanish)
• Pau López at Soccerway