Wednesday offers Espanyol the chance to wipe out a painful memory

Come Wednesday night at Hampden, Ernesto Valverde will watch Espanyol try to win their first European trophy. He has been here before, perched at pitch-side, trying to will his team to victory in a Uefa Cup final. The difference is that, this time, Valverde will have some say in what happens on the field of play.

Nineteen years ago, he was the quicksilver winger in the Espanyol side that rolled through the competition, collecting an array of scalps along the way. First, it was Borussia Moenchengladbach, then an AC Milan side featuring Ruud Gullit, Franco Baresi and Paolo Maldini.

They completed their Milanese double by knocking out Inter Milan next and, a few months later, when they pummeled Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 in the first leg of the final, spirits were sky-high. Espanyol were going to win their first piece of silverware since before the war.

Or were they? Twenty-four hours before the second leg, the manager, Javier Clemente, took his two best players, Valverde and Danish striker John Lauridsen aside. He told them they would not be starting; that, even with a 3-0 lead, Espanyol would keep things tight, relying on more defensive players and the counter-attack.

Thus, Valverde stood there powerless as the Germans scored three times in the second half, to level the tie on aggregate. Frustration turned to pain when Leverkusen won the penalty shoot-out.

Valverde is now the Espanyol manager and he knows this final is a chance to set things right. Not just for himself, but for the tens of thousands of Espanyol supporters who still talk about the Leverkusen game as if it were yesterday.

As a club they were always destined to play second fiddle in the city of Barcelona. Supporters can accept that. They can live without the trophies and hype of the Nou Camp. Being born in Barcelona and supporting the "other" team is a badge of honour, one passed on through bloodlines of the families in the working class Sarria, where the old ground once stood.

In fact, the ties that bind the supporters to Espanyol are so strong they even trump politics. The Montjuic stadium accomodated both a section of far right pro-Franco fans and another featuring leftist Catalan separatists. But to be denied in such a cruel way, as they were in Leverkusen, is difficult to take.

And that may be why the "parakeets" - as the Espanyol faithful are known - have thrown themselves into this final with gusto. As the gap between rich and poor continues to increase in football, they know they may never get another shot at the big stage.

Even then, the enthusiasm is in keeping with the club's status. Roman Abramovich had promised the Chelsea players bonuses of £1m each if they won the Champions League. Sebastian Javier, Espanyol's most prominent shareholder, has promised each player a Mini Cooper if they win the UEFA Cup. Not quite the same thing, but it's the thought that counts.

Despite Javier's automotive munificence, Espanyol are not a wealthy club and they've built their side with guile and savvy more than cold, hard cash.

Credit must go to Valverde and his sporting director, Paco Herrera, formerly Rafa Benitez's number two at Anfield. The side is a blend of home-grown kids - there could be as many as five on Wednesday - and bargain buys who were written off elsewhere.

Ivan De La Pena is, of course, the most extreme example. Ten years ago he was the brightest star in Barcelona's young midfield, the heir apparent to Pep Guardiola, spraying balls all over the Nou Camp with supreme confidence.

He moved to Lazio for £13m, in the summer of 1998 and, almost overnight, his career seemed to die. In the next four years he bounced around between Lazio, Marseille and Barcelona, making a total of 10 league starts. By the time he arrived at Espanyol in 2002, the "Little Buddha" looked a broken man.

And yet, bit by bit, he lifted himself and his new club. Espanyol's midfield is built in such a way as to insulate him and his most obvious weaknesses, the ones that prevented him from making the grade (lack of pace, personality and physical strength) earlier in his career.

With a tough-tacking midfielder like the home-grown Moises at his side, De La Pena can still provide enough creativity on the attacking end without becoming a liability defensively.

Out wide, Espanyol rely on other illustrious cast-offs, such as Francisco Rufete, who was shown the door after five years at Valencia, and Luis Garcia, a Real Madrid product who was let go before he had a chance to shine.

The latter, who can also play as a centre-forward, has arguably been the side's best player this season, along with the Cameroonian goalkeeper Carlos Kameni.

But Espanyol supporters are perhaps most proud of the fact that the spine of their team is made up of home-grown players. With the central defensive pairing of Daniel Jarque and Marc Torrejon at the back, the aforementioned Moises in midfield and the inspirational Raul Tamudo up front Espanyol are a rarity in the modern game.

And then there is the super-sub and fan favourite, "Coro", Ferran Corominas. While not a regular, he has chipped in five Uefa Cup goals already, and has a reputation as the ultimate clutch player.

Last year he scored in the Spanish Cup final and also provided the last-gasp winner against Real Sociedad on the final day of the Liga season which enabled Espanyol to avoid relegation. And, in case you were wondering, yes, he is indeed another local lad who came through the ranks.

Espanyol are well aware that, once again, they are the underdogs to Juande Ramos' Seville, the defending champions. It's a status they relish, one that fits a club which has spent its entire history next to a louder, brasher, wealthier neighbour. They know what if feels like to be Canada.

But they also know that once every so often, fate decrees that it be their turn to shine, their turn to matter.

The last time was 19 years ago and - somehow - they managed to screw it up. Valverde and the 30,000-odd "parakeets" who relive that game regularly in their minds are determined that, this time, things will be different.