Manolo González is against the ropes. The Espanyol coach faced the visit to Racing de Santander with the need for a reaction that did not arrive and he left the Sardinero even more weakened. Not even a highly controversial decision by Gil Manzano, a referee with a dire record for the 'periquitos', can hide an increasingly difficult reality: the team is not starting and its coach's margin is running out.

Espanyol cannot lift its head. Since the season began, it has only won two League matches, the last one on Osasuna's field, almost a month and a half ago. The defeats against Rayo Vallecano and Elche, the latter especially painful because the parakeets played the entire match with an extra man, set off alarm bells at the white-and-blue club. Monchi maintained his confidence in Manolo González, who survived the international break, but is back in the eye of the storm after drawing in Málaga, on the last-placed team's field, and losing against Atlético de Madrid at home.

Espanyol is competing again. And they have discovered that they have a great goalkeeper. These are the two best pieces of news for the blue-and-whites, who this afternoon made Atlético de Madrid sweat hard. Even so, neither a good match nor Fortuño's saves were enough to get anything positive against the second-placed team, the only one that can keep up with Barça in the League. Another cruel goal, by Baena in the 89th minute, dashed the efforts of the parakeets, who improved on the image offered against Rayo, Elche, and Málaga, but have lost again (0-1) and have only achieved one point out of the last 12. The defeat adds even more doubts about the continuity of Manolo González, questioned for weeks and who now faces three consecutive away games that could seal his future.

Although Manolo González and Monchi denied that the match at La Rosaleda was an ultimatum for the Galician coach, there was a feeling in the air that another defeat for Espanyol, on the field of the bottom team in the category, would greatly complicate the situation of the team and its coach, who were coming off a home loss against the last-placed team while having an extra player. In Malaga, where Bryan Zaragoza scored a great goal to put the 'periquitos' ahead and Fortuño played in goal, they were one minute short because in the 93rd minute, in a very cruel way, Niño equalized a not-at-all brilliant match (1-1), but one that Espanyol had already won. The point avoids a greater evil, but it also does not serve to dispel the doubts of a blue-and-white side that continues to be unable to find its way back to victory. And next Saturday they host Atlético de Madrid.

The painful defeat against Elche called into question the continuity of Manolo González at the helm of Espanyol. The Galician coach himself acknowledged in a press conference that it had been a "dreadful" match, the "worst" since he has been at the blue-and-white club. With one man down for 85 minutes, the bottom team of the League won with authority at Cornellà-El Prat (1-3) in the prelude to a 21-day international break, favorable for making a coaching change.

Since March 17, 2024, the day Manolo González debuted on the blue-and-white bench, Espanyol has changed its president and owner, its sporting director –Garagarza, on leave, keeps the position, but his duties are performed by Monchi– and, even, its division. One of the few things that has not changed is, precisely, the coach. A Manolo who yesterday managed his 100th match in charge of the first team.

At La21 nobody has a bad word about Roger Hinojo (Cabrianes, 2005). Everyone who has met him since he arrived, 12 years ago, says he is an "extraordinarily normal" guy who lives far from the clichés surrounding footballers. He left home at 16 and has gone through all the ranks of the youth academy until his debut at the RCDE Stadium last Sunday at the age of 20. He had a great game. He is the man of the week in white-and-blue terms because days later he agreed to wear the number 21, which honors Jarque's memory and gives its name to the sports city of the club of his life. And this Saturday, as a left-back, he will mark Yan Diomande, the most expensive signing in the history of a Madrid team that is premiering a coach: José Mourinho.What did you hear on Sunday?

It hasn't even been four months since Levante last visited the RCDE Stadium. That night, cold for April, very few would have imagined that in 2026 both teams would meet again in the First Division. Espanyol, who hadn't won for 16 matchdays, was on the path to the abyss, and Levante, who didn't take the three points because they hit the crossbar in the final play, were halfway to the Second Division.

With less than two weeks to go before the start of the League, Espanyol still has a lot of work to do in the transfer market. Manolo González's squad is incomplete and everything suggests that the Galician coach will start competing officially with a team under construction. Although Monchi warned that he wanted to carry out an aggressive plan, a small revolution with the arrival of many new faces, the fact is that at the beginning of August the white-and-blue team has only signed three footballers.

Ramon Rodríguez Verdejo (San Fernando, 1968) is known by everyone as Monchi and is identified as the architect of the greatest Sevilla in history and one of the best sporting directors in the world. He is backed by more than a dozen titles, including seven Europa Leagues, and many millions in capital gains. With this resume, it is not surprising that his signing for Espanyol has unleashed euphoria among many 'periquitos'. Seduced by Alan Pace, with whom he began to meet more than two months ago, he will try to replicate his successful formula as the entity's general sporting director, which presented him to society on Tuesday.

Espanyol had luck on their side, from Marko Dmitrovic, against Levante, the second to last in the standings. Towards the end, the Serbian made three miraculous saves to salvage a point in a match that ended with a shot against the crossbar by the Granotas. Just after, the white-and-blue fans had had enough and for the first time this season booed and jeered their players, who have gone from dreaming of Europe to fighting against relegation. It would be the third in six years for the parakeets.

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.