Michel Pineda, former Espanyol striker, dies at 62

Former Spanish-French footballer Michel Pineda has passed away at the age of 62. Born in Gien, France, to Spanish parents, Pineda was a prominent striker known for his significant tenure with RCD Espanyol between 1984 and 1990.

During his time with Espanyol, Pineda made 233 official appearances and scored 73 goals. He was a key member of the squad that reached the 1987/88 UEFA Cup final, contributing three goals during that historic European campaign.

Pineda began his professional career at AJ Auxerre, where he was a teammate of Éric Cantona. His career also included stints with Sporting Club de Toulon, Racing de Santander, UE Lleida, and Deportivo Alavés, the latter being the club where he retired in 1996.

An international player for Spain at the youth level, Pineda won the UEFA European Under-21 Championship in 1986 and represented the country at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. He is remembered by Racing de Santander for scoring the decisive goal that secured their promotion to the Primera División in 1993.