1. Overview
Roberto López Ufarte, affectionately known as "The Little Devil," is a Spanish former professional footballer who primarily played as a forward. His career spanned 15 years, with the majority of his time, 12 seasons, spent at Real Sociedad. During his tenure with Real Sociedad, he achieved significant success, including winning two consecutive La Liga championships, the Copa del Rey, and the Supercopa de España. Beyond Real Sociedad, he also represented Atlético Madrid and Real Betis in top-flight Spanish football, accumulating a total of 418 appearances and 111 goals in the Spanish league competition throughout his career. López Ufarte also earned 15 caps for the Spain national football team, notably participating in the 1982 FIFA World Cup held in his home country.
2. Early life and career background
Roberto López Ufarte was born on April 19, 1958, in Fes, Morocco. His parents, hailing from the Andalusia and Catalonia regions of Spain, had moved abroad in 1944 in search of work during the Second World War. When López Ufarte was eight years old, his family returned to Spain, settling in Irun, a town in the Basque Country. He began his footballing journey at the local club, Real Unión, joining its youth academy. He later made his debut for Real Unión's first team during the 1974-75 season.
3. Club career
Roberto López Ufarte's professional club career was marked by significant spells at Real Sociedad, followed by moves to Atlético Madrid and Real Betis before his retirement.
3.1. Youth and early career
After developing his skills at the youth system of Real Unión, Roberto López Ufarte signed with Real Sociedad, the largest club in the Gipuzkoa province, in 1975. He made his debut in La Liga during the 1975-76 season, at the remarkably young age of 17. His first appearance in the competition was on November 30, 1975, in a 2-0 away loss against Athletic Bilbao in the Basque derby. From that point onward, he quickly established himself as a vital member of the Real Sociedad first team.
3.2. Real Sociedad
López Ufarte spent 12 seasons with Real Sociedad, a period that constituted the most significant phase of his career. He was an integral part of the team that achieved back-to-back La Liga titles in the 1980-81 and 1981-82 seasons. During these two championship-winning campaigns, he played in 63 matches and scored 16 goals. His success with the Txuriurdin also extended to cup competitions. In 1983, Real Sociedad won the Supercopa de España. He further contributed to the club's success by winning the Copa del Rey in the 1986-87 season, where he scored 10 goals in 33 league appearances. Overall, during his time at Real Sociedad, López Ufarte made 474 official appearances and scored 129 goals.
3.3. Atlético Madrid and Real Betis
In 1987, after a strong final season with Real Sociedad, Roberto López Ufarte moved to Atlético Madrid. He spent one season with the Madrid-based club, making 27 appearances and scoring 7 goals, helping the team secure a third-place finish in the league during the 1987-88 season. At the age of 30, in 1988, López Ufarte transferred to Real Betis. His time at Real Betis was marred by persistent knee injuries, which significantly impacted his playing ability. He made 28 appearances and scored 3 goals for Betis. His career concluded at 31 years old in 1989, as his team was relegated to the Segunda División at the end of the 1988-89 season. Across his career in the Spanish top flight, López Ufarte amassed a total of 418 matches and 111 goals.
4. International career
Roberto López Ufarte represented Spain at various youth and senior levels, earning 15 caps for the senior national team over five years and scoring 5 goals. He stands as one of the notable players born outside of Spain to have played for the national team.
His international career began earlier at the youth level, where he played for the Spain U-18 team from 1975 to 1976, earning 10 caps and scoring 4 goals. He also appeared for the Spain U-21 team from 1976 to 1977, with 3 caps and no goals.
López Ufarte made his debut for the senior Spain national team on September 21, 1977, in a friendly match against Switzerland. He marked his debut with a goal, contributing to Spain's 2-1 victory. He achieved a brace on October 14, 1981, against Luxembourg.
He appeared for the nation at the 1982 FIFA World Cup, which was hosted on home soil. During the tournament, he scored a goal against Honduras in a match that ended in a 1-1 draw. His final match for the national team was during the second group stage of the 1982 World Cup, a 1-2 loss against West Germany.
4.1. International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 21 September 1977 | Wankdorf, Bern, Switzerland | Switzerland | 1-2 | 1-2 | Friendly |
| 2. | 14 October 1981 | Luis Casanova, Valencia, Spain | Luxembourg | 1-0 | 3-0 | Friendly |
| 3. | 14 October 1981 | Luis Casanova, Valencia, Spain | Luxembourg | 3-0 | 3-0 | Friendly |
| 4. | 18 November 1981 | Stadion ŁKS, Łódź, Poland | Poland | 0-1 | 2-3 | Friendly |
| 5. | 16 June 1982 | Luis Casanova, Valencia, Spain | Honduras | 1-1 | 1-1 | 1982 FIFA World Cup |
5. Post-playing career
After retiring from professional football in 1989, Roberto López Ufarte transitioned into coaching and administrative roles. He served as an assistant manager for several coaches at his first professional club, Real Sociedad. Later, he returned to his original club, Real Unión, where he took on the role of director of football.
6. Honours
Real Sociedad
- La Liga: 1980-81, 1981-82
- Copa del Rey: 1986-87
- Supercopa de España: 1983