Espanyol vs Real Sociedad preview - Mixed feelings for Tamudo
Posted Saturday, February 26, 2011 by PA
Raul Tamudo admits the sensations will be strange as he returns to Barcelona for the first time since leaving former club Espanyol to sign for Real Sociedad in the summer.
Tamudo spent his entire career at Espanyol before being frozen out at the Catalan club last season.
The striker is the club's all-time leading scorer, with 129 goals, and is the only Espanyol player to have represented the club in all three of their stadiums.
However, he was unable to score at Cornella-El Prat in a disappointing last season at the club, but will now have another chance.
But the 33-year-old - who has scored winners in 1-0 victories over Osasuna and Mallorca in the last two league games - will be respectful to the fans who idolised him for more than a decade if he finds the net.
"I hope I can keep my run going and help the team," he said. "But I won't celebrate it. The Espanyol fans were there for me in the good times and in the bad."
Tamudo is likely to receive a rapturous welcome from those fans and says the game will be a special one for him.
"I have been there for (virtually) my whole life and I always felt loved by the Espanyol fans," he said. "It will be special."
Espanyol coach Mauricio Pochettino also expects a warm welcome for his former team-mate and player.
"Tamudo is one of their idols and they will receive him with a big applause," he said today. "It's special for everyone and it will be strange to see him wearing a different shirt."
Young Espanyol striker Alvaro Vazquez admits Tamudo was a big influence on him as he progressed through the youth ranks.
"It will be special to see Tamudo," he said. "I have watched him from a young age and he was a point of reference for me. I always looked up to him.
"All of Tamudo's goals were important for Espanyol."
A Tamudo strike tomorrow and a win for Real would see the Basque side go level on points with Espanyol.
"If we could win there, we would go level with Espanyol and that moves us closer to our final objective (of qualifying for Europe)," Tamudo said.
The immediate objective for Espanyol, in the meantime at least, is to end their four-match losing streak.
"Tamudo's return won't cause us an added stress, we just want to get back to winning ways after four defeats in a row," Pochettino said.
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