Spanish success motivates Xisco
Aug 3 2010 by Stuart Rayner, The Journal
While Spain's golden generation were making football folklore, one of its forgotten members was trying to rebuild his Newcastle career. Stuart Rayner speaks to a man with a point to prove.
TEARS were running down the face of Francisco Jiménez Tejada as he sat alone in a hotel bedroom last month watching Spain’s artists write their name into football history.
They were tears of joy as his country ended years of under-achievement by lifting the World Cup for the first time, two years after being crowned European champions. They could just as easily have been tears of disappointment. It could have been him out there.
Gerard Piqué, Sergio Busquets and Pedro had not so long ago been his Spanish under-21 team-mates, but while their careers have rocketed on an upward curve to superstardom, Francisco Jiménez Tejada – or Xisco as he is better known – is trying to rebuild his.
The striker will be hoping for another chance in the familiar surroundings of the Estadio Riazor when Deportivo La Coruña host Newcastle United in tonight’s pre-season friendly.
Things had been going well for Xisco until August 2008, when he left the Riazor after 12 goals in 44 appearances.
Dennis Wise brought him to Tyneside, and when then manager Kevin Keegan protested he had never heard of one of Spain’s rising stars Wise told him to “look him up on YouTube”.
Keegan left in a huff shortly afterwards, guaranteeing Xisco’s status as a political football.
The signing was cited in Keegan’s successful claim for unfair dismissal and even a debut goal against Hull City did not earn a second glance from the succession of managers thereafter.
At the end of the season, Chris Hughton – the caretaker manager who gave Xisco his three Newcastle starts – packed him off to Spain, watching him on Sky and DVD but rarely speaking with him.
The idea was that back in La Liga Xisco would rediscover his form and allow Newcastle to cut their losses, but after just three goals for Racing Santander he is back at St James’ Park – one of six strikers battling for Hughton’s attention.
The 24-year-old said: “This is a fresh start. I wanted to go back to Spain last season because my first season here was not good for me.
“I wanted to stay close to my family and enjoy playing in La Liga again.
“I wanted to take stock, change everything and come back to Newcastle with my mind fresh.
“Everything is OK now. I am very happy to be back and I want to stay, but it is not my decision. I have to fight to be part of the team.
“One of the things I want to do is to prove I can play in the Premier League. I went back to Spain last season because I did not have a chance here.”
