For years Walter Pandiani has had to settle for life on the bench, but his impact from it cannot be underestimated
It is something of an unwanted title in football circles, but, in terms of the role's importance, every team would love to have their very own "super-sub".
David Fairclough, the former Liverpool striker, was arguably one of the greatest and willing exponents of the role, often coming on in games to make the telling impact to help his side to dominate in England and Europe.
Walter Pandiani is turning into another. He is a player with the ability to quickly adapt to the pace of the game and have a telling impact in his limited time on the field. Most of these appearances tend to be done through gritted teeth, determined to prove the manager wrong for omitting him from the starting line-up in the first place.
Penarol and Nacional, the two biggest clubs in Uruguay, are known for scouring the country for gifted youngsters. Pandiani was summarily overlooked as a youngster by both, despite being right on their doorstep. Instead, he made his name with lower division sides like Progreso and Basanez, before finally getting his shot at Penarol at the age of 22.
After a disappointing first campaign, which saw him used mostly as a substitute, he came into his own in 1999, notching 17 goals and helping Penarol to the title. Deportivo La Coruna, the Spanish side, signed him up, but, even then, they were not fully convinced by their recruit. They left him in Uruguay for another six months.
"He's too raw, he needs to mature," Javier Irureta, the Depor coach, said at the time, as if he was talking about a piece of fruit.
When he finally landed in Galicia in the summer of 2000, the locals were distinctly underwhelmed, particularly since another top striker had arrived at the same time: Diego Tristan.
The latter was Spanish, had scored 18 goals for Real Mallorca the previous season and was on the verge of a call-up to the national side. Unsurprisingly, with just one spot available in Irureta's 4-2-3-1 formation, Pandiani was dispatched to the bench with Tristan deployed as the lone striker.
But that move actually worked out to Pandiani's advantage as he began to unveil his super-sub persona. The plan was simple. Start with the elegant Tristan and the unpredictable genius of Juan Carlos Valeron behind him. Then, throw in the physical and robust Pandiani to finish opponents off.
By the end of the season he had tallied eight goals as a substitute in all competitions, three of them coming with a memorable hat-trick against Paris St Germain in the Uefa Champions League.
That is when he gained his nickname "El Rifle", a moniker fit for a marksman who had a habit of hitting the target when his side really needed it.
The following season he made just three starts in the league, but by that point he was growing tired of the super-sub role.
And so, in the summer of 2002, he asked - and obtained - a chance to prove his worth elsewhere. He was loaned to Mallorca where he became a regular starter and returned the faith shown in him with 19 goals, one of them in the final of the Copa del Rey, which his side won, 3-0. Buoyed by his success, he returned to Depor, where he went on to score 20 goals and play a crucial part in the side's march to the Champions League semi-finals. That was the good news.
The bad news was that, despite his goals tally, he was again in and out of the side. Somehow, his impact from the bench was not enough for a starting berth. He finally became a full-fledged regular in 2004/05.
By that point, however, the club were struggling financially and he was loaned to Birmingham City, where he immediately impressed, scoring on his debut. Manager Steve Bruce made the move permanent that summer for £3 million (Dh17.4m), but he only stayed another six months at St Andrew's.
Despite his bright start, he did not settle in England, so when Espanyol came calling in January 2006, he returned to Spain.
Once again, he was in and out of the side, though he did score the last-minute winner against Deportivo in the semi-final of the Copa del Rey. In 2006-07 he cemented his super-sub role. He scored 18 goals in all competitions, yet started just seven games in La Liga. Eleven of those goals came in the Uefa Cup, as Espanyol advanced all the way to the final against Seville.
Typically, despite being the competition's top goalscorer - and despite a hat-trick at the Bernabeu against Real Madrid four days before the final - he found himself on the bench.
Espanyol ended up losing on penalties, Pandiani was heartbroken.
And so, in the summer, he moved again. This time to Osasuna. They were willing to believe in him, but fate is cruel.
Just as he was settling in, a string of injuries curtailed his progress, limiting him to just 20 appearances. He only made his return in October of 2008, but, finally things began to look up. He finished with 13 goals in 27 appearances and won the hearts of the fans.
This season he has seven goals in 16 league starts. Yet perhaps the statistic that matters most to him is zero. That is the number of appearances he made as a super-sub this year.
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Schedule:
Sept 15: Bangladesh v Sri Lanka (Dubai)
Sept 16: Pakistan v Qualifier (Dubai)
Sept 17: Sri Lanka v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 18: India v Qualifier (Dubai)
Sept 19: India v Pakistan (Dubai)
Sept 20: Bangladesh v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi) Super Four
Sept 21: Group A Winner v Group B Runner-up (Dubai)
Sept 21: Group B Winner v Group A Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 23: Group A Winner v Group A Runner-up (Dubai)
Sept 23: Group B Winner v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 25: Group A Winner v Group B Winner (Dubai)
Sept 26: Group A Runner-up v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 28: Final (Dubai)
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
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Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah To The Last Goodbye
By Dave Lory with Jim Irvin
Teaching your child to save
Pre-school (three - five years)
You can’t yet talk about investing or borrowing, but introduce a “classic” money bank and start putting gifts and allowances away. When the child wants a specific toy, have them save for it and help them track their progress.
Early childhood (six - eight years)
Replace the money bank with three jars labelled ‘saving’, ‘spending’ and ‘sharing’. Have the child divide their allowance into the three jars each week and explain their choices in splitting their pocket money. A guide could be 25 per cent saving, 50 per cent spending, 25 per cent for charity and gift-giving.
Middle childhood (nine - 11 years)
Open a bank savings account and help your child establish a budget and set a savings goal. Introduce the notion of ‘paying yourself first’ by putting away savings as soon as your allowance is paid.
Young teens (12 - 14 years)
Change your child’s allowance from weekly to monthly and help them pinpoint long-range goals such as a trip, so they can start longer-term saving and find new ways to increase their saving.
Teenage (15 - 18 years)
Discuss mutual expectations about university costs and identify what they can help fund and set goals. Don’t pay for everything, so they can experience the pride of contributing.
Young adulthood (19 - 22 years)
Discuss post-graduation plans and future life goals, quantify expenses such as first apartment, work wardrobe, holidays and help them continue to save towards these goals.
* JP Morgan Private Bank
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Sam Smith
Where: du Arena, Abu Dhabi
When: Saturday November 24
Rating: 4/5
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
Duterte Harry: Fire and Fury in the Philippines
Jonathan Miller, Scribe Publications
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
THE LOWDOWN
Romeo Akbar Walter
Rating: 2/5 stars
Produced by: Dharma Productions, Azure Entertainment
Directed by: Robby Grewal
Cast: John Abraham, Mouni Roy, Jackie Shroff and Sikandar Kher
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
