There's no way around it. Whether they play well or badly, Espanyol can't find a way to win again, something that hasn't happened since the end of last year. And it's already started in March. Against Elche, the second-worst team of 2026 after Espanyol themselves, they couldn't manage it either, despite playing a great match (2-2). After taking the lead twice with a fantastic goal from Kike García and another from Carlos Romero, a poor clearance from Pol Lozano and an unfortunate handball by Carlos Romero in the dying minutes condemned them. If they don't win soon, the league season could become a long and arduous one for Espanyol.

One of the first decisions Fran Garagarza made when he took over as sporting director of Espanyol was to stop the signing of Ferran Costa for Espanyol B and sign Manolo GonzálezHe wanted a more experienced profile, a coach who had battled for years in the mud of the Second Division RFEF. Having rejected higher-paying offers from higher-level clubs, such as Hércules, on July 3, 2023, the Galician became the coach of Espanyol's reserve team.

Espanyol hit rock bottom at the Estadio de la Cerámica. The thrashing inflicted by Villarreal, who scored four goals in 20 minutes, held a mirror up to Manolo González's men. The disastrous episode experienced last Monday in La Plana Baixa is the epitome of a tragic 2026 for Espanyol, who since New Year's Eve have only managed one point out of a possible 18 and have suffered four consecutive defeats.

Espanyol is experiencing a historic moment: they are accumulating four consecutive victories and 30 points in 16 matches, his best record in the 21st century in La Liga. Only Miguel Ángel Lotina (2004), Copa del Rey champion with Espanyol, and Ernesto Valverde (2007), European finalist, have achieved as many points as Manolo González, who just a year and a half ago trains at the elite levelHis is the story of a football journeyman who is seizing the opportunity of a lifetime, and whenever he can, he champions the talent that exists from the Primera RFEF (Spanish First Division) down.

After Manolo González's dressing-down on Thursday, Espanyol bounced back in La Liga with a 1-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano, displaying a stark contrast to their Copa del Rey elimination against Atlético Baleares. The Blanquiazules rediscovered the intensity, energy, and courage that have characterized their performance this season and continue their European dream. A penalty from Roberto puts Manolo's team in fifth place, just four points off the Champions League spots. However, they have a game in hand over fourth-placed Atlético de Madrid.

Mayor Xavier García Albiol welcomed Manolo González to Badalona City Hall a few days ago. "He started from the bottom, taking on modest responsibilities in the city, reaching the highest level a professional can aspire to, and therefore deserves this recognition," the mayor stated during the tribute to the coach who has Espanyol in European qualification positions. "I spent thirteen years at CF Badalona," the Galician coach explained, visibly moved. He has spent almost half of his coaching career at the club, a period he combined for many years with his work at [unclear - possibly "other organization"]. bus driver at the company TUSGSALalso from Badalona.

In 2007, Gerard Moreno signed for Badalona's youth team because Espanyol didn't want him. There, he met Manolo González, who was just starting his coaching career and who mentored him. He went on to have a successful career in La Liga and returned to Espanyol, the club he's supported since childhood, as a club idol. She left for Villarreal in tears. And last night, in his first match against his "footballing father," he scored a goal and led the Yellows to victory at the RCDE Stadium, breaking the hearts of the nearly 30,000 Espanyol fans who cheered him when his name was called. All these fans were feeling very optimistic when they saw their Espanyol not back down even against the third-placed team in La Liga. And that's despite the fact that Carlos Romero and Ramon Terrats, on loan from Castellón, couldn't play because Espanyol refused to pay the buyout clause. Salinas took the full-back position and almost created the first goal with a good cross that didn't find a finisher. Earlier, Roberto had collided with a defender's legs when half the stadium was already celebrating a goal. Dolan, Omar El Hilali, and Urko González also returned to the starting eleven.

Espanyol, who on Tuesday, comfortably positioned in the European zone, celebrated their 125th anniversary, had high hopes. lighting up the city of Barcelona And on Wednesday, after some difficulty, they secured qualification for the next round of the Copa del Rey after win at Atlético Lleida's groundBut happiness is never complete for Espanyol, who on Sunday suffered a defeat at Alavés thanks to an early goal from Denis Suárez and another from Lucas Boyé, who capitalized on the errors of a team unaccustomed to making them. The Basque side brought Espanyol back down to earth.

A big party at the RCDE Stadium to celebrate the 125th anniversary of Espanyol, founded on October 28, 1900. Saturday's matchday kicked off around midday with a popular butifarrada (sausage) and a period-inspired welcome on the team bus. It ended with over 30,000 fans celebrating a great win against Elche and an exciting start to the league season, with the Blue and Whites firmly in the European standings.

Espanyol's visit to Oviedo started with a historic strike of a handful of seconds in response to the Villarreal-Barça La Liga match to be played in Miami. A "symbolic protest" initiated by the First Division captains and supported by the Spanish Footballers' Association (AFE) was not broadcast on television. The association censored it: for almost half a minute, the match broadcast showed aerial images of Carlos Tartiere, not the game.

Betis is in their way at Espanyol. As happened last May, when a great goal from Antoni at the last minute put the Parakeets' permanence in La Liga in doubt, last night the Andalusians came from behind to demolish the fortress of the RCDE Stadium. A great header from Cucho Hernández, an excellent finish from Ez Abde and a penalty save from Puado by Pau López, who eight years ago He did not want to renew with Espanyol Disillusioned with the sporting management, they suffered their first defeat at the Pericos' home and marred an exciting start to the season, which will conclude during the international break with a change of hands at the club: Alan Pace will officially replace Chen Yansheng as an owner.

Manolo González has never been dismissed. They were close to it at the Ebro in 2018, but the sporting director Ander Garitano –who recommended Garagarza for Espanyol B– defended him to the Aragonese club's owner. His first dismissal also came close nine months ago, on November 23, 2024, with the blue and whites in the relegation zone and after their heaviest defeat in La Liga, the 4-1 at Montilivi: in the 30th minute, with possession exceeding 90%, Girona was already winning 4-0 in the Second Division, a fact now being recalled by the Pericos fans on social media, watching Míchel's team's decline.

Espanyol extends its romance with Cornellà-El Prat, where it had won its last four League matches – one of them the last day of last season against Las Palmas –, placing itself in Champions League positionDespite deserving the win, the Blue and Whites took a desperately needed point thanks to a Javi Puado header in the final play of the match against a highly effective Valencia side that had yet to score away from Mestalla. A quick triangulation and a strategic move were enough to put them on the verge of winning. Captain Perico, who has been heavily criticized in recent days for his poor accuracy and whom Manolo González defended in a press conference – "sooner or later he'll score goals," he said – avoided it.

125 days later, Espanyol, the League's most fashionable team, lost again. However, with their heads held high and on the pitch of Real Madrid, the league's top team and winners of every game this season. A surprising shot from 35 yards by central defender Militao triggered the first defeat of the season for Manolo González's team, who arrived at the Bernabéu with the possibility of taking the lead if they achieved an unprecedented victory, one that hasn't been seen for thirty years, since the era of L. Mbappé, the undisputed leader of a civil servant Real Madrid, finished it off with another work of art.

At 7:30 on Saturday, May 24th, with half an hour left in the 2024-2025 La Liga season, Espanyol was in the Second Division. Finally, Puado and Pere Milla avoided a relegation that would have been traumatic for a club that, stripped of its star player, 115 days after that agonizing salvation has established itself in the Champions League zone and is the third classified in First with the same number of points as FC Barcelona. And this Saturday they visit Real Madrid (4:15 p.m., Movistar+) with the possibility of taking the lead if they attack the Bernabéu, where they haven't won in thirty years.

This Espanyol is capable of anything. After 40 very good minutes against a Mallorca side with water up to their necks, and going 2-0 up on the scoreboard, two decisions by referee Hernández Hernández turned the dynamics of a match that seemed over for the revelation team of the season. But neither the controversial expulsion of Pere Milla before the break nor the 2-2 draw by Muriqi could stop Manolo González's team, who with a man less and in a brutal exercise of resistance found the 3-2, Kike Garcia's penalty, to establish themselves in third place and equal on points with FC Barcelona. Madrid, with two more, are the leaders and the next opponents of the blue and whites, at the Bernabéu.

On May 22, 2005, Iturralde González disallowed a goal against Osasuna for a non-existent offside, which would have put Espanyol in the Champions League for the first time in their history. Since then, the Blanquiazules, who have never played with the star ball, have only appeared in the top four of La Liga a handful of times (18 in 687 matches), the last time at the end of 2018. That's why many Espanyol fans, when the referee blew the final whistle, took a screenshot of the table to immortalize the virtual fourth position (Barça played later) of an Espanyol that has yet to lose, has seven out of nine, and won't play for another 15 days due to the league break. Carlos Romero, the scorer of the only goal, is inviting everyone to a more than deserved vacation.

For the second Sunday in a row, Pere Milla unleashed ecstasies among the blue and white fans. In the Basque Country, the iconic striker from Lleida, with the hair of a cult singer, found the net again and, within minutes of the match, declared Espanyol's state of bliss, who had Real Sociedad on the ropes in a brilliant first hour. It was short-lived because a defensive mishap turned everything upside down in a highly emotional duel that left Manolo González's team tasting bittersweet wine, as they took only a point from their visit to Real Sociedad.

Espanyol's season of consolidation in the elite, the one that breaks with Rastar Group And leaving behind a decade with one European qualification and two traumatic relegations, they started on the right foot. A change of ownership, an increase in season ticket holders, a sales success for the new shirt (yesterday the queue was out of the store), an unbeaten run in the preseason... all the hype The turmoil surrounding the Perico club since Joan Garcia's departure was met with a rejuvenated Atlético de Madrid, once again a contender for everything, in the 37th minute with a superb free-kick from Julián Álvarez. But a set piece executed by Edu Expósito and finished off by Miguel Rubio and a real stunner from Pere Milla late in the match unleashed a party at the RCDE Stadium, in ecstasy over the colossal performance of Manolo González's men, which sent Simeone to the corner to think.

Years ago, when professional teams didn't go on overseas tours in exchange for tickets, the big draw of preseason training was the summer tournaments. The Gamper or Teresa Herrera, who now have a residual significance, were unmissable events; also the Ramón de Carranza in Cádiz, considered the Champions League of the dog days, which took place at the end of August and marked the start of the season.