Raúl Tamudo
Personal information
Full name	Raúl Tamudo i Montero
Date of birth	October 19, 1977 (1977-10-19) (age 32)
Place of birth	Santa Coloma, Spain
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current club	Espanyol
Number	23
Senior career1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1996–1998 1996– 1998 1999	Espanyol B Espanyol → Alavés (loan) → Lleida (loan)	042 0(18) 334 (129) 006 00(0) 014 00(5)
National team2
1997 1998–2000 2000 2000–	Spain U20 Spain U21 Spain U23 Spain	001 00(0) 011 00(5) 006 00(1) 013 00(5)
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 31 May 2009. 2 National team caps and goals correct as of 21 November 2007. * Appearances (Goals)

Olympic medal record
Competitor for  Spain
Men's Football
Silver	2000 Sydney	Team Competition

Raúl Tamudo i Montero (born October 19, 1977 in Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Barcelona, Catalonia) is a Spanish footballer who currently plays for RCD Espanyol, as a striker.

A club symbol, he captained the club for almost a decade.

[edit] Club career

A product of local side RCD Espanyol's youth ranks, Tamudo served two second division six-month loans before finally settling in 1999–2000. From there on, he became an undisputed starter for the team, never netting in single digits during nine topflight seasons, while helping the Catalonians to two Spanish Cups: in the 2000 final, he scored by stealing the ball from Atlético de Madrid goalkeeper Toni Jiménez, with his head.^[1] 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 Espanyol goal.

Tamudo was close to signing with Rangers F.C. in 2001, only to see the move fail at the last minute due to a failed medical. Two days later, he scored a hat-trick in the UEFA Cup match against Grazer AK (4–0 home win, 4–1 aggregate).

On the last matchday of the 2006–07 season, Tamudo reached 112 goals scored in the first division, making him the top all-time scorer for Espanyol. His two goals in the 2–2 draw at city rivals FC Barcelona, on June 9, 2007, took him past former Blanquiazul star Rafael Marañón's 1983 record of 111, and helped Real Madrid clinch the league title. In that season's UEFA Cup, he contributed with two goals in seven outings to the side's runner-up campaign, against fellow league side Sevilla FC. Merely four months after that game, he struck three minutes from time to give Espanyol a 3–2 win at the same rival.^[2]

Some injury problems^[3][4] 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 day of the campaign, he scored three past Málaga CF in a 3–0 home success, being replaced to a standing ovation.

[edit] International career

A full international since August 16, 2000 (Germany-Spain, 4–1), Tamudo returned to the lineup after a two-year absence to score a vital goal in a 3–1 Euro 2008 qualifier away win against Denmark on October 13, 2007. Incidentally, former Espanyol teammate Albert Riera also scored.

Previously, Tamudo was part of Spain's silver medal-winning team at the 2000 Summer Olympics, scoring a goal in the semi-final match against the United States.

[edit] Honours

• Spanish Cup: 1999–2000, 2005–06
• UEFA Cup: Runner-up 2006–07

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Espanyol profile
• BDFutbol profile
• National team data (Spanish)

v • d • e Spain squad – 2000 Summer Olympics Silver Medalists 1 Aranzubia • 2 Lacruz • 3 Capdevila • 4 Marchena • 5 Unai • 6 Albelda • 7 Angulo • 8 Xavi • 9 José Mari • 10 Gabri • 11 Ferrón • 12 Puyol • 13 A. Luque • 14 Amaya • 15 Ismael • 16 Velamazán • 17 Tamudo • 18 Felip • Coach: Sáez