 López returned to Spain in 2005 and went on loan to Real Betis, making his debut against Barcelona in a 2–1 win for the second leg of the Spanish Supercup.He managed to be relatively used during the season, with 25 official matches – appearing in two European competitions – and, after that, was bought in a four-year deal.In January 2007, López began a six-month loan stint with La Liga strugglers Gimnàstic de Tarragona, where he sustained a serious knee injury which would have him unregistered for almost a year, although the move was extended for 2007–08.