Pineda, the immigrant striker who put down roots at Sarrià

Michel Pineda, the striker who played for Espanyol from 1984 to 1990 and helped them reach the 1988 UEFA Cup final, has died at 62.

Espanyol announced the death of Michel Pineda, one of the club's most emblematic players of the 1980s. The striker, who was 62, played for the Barcelona club between 1984 and 1990, making 233 appearances and scoring 73 goals.

Pineda was a key figure in Espanyol's third-place finish in La Liga 1986–87 under Javier Clemente and their historic run to the 1988 UEFA Cup final, which they lost to Bayer Leverkusen. Born in France in 1964 to Vitoria-born parents who had emigrated, Pineda arrived at Espanyol from Auxerre in summer 1984, where he had befriended Éric Cantona. He quickly became a fan favourite at Sarrià.

After leaving Espanyol, Pineda played for Toulon, Racing Santander, Lleida and Alavés, retiring in 1996. In a poignant twist, he scored the goal for Racing in 1993 that relegated his former club Espanyol to the second division—a goal he did not celebrate out of respect.