MADRID, June 22 (Reuters) - Sunday's second-division playoff triumph for Las Palmas not only means they will be back in La Liga next term but will also give Spanish fans a chance to bid farewell to one of the most gifted midfielders of recent times.
Juan Carlos Valeron, who turned 40 last week, was a nervous substitute pacing the sidelines as his boyhood club beat Real Zaragoza 2-0 in the second leg of the playoff final to level the tie at 3-3 and snatch a place in La Liga on the away goals rule.
Forward Sergio Araujo volleyed in the crucial goal five minutes from time at the Estadio Gran Canaria, sparking wild celebrations among the fans, who were cruelly denied promotion in 2013-14 when Cordoba struck in stoppage time in their playoff final almost exactly a year earlier.