Espanyol owe the Old Firm a large debt of gratitude. Raul Tamudo and Ivan de la Pena could have been adversaries competing for honours with Rangers and Celtic had decisions been taken differently. A little more faith at Ibrox and Parkhead would have robbed Barcelona's second club of two of the most important contributors to its recent history.
Instead, Tamudo and De la Pena will unite their creative talents at Hampden tomorrow evening, aiming to inspire Espanyol to overcome their underdog tag in the all-Spanish UEFA Cup final against Sevilla. They have both found great success in those blue and white striped shirts, yet their arrival at Glasgow Airport yesterday afternoon could not help but stir thoughts of how their careers could have followed markedly different paths.
Tamudo's transfer to Ibrox had seemed assured after Espanyol accepted an offer worth upwards of £8m in the summer of 2000. Dick Advocaat had been a long-time admirer of the striker, then emerging as one of Spain's brightest hopes, and Tamudo arrived in Scotland buoyant at the prospect of joining a side which had won consecutive Premierleague titles. He was convinced the deal was done, with only a medical left to complete apparent formalities.
Rangers, though, became nervous. Their examinations, led by Gert Jan Goudswaard, then club doctor, prompted concerns over a knee problem, which was pretty much the last thing anyone wanted to hear after the Daniel Prodan farce. The transfer was postponed indefinitely and Tamudo sloped back to Spain bewildered by a wholly unexpected delivery of disappointment.
It was not something he was willing to accept quietly. A week later, Tamudo scored twice for Espanyol and said he would scoot a video of his performance in a FedEx package to Ibrox, marked for Advocaat's attention. The anger he felt then has since dissipated, but the 29-year-old remains adamant there was never any medical impediment to him signing for Rangers.
There are shades of John Hartson in how a forward turned down by Advocaat over such doubts went on to attain a very healthy level of potency. Now captain of Espanyol, Tamudo is closing in on the club's all-time scoring record of 111 goals.
"Yes, I remember Glasgow Rangers but it was a long time ago," said Tamudo when asked yesterday about the controversy. "I'm not sad about it any more. Now it's just a memory. It was seven years ago. I was in Glasgow and I came back the day after. I can recall that it was raining and the weather was awful.
"To be honest, I never really consider the opportunities there might have been for me at Rangers or what would have happened if I'd signed that contract. But I will tell you this. There was no injury. I had just received a kick on my knee from Pierre Wome the Cameroon defender during the Olympic final in Sydney. That was why something showed up."
Tamudo's readiness has not been questioned since. He has rarely been out of the Espanyol side in the intervening period, his consistently high standard of play elevating him to an icon in the eyes of the club's followers. Copa Del Rey trophies in 2000 and 2006 have helped cement that reputation and he will be eyed with great apprehension by Sevilla. Tamudo has already scored a goal of the season contender against the Andalusians in the current La Liga campaign.
De la Pena will be charged with supplying those opportunities from midfield. It was the financial not the physical that ended his own flirtation with taking up residency in Glasgow four years ago.
He had arrived for a trial at Celtic seeking to attain some stability in a career which threatened to self-combust. There wasn't much divinity in the history of a player once lauded as the Little Buddha after his emergence through the ranks at Barcelona. Louis van Gaal sold him to Lazio but Italy did not suit. A loan spell with Marseille followed before a similar stint with Espanyol ended with him as a free agent, albeit not one many were willing to gamble upon.
Martin O'Neill thought differently and invited him to spend a week training at Barrowfield. A contract offer apparently followed but De la Pena, who had also been attracting interest from the cash wells of Qatar, wanted more money. Celtic were not willing to expand the package for someone whose attitude had been extensively questioned.
"At one point, it looked certain I would sign for Celtic," said De la Pena.
"I was there for a while and it looked good.
"But it wasn't possible because of the finances. I had other offers from Europe and Qatar, although I would definitely have moved to Scotland to join a big club like Celtic if it had all worked out."
Eventually, he returned to Espanyol and has since attained a far greater consistency and responsibility within his football. Watching De la Pena and Tamudo at Hampden may raise a few wistful sighs from observers with allegiances to either side of Glasgow's great divide.
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