Fran Sandaza blasts Rangers as he prepares for La Liga
At the age of 32 he is set to take on Real Madrid and Barcelona with Girona, who are poised to win promotion for the first time in their 87-year history
It will be so sweet for the former Dundee United and St Johnstone striker, pictured, who remains very bitter about being sacked by Charles Green after he revealed details of his contract in a hoax phone call.
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Hide AdHe said: “Four years ago I was fired by Rangers in the Third Division and now I’m going to play in the best league in the world.
“It was a terrible decision made by Rangers. I had signed for four years and they didn’t show any patience or loyalty with me.
“Nobody connected with the club stuck up for me – not even Ally McCoist.
“No-one said anything and I said goodbye to Scotland as I left through the back door.
“I had been a hero for Dundee United and for St Johnstone and I was treated this way.
“It was really, really bad. It was a shocking way for a club to treat anybody.
“The thing was they had to pay me off because I had a four-year contract.
“I wanted to have a successful career with Rangers and I felt that I could, but it turned out to be a nightmare.”
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Hide AdSandaza had broken his cheekbone earlier in that season, missing four months, and Green grabbed the opportunity to get an expensive signing off the wage bill in April 2013.
He added: “I don’t consider the prank call as the reason for me getting fired.
“The sick guy who called me was trying to make a joke and it should have been nothing more than that.
“The problem was after because the club took advantage of that situation and that was a terrible thing to do. It was poisonous.
“It’s not revenge, but for all of the people who have been saying bad things about me and my quality as a player my message to them is – look where I am.
“I’m going to play in the best league in the world – where are you?
“That’s life and this is karma. You cannot behave like that to a human being so good things have come to me.”
Sunday’s 2-1 win away to Lugo means Girona remain in the automatic promotion places, seven points ahead of Getafe, with six games to go.
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Hide AdThe Catalan club have lost in the play-offs in each of the last two seasons.
Sandaza said: “To finally have the chance to play in what I think is the best league in the world would be fantastic.
“Being a Real Madrid supporter, the ultimate dream for me would be to play in the Bernabeu against all of their superstars.
“I think I deserve it after everything I have gone through in my career.”