"Good morning, everyone. I hope you understand me. I'm sorry, but that's all I can say to you today in Catalan. I only know a little." Thus, with an apology for not mastering the language of Catalonia, he began his first public address as a speaker. new owner of Espanyol American Alan Pace, who voluntarily answered the press's questions in Spanish and not in English, his native language. "I hope that in 10 or 20 years my Catalan will be better than my Spanish, which is horrible," added the majority shareholder of the Blue and Whites, laughing, worried about making himself understood and surprised by the expectation generated by his first appearance, with more than 50 accredited journalists.

On July 14, Espanyol announced that Rastar had reached an agreement with Velocity Sport Limited (VSL) to sell the club to him for €130 million. Two weeks later, the shareholders of the Chinese conglomerate accepted the change of hands at a shareholders' meeting, which includes a 16.45% stake in VSL, which controls the Espanyol club and English club Burnley, both teams under the umbrella of the business holding company led by Alan Pace.

It will soon be ten years since Rastar Group landed at Espanyol. It has been a decade of ups and downs, marked by one European qualification, two promotions and two relegations, and It has cost Chen Yansheng more than 240 million euros., owner of the Chinese conglomerate that controls 99.6% of the shares of the blue and white club. The latest investment was made official this Friday during the extraordinary general shareholders' meeting, which approved a capital increase—Rastar's fourth—worth almost 32 million euros.

It's not yet official, but it will be very soon: Javi Puado will renew his contract with Espanyol. After months of uncertainty and rumors, the Blue and Whites' second captain, whose contract expires on June 30th and who has been free to negotiate his future since January 1st, will remain linked to the club of his life. He has had no shortage of offers, but neither Sevilla nor Real Sociedad nor the petrodollars from Saudi Arabia have convinced Espanyol's top scorer, hero of last season's promotion and of the agonizing permanence of this year, sealed with a goal and an assist from the Barcelona striker against Las Palmas.

In a few months, Rastar Group will celebrate a decade at the helm of Espanyol. A journey full of ups and downs, marked by two relegations, two promotions, and one European qualification. Chen Yansheng, owner of the Chinese holding company and also of the blue and white club since late 2015, has not set foot in Barcelona for almost three years, but from his offices in Guangzhou, he oversees and closely monitors all decisions related to the club's management. No momentous decision is authorized without his approval, whether it's a signing for the first team or a new sponsorship.