What Espanyol has at stake in the final matchday beyond safety

BarcelonaEspanyol will be playing for all or nothing on the final matchday. After accumulating five consecutive defeats, the latest of which was at El Sadar, the Blue and Whites will need to match or better the result obtained by Leganés against Valladolid in the visit of the also relegated Las Palmas to the RCDE Stadium this Saturday (6:30 p.m., 3Cat). A priori, a favorable scenario, although managing anxiety will be key. A head-to-head match in which the fight for survival will be decided. A final in which Espanyol will be playing for a large part of its immediate and medium-term future.

First of all, because what happens this weekend will greatly affect the club's financial situation. Returning to the Second Division would mean earning approximately 30 million euros less than remaining in the First Division due to the drop in items such as audiovisual rights, advertising, and season tickets. However, the financial blow would be even greater, as it would mean that the current main asset in the squad, Joan Garcia, could leave for around 15 million euros, the release clause he would have in the Second Division, instead of the 25 million euros he currently has in the First Division. This amount could rise to five million euros, up to 30 million euros, if Luis de la Fuente decides to select the young goalkeeper from Sallent for the UEFA Nations League semi-finals on Monday, May 26. In the latter scenario, Espanyol would have more leeway to negotiate a more lucrative transfer.

But the goalkeeper who has been the most successful in La Liga isn't the only asset Espanyol could lose this summer. Their top scorer and current vice-captain, Javi Puado, has not yet decided on its futureHis contract expires on June 30th and he has offers from the First Division. Espanyol's only options to retain him are to remain in the top flight and offer him a contract and a project worthy of it. They wouldn't be the only ones who wouldn't stay. More than half of the current squad's contracts expire in a month and a half, but the most significant case is that of some loan players who have performed strongly and for whom only a new loan or transfer could be negotiated if they remain. This is the case of Carlos Romero, Roberto Fernández, Marash Kumbulla, and Urko González, who will have no shortage of offers to continue in the First Division.

On the bench, Manolo González's future is also yet to be decided. The Galician coach, whose contract expires this June, will automatically be renewed if the Espanyol team confirms its permanence. However, the rapport with the sporting management is good enough for him to keep his position even in the event of a hypothetical relegation. His willingness to continue at the club is absolute, and it would be the least traumatic solution for the club, both sportingly and financially.

The 125th anniversary, with an absent president

On a social and institutional level, Espanyol also has a lot at stake. The club, which will be promoting various initiatives to commemorate its 125th anniversary in the coming months, wants to avoid celebrating this anniversary in the second division at all costs. It would also be a severe blow for the rest of the staff, who have suffered through a pandemic and two relegations in five years, a context that has forced the club's structure to be streamlined. Both relegations were under the leadership of Chen Yansheng, who could become the first president in Espanyol's history to lose three league titles. For now, in fact, he is already the only one to have accumulated two. The Blue and White owner has not been seen at Cornellà-El Prat for years. His son, Chen Chuanghuang, has been there, having been appointed first vice president of the club a year ago. With him presiding over the Box, Espanyol will be playing its final game.