Lisandro Lopez Reveals He Was 'Disappointed' Not To Make Premier League Move

15 November 2018 20:50

Former Lyon and Porto striker Lisandro Lopez has opened up about his time in Europe, expressing his disappointment at not being afforded the opportunity to play in the Premier League. The 35-year-old, who now plays in his native Argentina for Racing Club, has suggested that his experience in Europe put him off from making a return to play in the continent. 

Lopez made a name for himself in Europe with Porto to begin with, scoring 63 goals in 142 appearances for the Portuguese giants - including winning the Portuguese golden boot in the 2007/08 season. He moved to Lyon and scored 82 goals in 168 games, but his deteriorating relationship with then-manager Remi Garde put a premature end to his career in Europe. 

Olympique Lyonnais v AS Saint-Etienne - Ligue 1

“After three years and nearly 80 goals, the manager (Rémi Garde) decided to play me on the left and Gomis up top, ​Lacazette on the right and Grenier or Gourcuff behind. I wasn’t happy," said Lopez, as reported by ​Identidad Racinguista.


"After six months, I gave him the captain’s armband and said I’d rather be a sub than play in that role. At the end of the season I had the chance to go to ​Juventus, but the chairman refused."


Lopez's frustrations culminated with a failed transfer to Andre Villas Boas' ​Tottenham, and a bid from ​Chelsea that the striker wasn't even told about. 

Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool - Premier League

“A week from the end of the transfer window, Villas-Boas called me to play for Tottenham. We agreed everything, and the chairman again shut the door. That’s when I learnt that AVB had made an offer for me with Chelsea, but no one ever told me. I was so disappointed that I promised myself to never play in Europe again.”

Lopez left Lyon in 2013 and, following a brief stint in Qatar, he returned to boyhood club Racing in Argentina. Tottenham instead signed Roberto Soldado, who never found his feet at White Hart Lane. Perhaps Lopez would've fared better in North London. 

Source: 90min