Raúl Tamudo

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Tamudo and the second or maternal family name is Montero.
Raúl Tamudo
Tamudo with Sabadell in 2014
Personal information
Full name Raúl Tamudo Montero
Date of birth (1977-10-19) 19 October 1977 (age 47)
Place of birth Santa Coloma, Spain
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Striker
Youth career
Fórum
Gramenet
1992–1996 Espanyol
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1996–1998 Espanyol B 46 (20)
1997–2010 Espanyol 340 (129)
1998 → Alavés (loan) 6 (0)
1999 → Lleida (loan) 14 (5)
2010–2011 Real Sociedad 31 (7)
2011–2012 Rayo Vallecano 32 (9)
2012 Pachuca 9 (0)
2013 Rayo Vallecano 4 (1)
2013–2015 Sabadell 32 (8)
Total 514 (179)
International career
1997 Spain U20 1 (0)
1998–2000 Spain U21 11 (5)
2000 Spain U23 6 (1)
2000–2007 Spain 13 (5)
1998–2000 Catalonia 2 (1)
Medal record
Representing  Spain
Men's football
Summer Olympics
Silver medal – second place 2000 Sydney Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Raúl Tamudo Montero (born 19 October 1977) is a Spanish retired professional footballer who played as a striker.

An icon at Espanyol, he captained the club for almost a decade, playing nearly 400 official games, winning two Copa del Rey and being their all-time top goal scorer with 140 goals.[1]

He amassed La Liga totals of 407 matches and 146 goals over 17 seasons, also representing Real Sociedad and Rayo Vallecano in the competition.

Club career

Espanyol

Born in Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Barcelona, Catalonia, Tamudo was a product of Espanyol's youth ranks who bought him from local Gramenet for six footballs,[2] and he served two Segunda División six-month loans before finally settling in 1999–2000. From there on he became an undisputed starter for the team, never scoring in single digits during nine La Liga seasons and helping the Pericos to two Copa del Rey trophies: in the 2000 final against Atlético Madrid, he netted by stealing the ball from goalkeeper Toni Jiménez with his head;[3] he also played a vital role in the 2006 edition, scoring in the second minute of the match and subsequently assisting Luis García on the second goal.[4]

Tamudo was close to signing with Rangers in 2000,[5] only to see the move fail at the last minute due to a failed medical. Two days later, he scored once in the UEFA Cup match against Grazer AK (4–0 home win, 4–1 aggregate).[6]

On the last matchday of the 2006–07 campaign, Tamudo reached 112 goals scored in the first division, making him the top all-time scorer for Espanyol:[7] his brace in the 2–2 away draw against city rivals Barcelona on 9 June 2007 took him past former Blanquiazul star Marañón's 1983 record of 111, and allowed Real Madrid to clinch the league title.[8] In that year's UEFA Cup, he contributed with two goals in seven games to the side's runner-up campaign which ended at the hands of fellow league side Sevilla and, merely four months after that match, he struck three minutes from time to give Espanyol a 3–2 win at the same rival.[9]

Some injury problems[10][11] and loss of form limited Tamudo in the following two seasons, and he lost the starting job midway through 2008–09 to newly signed Uruguayan Iván Alonso; however, in the last matchday, he scored three past Málaga in a 3–0 home success – which was good enough for leading the team in goals once again, at six – being replaced to a standing ovation.[12]

2009–10 was nothing short of disastrous for Tamudo, in sporting terms: again, he struggled with some injuries, was ostracised by manager and former teammate Mauricio Pochettino, who also deprived him of his captain armband during preseason, in favour of club youth graduate Daniel Jarque,[13] and confronted the board of directors over contractual issues;[14] his status was further diminished in the January transfer window, with the signing of another Argentine, Dani Osvaldo,[15] and he eventually finished the campaign with only six league games and no goals.[16]

Later years

In early August 2010, at nearly 33, Tamudo signed a one-year contract with Real Sociedad, who returned to the top division after a three-year absence. He scored three times in his first four official appearances, but the Basques only collected one point, losing against Real Madrid (1–2, home)[17] and CA Osasuna (1–3).[18]

Tamudo playing for Rayo in his return to the Cornellà-El Prat Stadium (11 March 2012).

On 26 August 2011, Tamudo moved to Rayo Vallecano on a one-year deal,[19] freshly promoted to the top level. He was a starter throughout most of his first season, notably scoring against his main club Espanyol but in a 5–1 away loss;[20] on 13 May 2012, he was brought from the bench to net the game's only goal in the 90th minute at home against Granada in the last matchday, with the Madrid outskirts team finally avoiding relegation at the expense of Villarreal.[21]

Tamudo moved abroad for the first time at the age of 34, joining Mexico's Pachuca on 14 June 2012.[22] On 11 December, after failing to find the net, he was released,[23] returning to his country and Rayo on the last day of the January transfer window.[24]

Tamudo scored in only his second match in his second spell, not being able however to prevent a 3–1 loss at Barcelona on 17 March 2013.[25] In the subsequent off-season, he signed for one year with second-level side Sabadell.[26]

At the start of the 2014–15 campaign, Tamudo netted four times in the first six league games, helping his team to the tenth place in the table. However, during training in October, he suffered an internal meniscus injury to his right knee, going on to be sidelined for several months and being deemed surplus to requirements when he returned to full fitness;[27][28] Sabadell returned to Segunda División B, and he announced his retirement on 5 September 2015 at the age of 37.[29]

In December 2022, it was announced that Tamudo, along with other renowned retired footballers, would participate in the Kings League, a seven-a-side football league organised by different internet personalities such as Ibai Llanos or TheGrefg, as well as former football players such as Gerard Piqué or Iker Casillas. In January 2023 he made his debut in Ibai Llanos' team Porcinos FC, being the star of the team together with the Mexican Javier Hernández.[30]

International career

A full international since 16 August 2000 (Germany-Spain, 4–1 loss),[31] Tamudo returned to the lineup after a two-year absence to score a vital goal in a 3–1 UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier away win against Denmark on 13 October 2007. Incidentally, Espanyol teammate Albert Riera also scored.[32][33] He played a total of 13 games with the Spain national team, in which he scored 5 goals.[34]

Previously, Tamudo was part of Spain's silver medal-winning team at the 2000 Summer Olympics, netting in the semi-final match against the United States.[35]

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition[36][37]
Club Season League National cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Espanyol 1996–97 La Liga 10 2 — — — 10 2
1997–98 La Liga 4 0 1 0 — — 5 0
1998–99 La Liga 19 8 3 0 6[a] 2 — 28 10
1999–00 La Liga 34 10 6 1 — — 40 11
2000–01 La Liga 30 11 5 1 3[b] 1 2[c] 0 40 13
2001–02 La Liga 35 17 1 0 — — 36 17
2002–03 La Liga 29 10 1 0 — — 30 10
2003–04 La Liga 32 19 0 0 — — 32 19
2004–05 La Liga 30 11 1 0 — — 32 11
2005–06 La Liga 29 10 3 1 4[b] 2 — 36 13
2006–07 La Liga 31 15 0 0 7[b] 2 1[c] 0 39 17
2007–08 La Liga 25 10 4 1 — — 29 11
2008–09 La Liga 26 6 0 0 — — 26 6
2009–10 La Liga 6 0 1 0 — — 7 0
Total 340 129 26 4 20 7 3 0 389 140
Alavés 1997–98 Segunda División 6 0 4 0 — — 10 0
Lleida 1998–99 Segunda División 14 5 4 1 — — 18 6
Real Sociedad 2010–11 La Liga 31 7 0 0 — — 31 7
Rayo Vallecano 2011–12 La Liga 32 9 1 1 — — 33 10
Pachuca 2012–13 Liga MX 9 0 2 0 — — 11 0
Rayo Vallecano 2012–13 La Liga 4 1 0 0 — — 4 1
Sabadell 2013–14 Segunda División 26 4 0 0 — — 26 4
2014–15 Segunda División 6 4 0 0 — — 6 4
Career total 468 159 37 6 20 7 3 0 528 172
  1. ^ Appearances in UEFA Intertoto Cup
  2. ^ a b c Appearances in UEFA Cup
  3. ^ a b Appearances in Supercopa de España

International

Scores and results list Spain's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Tamudo goal.
List of international goals scored by Raúl Tamudo
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 21 August 2002 Ferenc Puskás, Budapest, Hungary  Hungary 1–0 1–1 Friendly
2 18 August 2004 Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, Spain  Venezuela 2–1 3–2 Friendly
3 3–1
4 3 September 2005 El Sardinero, Santander, Spain  Canada 1–0 2–1 Friendly
5 13 October 2007 NRGi Park, Aarhus, Denmark  Denmark 1–0 3–1 Euro 2008 qualifying

Honours

Espanyol

Spain U23

See also

References

  1. ^ El mito (The myth); Hall of Fame Perico, 3 June 2009 (in Spanish)
  2. ^ "Manel Casanova, el hombre que compró a Tamudo por seis balones" [Manel Casanova, the man who bought Tamudo for six footballs] (in Spanish). ABC. 8 August 2017. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  3. ^ Toni se reencuentra con Tamudo (Toni meets Tamudo again); El País, 19 January 2003 (in Spanish)
  4. ^ "¡Increíble Espanyol!" [Incredible Espanyol!]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 13 April 2006. Retrieved 6 March 2014.
  5. ^ Keeper in, Tamudo out at Ibrox; BBC Sport, 21 October 2000
  6. ^ El Espanyol resuelve en Montjuïc, y el Alavés en Noruega (Espanyol get job done at Montjuïc, and Alavés in Norway); El País, 27 October 2000 (in Spanish)
  7. ^ "Raúl, the best player in Espanyol's history". Ultra UTD. 24 October 2021. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  8. ^ "Tamudo: ¡el polvo del siglo!" [Tamudo: the shag of the century!] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 10 June 2007. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  9. ^ Tamudo goal banishes Glasgow memory; UEFA, 25 September 2007
  10. ^ Tamudo blow for high-flying Espanyol; UEFA, 23 January 2008
  11. ^ Tamudo blow leaves Espanyol reeling; UEFA, 4 December 2008
  12. ^ Espanyol 3–0 Málaga Archived 26 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine; ESPN Soccernet, 31 May 2009
  13. ^ "Tamudo deja de ser el capitán del Espanyol" [Tamudo is no longer Espanyol's captain] (in Spanish). Marca. 18 July 2009. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
  14. ^ Tamudo: "Estoy muy, muy, muy indignado con el club. No merezco el trato recibido" (Tamudo: "I am most, most, most outraged with the club. I don't deserve this treatment"); Marca, 15 October 2009 (in Spanish)
  15. ^ "Pochettino quiere dar minutos a Osvaldo ante Osasuna" [Pochettino wants to give minutes to Osvaldo against Osasuna] (in Spanish). El Mundo. 15 January 2010. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
  16. ^ "Pochettino se llevará a Tamudo a Tenerife" [Pochettino will take Tamudo to Tenerife] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 11 March 2010. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  17. ^ Ronaldo saves Real Archived 24 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine; ESPN Soccernet, 18 September 2010
  18. ^ Maiden win for Osasuna Archived 24 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine; ESPN Soccernet, 21 September 2010
  19. ^ Vallecano take Tamudo; Sky Sports, 26 August 2011
  20. ^ "Uche shoots down Rayo". ESPN Soccernet. 11 March 2012. Archived from the original on 16 July 2012. Retrieved 13 March 2012.
  21. ^ "Rayo survive at the death". ESPN Soccernet. 13 May 2012. Archived from the original on 14 July 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
  22. ^ Hugo Sánchez ficha a Raúl Tamudo (Hugo Sánchez signs Raúl Tamudo); Marca, 14 June 2012 (in Spanish)
  23. ^ El Pachuca de México prescinde del delantero Raúl Tamudo (Pachuca of Mexico release forward Raúl Tamudo); 20 minutos, 11 December 2012 (in Spanish)
  24. ^ Raul Tamudo re-joins Rayo Vallecano; Football España, 31 January 2013
  25. ^ "Vallecano can't handle Barca". ESPN FC. 17 March 2013. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
  26. ^ "Tamudo ficha por el Sabadell" [Tamudo ficha por el Sabadell]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 2 September 2013. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  27. ^ "Raúl Tamudo se someterá a una artroscopia" [Raúl Tamudo to undergo arthroscopy] (in Spanish). CE Sabadell. 23 October 2014. Retrieved 5 September 2015.[permanent dead link‍]
  28. ^ "Tamudo, desaparecido del Sabadell" [Tamudo, missing at Sabadell] (in Spanish). 100X100 Fan. 14 April 2015. Archived from the original on 5 August 2015. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  29. ^ "Tamudo anuncia su retirada" [Tamudo announces retirement] (in Spanish). ABC. 5 September 2015. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  30. ^ "Así fue el debut de Raúl Tamudo y Chicharito Hernández en la Kings League". Marca (in Spanish). 2 January 2023. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
  31. ^ Desastre (Disaster); Mundo Deportivo, 17 August 2000 (in Spanish)
  32. ^ España sale del túnel tras su triunfo en Dinamarca (1–3) (Spain exit tunnel after win in Denmark (1–3)); 20 minutos, 13 October 2007 (in Spanish)
  33. ^ Espanyol fly flag for Spain; UEFA, 15 October 2007
  34. ^ "Raúl Tamudo's international career". Top Scorer. 15 December 2020. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  35. ^ "Sidney 2000: Oro negro" [Sidney 2000: Black gold] (in Spanish). Recuerdos de Nigeria. 26 May 2009. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
  36. ^ "Tamudo: Raúl Tamudo Montero". BDFutbol. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  37. ^ "Raúl Tamudo". Soccerway. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
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