Michel Pineda has died at the age of 62, and Espanyol have led the tributes to a striker who became one of the most beloved players of his generation. The club said he played six seasons, made 233 official appearances and scored 73 official goals, while also being part of the side that reached the 1987/88 UEFA runner-up finish.
Espanyol's tribute and Pineda's legacy
Espanyol's message was as much about memory as record-keeping. It placed Pineda in the club's 1984 to 1990 era and tied him directly to a run that still matters in Barcelona, the team that finished second in the 1987/88 UEFA competition and carried his name through the tribute.
The numbers tell you why he still sits so firmly in the club's story. Seventy-three official goals in 233 matches is a strong return for any striker, and it is the sort of total that keeps a player in club conversations long after his career has ended.
The career that took shape after France
Pineda's route to Espanyol started at AJ Auxerre, where he made his first professional steps between 1982 and 1983. He scored in his first start in Division 1 against Girondins de Bordeaux in a 2-2 draw, then won the French third division title in 1984 before joining Espanyol the following year.
He also won the 1986 European Championship with Spain's under-21 team, a reminder that his peak years were not limited to one club badge. Even so, the strongest part of his legacy is the one Espanyol have just chosen to underline, a striker who stayed six seasons, scored 73 official goals and left a mark on the side that went all the way to the UEFA Cup final in 1988.
The club will keep carrying that tribute, and Pineda's name now sits alongside that 1987/88 run every time Espanyol revisit the era.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →
