Thirty years of the fateful penalties of Pucela in Monaco

These days television channels try to liven up the quarantine by replacing important games in the history of our country, such as 12-1 in Malta or the 2010 World Cup final against the Netherlands. In a blanquivioleta key, perhaps if one had to choose one, the fans could choose one of which an ephemeris has been celebrated these days: the day that Real Valladolid caressed a semi-final in European competition.

On March 20, 1990, Pucela disputed the Recopa quarter-final return against Monaco, a match that came with 0-0 first leg and with the illusions intact., after eliminating Maltese Hamrun and Swedish Djugardens in the previous rounds, despite the fact that in the league the team led by Fernando Redondo flirted with the relegation places, of which he had just left thanks to the victory in Malaga (0-1).

Good defense was key to keeping the Monegasque team at bay, which tried by all means with an attack led by a George Weah who had just landed in European football. Despite his attempts and those of the Argentine striker Ramón Díaz, as in Zorrilla, Ravnic's goal remained untouched in the regulation 90 minutes … and in overtime, in which exhaustion prevented Real Valladolid from approaching Arsène Wenger's area.

In the penalty shootout the blanquivioletas were unable to get the pass. Janko Jankovic missed the first pitch, Albis scored the second and Moya ran into the wood. Ayarza, the last person in charge of throwing, did not hit the mark either, and Monaco, more successful in the supreme luck, was awarded the pass to the next round, in which he would end up being discharged by Sampdoria, in the end Recopa champion.

Three decades after that, the echoes of the 'Euro-Pucela' can still be heard, arising from the voices of those who lived through this elimination (reaped without a single defeat) and who enjoyed the latest continental participation in the 1997 season years later. -98. Again, as on the previous occasion, the team fell under the orders of their third coach, this time Sergio Kresic. He did it against Spartak Moscow, in the UEFA Cup, in the round of 32.