Tamudazo Special | The Tamudazo or the force of destiny

Nor the historical Bern end, in 1961 against Benfica by Béla Guttmann before curses and the square posts that were. Neither did two other subsequent European Cup finals. The one from 1986, in Seville, with Helmuth Duckadam as Executioner. AND that of 1994 in Athenas, already in the Champions League format, against a Milan that shattered the 'Dream Team' of Johan Cruyff. Not even the 'show' of the sprinklers after being alighted in the semifinals by Inter Milan by Jose Mourinho, a decade ago. OR 5-0 a quarter of a century ago at the Bernabéu at the hands of Jorge Valdano's Real Madrid.

Nothing of all that. To the question “Which game in Barça's history has done the most damage?“, formulated just a month ago by the program 'Tot Gira', by Catalunya Ràdio, the listeners opted mostly by one option. The previous nightmares stayed on the road, with fewer votes, and until the end came Liverpool 4-0 at Anfield last season, in the Champions League semifinals. But not even for being cooler the evening starring Divock Origi and Georginio Wijnaldum won to the most painful meeting of the azulgrana: the Tamudazo.

The devilish night of June 9, 2007 took the 62.6 percent of the votes, compared to Anfield's 37.4 percent, just as 13 years ago it had swept through a raging tornado with the illusions of a Barcelona that caressed the LaLiga titlebut who stayed at the doors after 17 seconds that as quickly as they arrived they became integrated within the milestones in football history.

In the absence of 'smartphones', curiously 20 days were left for a certain Steve Jobs to present the iPhone in the United States (invention of the year for 'Times' magazine), the most precious asset in the stands of the Camp Nou and La Romareda were the transistors lifelong. Batteries charged and the carousel started at nine o'clock at night, the time when the penultimate day began.

LaLiga was red hot, in what was considered the last chance for surprises to happen, as visiting Real Madrid at a fearsome Real Zaragoza, with tickets sold out since midweek and for the third time in the history of La Romareda, and they were also all sold in Can Barça, although 90,695 spectators ended up attending, without reaching the full, to taste a priori an affordable derby for the azulgrana against an Espanyol that did not play anything.

The classification could not be more equal, with the leading whites with 72 points, the same as Barcelona, ​​second, which he surpassed due to direct confrontations (3-3 at the Camp Nou and 2-0 at the Bernabéu). And, in case both failed, lurking with 70 units awaited an illustrious 'outsider', Sevilla, who had just won his second consecutive UEFA Cup, on May 16, against Espanyol.

The Glasgow Final had been resolved in the penaltiesjust like it would happen on Tuesday June 5 with the first derby of the week of Tamudazo, is full of substitutes and corresponding to the final of the Copa de Catalunya, who faced Barcelona and Ernesto's parakeets in Sabadell Valverde. The 'Txingurri', seeing his repeated luck and waiting to be measured again with the Catalans four days later, took a deep breath and ironized: “At least, on Saturday there will be no penalties”.

The first leg of the penultimate round, scoreless, allowed the announcers to fine-tune their throats for what was to come. And to comment, for example, on the international commitments that had preceded Zaragoza-Madrid and Barcelona-Espanyol.

In the midfield of Camp Nou, he moved the ball Xavi Hernández, who had returned prematurely from the concentration with the Spanish National Team. Yes, he had participated in the game a week before against Latvia, but He had steadfastly departed from the next, against Liechtenstein, by causing a yellow card in the 93rd minute that brought suspension. Picaresca to thoroughly prepare for a decisive day.

Although about what happened in Riga, the debate would not be in his warning, but in the way he and Carlos Puyol had folded their stockings, leaving inside the embroidery with the colors of the Spanish flag. “I've been wearing them like this for ten years,” said the midfielder.

Above, and together with Lionel Messi and Eidur Gudjohnsen, he tried in those initial minutes to create danger a Samuel Etoo that that week he had played a dinner that he scored at least one goal with a friendProbably the only culé that later that night would have something to celebrate.

Anyway, from the Catalan point of view there was another bigger news in the days before the league outcome, specifically on Thursday, which however would reach its enormous value only with time, since at that time it captured little more than brief: Pep Guardiola signed as coach of Barcelona B for the next season.

But in the minute 29 the first earthquake occurred of the night. The one who sent the first script prepared by any Barça supporter to the trash and gave the most optimistic of Madrid's followers the reason. Iván de la Peña filtered a pass between the lines to Raúl Tamudo, his inseparable partner of Espanyol's 'pencil sharpener duo', and turned the Camp Nou and LaLiga upside down.

It is true that, on paper, there was nothing at stake for a parrot that arrived safely and had no options to return to that Europe in which, despite stumbling in the final, it had not lost a single match. However, and in addition to being a derby, he was motivated. “It will be a way to honor our fans”, ventured during the week the ill-fated Dani Jarque, wanting to return to the parakeets the affection they showed the team on their desolate return from Glasgow. “Winning at the Camp Nou would be our balm”, would grant the president, Dani Sánchez Llibre.

With 0-1, the steps of LaLiga 1956-57 were also repeated, just half a century before. Identical candidates, same rivals. On that occasion, it arrived Real Madrid to the penultimate round with 40 points, two more than Barcelona. And the Whites defeated Zaragoza at home (1-2), while the Catalans succumbed against Espanyol (2-1), only in Sarrià instead of the Camp Nou, which gave the title directly to Madrid by José Vilallonga, a month and a half before also conquering the European Cup.

They believed that they had had little time to digest or taste Tamudo's 0-1 (unaware of what the evening was going to bring), when La Romareda roared twice. First, for one Iván Helguera's hand before Pablo Aimar that Alberto Undiano Mallenco quickly decreed as penalty. Then, because Diego Milito did not capsize to beat Iker Casillas. It was 32 '.

With 1-0 for Zaragoza, and even with the leading Madrid (everything was back to how it was in the beginning, both teams tied at 72 points), the overwhelming 6-1 of the previous season flew over the atmosphere in the semifinals of the Copa del Rey, which the Whites tried to amend on the return leg, at the Bernabéu (4-0), and which allowed the Blanquillos to play the final precisely in Chamartín and against Espanyol (who won 4- one).

In that 6-1, Milito he had scored a goal poker. And the other two had been the work of Ewerthon Henrique de Souza. And just that was the forward aligned by Víctor Fernández on June 9, 2007, or that it was by obligation. That Tuesday, in training, Sergio García suffered a sprain on the right knee. And it would not be the only injury for Zaragoza, since in the previous Juanfran García broke his clavicle and he was operated on urgently.

In Madrid, however, Fabio Capello could count on his gala eleven. Even with David Beckham, who forced after being the victim of a sprained left ankle during England-Estonia. And he also lined up Robson de Souza ‘Robinho’, Which came from affirming, concentrated with his selection: “I feel like a better player with Brazil than with MadridOf course, two days later, back in Spain, I would amend the plan as follows: “It will be the game of our lives“

There was also a conflict with the lineup in Barcelona, ​​since Ronaldinho Gaúcho had been sent off the previous day, against Getafe, for kicking David Belenguer. President, Joan Laporta, insisted day and night that the Spanish Sports Discipline Committee granted him the precautionary, which never came.

And it was not exempt either Espanyol to suffer considerable losses. Like Walter's Pandiani, who had been 'pichichi' of the UEFA Cup, with 11 goals. And Pablo's Shoe and David Garcia, indisputable headlines on the sides, which forced Valverde to experiment with Mari Lacruz on the right wing and Javi Chica on the left.

Everything changed on the brink of rest, in the 43rd minute. A single goal overturned LaLiga. And to millions of hearts. This time no one helped anyone. Or if. Why Messi's 1-1, which led Barcelona (73 points, for 72 of Madrid), he had scored by hand. Neither the referee, Julián Rodríguez Santiago, nor his assistant Carlos Vallés Mazariegos noticed that his 169 centimeters had anticipated Carlos Kameni's 186, not even with the angry protests of the parakeets.

His left hand advanced to reach a shot that his head did not reach evoked the Hand of God of his compatriot Diego Armando Maradona, with which he classified Argentina for the semifinals of the World Cup in Mexico-86 at anticipate Peter Shilton, England's goalkeeper, at the Azteca Stadium. Genius, mischief, mockery, lack of respect, unsportsmanlike. Everyone who chooses their label.

The only empirically demonstrable thing, apart from a hand that the VAR would have appreciated today (changing, who knows to what extent, the course of history), is that he recovered Barcelona a leadership that he had held in 23 of the 36 previous days, and that he had lost four games before, In the last minute, with a goal by Rafael Sobis for Betis at the Camp Nou (1-1). Premonitory.

Without new news coming from La Romareda, as he reiterated from the Barcelona bench Juan Antonio Ibarz, manager of material and that night also of the transistor To transmit the minute to minute to substitutes and Barça technicians, Messi would again be responsible for reaffirming the new situation of LaLiga. The new normality, as it would be said now, which was none other than confirming Barcelona in the first position.

Without a trace of controversy, in 56 'Anderson Luis de Souza' Deco 'served an inside pass for the' Flea 'to cross the ball with a 2-1 right hand that tilted the championship even further for a Barcelona that added 75 points, for 72 of Madrid.

Curiously, Messi practically fulfilled the prediction that had formulated Zabaleta in the pages of this newspaper, your compatriot, friend and parakeet: “I will tell you a result, 2-0 and wait“It wasn't 2-1, but it was like him. Or so he believed.

Meanwhile, in La Romareda, Madrid was still gripped by a Zaragoza that on the pitch had a very young 20-year-old central defender, loaned by Manchester United: Gerard Piqué. He was already pointing to ways of his discourse line when he joked: “I have not seen briefcases, but welcome they are”.

Tamudo, Messi and Milito, three of LaLiga's great gunners, had scored. But one was missing, the 'pichichi' of that championship. It was about Ruud Van Nistelrooy. The Dutchman could not be left alone, as allowed by Blanquilla in the 56 'of Zaragoza-Madrid, for him to head at pleasure before César Sánchez.

Still Barça leader, 75 points for 73, but La Romareda's 1-1 already fit more in Capello's plans. Knowing that he had not a second to lose, the Italian had been drastic in remove Raúl González and Emerson Ferreira at the break to give entry to José María Gutiérrez 'Guti' and Gonzalo Higuaín. More creativity and more air for Van Nistelrooy. Achieved.

The commitment that seven days earlier, on June 2, had sustained, was also approaching with that goal. Ramón Calderón in the Almansa cemetery. The white president visited the grave of Santiago Bernabéu on the anniversary of his death, to pay tribute to him and, among bouquets of flowers and respectful silence, aim to honor him with the league title that was yet to be settled.

However, and although the night progressed and there was half an hour left for the games to end, the LaLiga coin had only left the index finger and thumb of destiny. And Calderón, Real Madrid and Barcelona would see how in the 63rd minute Diego Milito returned to the fray with Zaragoza's 2-1, after a wonderful move by Aimar. The same protagonists of 1-0.

It should be remembered at this point that, unlike Espanyol, the blanquillos were playing no less than their qualification for the UEFA Cup. Fifth came to the day, one point above Atlético de Madrid and two over Villarreal, so a victory guaranteed them access to Europe.

As the players had reflected in the previous days. Alberto Zapater warned that “the best bonus for us will be to enter UEFA“asked about the recurring case of the briefcases.”We play all year“he emphasized Chus Herrero. In a vengeful plan, the former madridista was shown directly Carlos Diogo, by ensuring: “I have no friends in Madrid. We are going to beat them and Barcelona is going to conquer LaLiga“

AND Victor Fernandez He released a notice, almost an omen, at his press conference that Friday: “Madrid does not know what awaits himSaid and done. He was waiting for him to suffer the unspeakable to conquer the title.

Although the players of a Madrid that was dying and tended to the epic were not relegated from the battle of bombast as the final minutes of the day appeared. Sure Raul he already remembered, kneeling before the bench, his phrase from two days before: “To close mouths we have to win LaLiga“

In goal, most likely cursing his luck, Casillas he would spin his own prediction. “If we lose they'll say we're a bandhe snapped on Friday. Guti, trying to serve a pass that gave rise to the miracle, he would remember how he had predicted that Zaragoza-Madrid would be “like a Champions League finalAnd, in that sense, he was right. The finals last until the final whistle. And the game of La Romareda was at 88 '.

And who made the 2-2? Effectively, Guti matured in midfield, cunning to outline a vertical pass to uncheck Roberto Carlos, who practically from the baseline was serving an assist behind for Higuaín, who was shooting. AND Van Nistelrooy, with all the momentum, took advantage of the rebound to push the goal. Even so, Barcelona followed as leader with two more points. And there was barely time left to put the third and recover the first place. A true white agony.

The news traveled through the waves, the transistors, the headphones. Until Ibarz. Until the entire Camp Nou, which murmured. Some even looked away from the field of play to discuss with their teammate in the backyard the goal of Van Nistelrooy that once again greased the game heads and tails for LaLiga. Now everything was transferred to La Romareda, they thought, that Madrid does not get as much. Nothing is further from reality.

Those who had diverted their attention from the pitch missed one of the milestones in championship history. Exactly 17 seconds after Van Nistelrooy scored at La Romareda, Tamudo did at Camp Nou, which melted into a sepulchral silence. TO interior pass by Francisco Joaquín Pérez Rufete. With the right hand, crossing the ball to a beaten Victor Valdés. Each frame will last forever in those who lived it. 73 points for Madrid, 73 for Barça. The leadership returned to wear white.

The Barcelona supporter threw his hands to his head, astonished. A radio host was banging on the table. Undaunted like a granite statue, more than one manager reacted in the box. Thousands upon thousands of Catalans cursed their luck. AND everything that in Can Barça was dread turned into euphoria to which the Hertz arrived in Zaragoza. The Madrid bench, with Raúl on his feet instantly informed by the fans who sat in the front row, became an unexpected party. And the only feeling that was shared in both stadiums, in the houses of half the world, was that of disbelief. 17 seconds in which everything changed.

AND how Tamudo reacted, staunch rival of Barcelona? Rapt? Did it turn Olympic? Did you face the Camp Nou stalls? Nothing of that. He simply ran at a trot, kissed the shield once, twice, three, and even four times, until he met his companions.. Iván de la Peña and Ángel Martínez in the first instance. Luis García, Marc Torrejón and Chica, a few meters ahead. And so, until you grab the shield of the chest again and direct it to the sky.

I still shake I didn't know that LaLiga had just been taken from Barçamuch less that the Tamudazo had been born. But it did enter the story. In his head, he knew that He had just become Espanyol's top scorer ever in the league championship with 112 goals, for Rafa Marañón's 111.

So titled Tomás Guasch -who had foretold that week the biography of Tamudo- the chronicle of the Ace. And in English Sid Lowe translated it, 'The Fuck of the Century', so that readers of The Guardian and The Observer could also immortalize that slice of legend.

The matches at the Camp Nou and La Romareda ended, with 2-2 in both scenarios and the panorama of LaLiga the same as two hours before, but with endless emotions in the backpack of unforgettable moments. For better or worse.

“We are devastated”, acknowledged Messi. “We had the victory and the leadership in hand (never better said) and in a minute everything was lost,” lamented the Argentine. And Barcelona was not the only victim, or the only one who had not done his homework.

To all this, Sevilla had also started the day with options to conquer the title, two points from Madrid and Barça. A triple tie did not benefit those of Juande Ramos but the Capello team, but a double one with the Whites.

So i knowe even speculated on what could happen on the last day if all three sets reached the last minutes equal to points: carelessness of Barça was the dream to snatch LaLiga from the eternal rival and, as a minor evil for the Catalans, leaving it in the hands of Sevilla.

But none of this happened, because on that penultimate day, the night of the Tamudazo, Hispanics did not pass the goalless draw at the Ono Estadi. They scrapped a golden opportunity, in part for a clear penalty from Héctor Berenguel on the sadly disappeared Antonio Puerta This was overlooked by Eduardo Iturralde González, although weeks later they would receive the Copa del Rey as a consolation prize, to add to the UEFA Cup previously won against Espanyol and the European Super Cup won at the beginning of the course. There is nothing.

Precisely that European super cup, disputed in Monaco on August 25, 2006 (3-0), was the first trophy that escaped a Barcelona that went for seven titles from the hand of Joan Laporta and Frank Rijkaard, president and coach, and that he had to settle for the Spanish Super Cup, won precisely against Espanyol not without the controversial lineup in the first leg of Xavi and Puyol, since both were able to play the first leg because they had disappeared from the call of a Spain-Iceland by claiming two injuries.

However, LaLiga 2006-07 did not end with the Tamudazo. It was yet to be disputed another day, in which Barcelona got rid of the already lowered Nàstic de Tarragona without problems (1-5) and in which the Madrid he sweated more than memory is capable of retaining, at the Bernabéu, facing Mallorca itself que venía de arrancarle dos puntos al Sevilla.

In fact, Fernando Varela avanzó a los de Gregorio Manzano en el minuto 16 y no fue hasta el 67' cuando el añorado José Antonio Reyes obró el gol del empate. Y hasta el tramo final no consiguieron Mahamadou Diarra y el propio utrerano enderezar el rumbo para los blancos, que vencieron por 3-1 y pudieron festejar el campeonato liguero. En Cibeles no faltó alguna bandera del Espanyol, en agradecimiento a Tamudo, por haber protagonizado -en el primero de sus Tamudazos, pues en 2012 escribiría otro para salvar del descenso al Rayo Vallecano– los que probablemente hayan sido los 17 segundos más endiablados de la historia de LaLiga.

The transistores dieron paso a las social networks. The errores arbitrales en goles con la mano se convirtieron en debates sobre el videoarbitraje and Real Madrid y Barcelona, ahí sí, siguen peleando como antaño por el título de Liga. Pero hay instantes que el aficionado conserva para siempre, y bien lo sabe el protagonista de esta historia, Raúl Tamudo, quien a sus 42 años sigue igual o más vinculado al Espanyol como integrante de la dirección deportiva. Y que desgrana en conversación telefónica con AS aquella mágica velada.

El Espanyol ya no se jugaba nada, desde el punto de vista deportivo. ¿Cuál era su estímulo ese 9 de junio? ¿Pensaba en que podía arrebatarle LaLiga al eterno rival?

Cualquier jugador que va a un estadio como el Camp Nou o el Bernabéu sale siempre motivado, porque desde pequeño siempre sueñas con jugar en esos campos y, sobre todo, con ser protagonista. Yo ese día tuve la suerte de conseguirlo con mis dos goles. Pero no tanto por la repercusión que tuvo a nivel mundial, porque eso es algo externo que a mí se me escapa, sino por lo individual. Salí al Camp Nou a ser profesional, a jugar el partido y a intentar ganarlo. Lo que pasó en otros estadios yo no podía controlarlo.

¿Qué recuerda del instante de la jugada?

Que empezaba a sentir alguna rampa y que incluso me había bajado un poco las medias. Pero Rufete me filtra ese pase al espacio y pienso que es mi último esprint, la última que carrera que podré hacer. Así que me lanzo, busco el balón, controlo y se lo cruzo a Víctor Valdés. Goal.

¿Pasa un solo día sin que alguien le recuerde el Tamudazo?

Al final salió así, dio esa casualidad, y sí es cierto que no pasa un día de mi vida sin que la gente me lo recuerde. Pero con mucho cariño. No me puedo quejar, porque con el paso de los años me tratan con mucho respeto, cariño y admiración tanto los seguidores del Madrid como los del Barça. Al final, ese son el tipo de cosas que te quedan después de una carrera de tantos años, que haya gente de todos los equipos que valoren lo que he hecho en mi profesión, además de lo bien que me lo he pasado desempeñándola.

En el momento de su segundo gol, usted no sabía lo que entrañaba. Pero después, ¿hubo festejo en el vestuario del Camp Nou?

Cuando entramos al vestuario y me dijeron lo que había pasado, yo siempre he sido en ese sentido un futbolista de perfil un poco bajo. Lo que tenía que celebrar es que me había convertido con esos dos goles en el máximo goleador liguero de la historia del club, por eso fueron especiales. Habrá quien me crea y quien no, pero yo iba al Camp Nou sabiendo que estaba a punto de alcanzar el récord y pasar a la historia del club donde había estado toda mi vida. Celebré los goles por eso, no suelo recrearme en cosas que no me incumben. Obviamente, lo que sucedió fue una alegría, sobre todo para la afición por la rivalidad deportiva que tenemos siempre, y nada más.

Ahora, curiosamente, trabaja codo con codo junto a su asistente de ese 2-2, Francisco Joaquín Pérez Rufete, que es el director de fútbol profesional del Espanyol. ¿Recuerdan mucho aquello?

Sí, lo recordamos, pero no crea que nos recreamos mucho. Es una casualidad que ahora estemos trabajando siempre juntos y hay veces que viene gente al despacho y dice “Rufete, Tamudo, gol”. Es lo que se recuerda de ese momento. Es más eso, que nos lo recuerden personas que vienen por la oficina.

¿Qué sentimiento le evoca el Tamudazo?

Me enorgullece haber pasado a la historia de LaLiga, sobre todo por no pertenecer a un club grande, que son los que siempre se llevan los méritos, las portadas y los títulos. Es mucho más complicado pasar a la historia del campeonato español si no juegas en uno de esos dos. Fue una noche feliz, sí lo fue.