During Girona's Christmas lunch with journalists covering the club in 2023, the club's sporting director, Quique Cárcel, had kind words for his Espanyol counterpart, Fran Garagarza, who had only been in the position for six months. The conversation stemmed from the fact that, at that time, Girona was in the Champions League places while Espanyol was in the Second Division. This meant that Catalan media attention, aside from Barcelona, was largely focused on Girona, and the club felt it should seize the opportunity to position itself and strengthen its brand. Everyone agreed, but Cárcel cautioned those present: "Garagarza is doing an excellent job, excellent. And he's a great person. I'm convinced he'll do well." And so it has: Espanyol has not only radically turned its fortunes around but is also enjoying a dream season and is the clear favorite in the derby this Friday in Cornellà (9 p.m., DAZN).

RCD Espanyol's sporting director, Fran Garagarza, has been hospitalized after suffering an acute myocardial infarction on Tuesday, according to the online news outlet. The StandsThe Espanyol executive is awake and stable under strict medical supervision in the ICU of Sant Pau Hospital. The club confirmed this hours later in a statement. Garagarza himself reportedly called the club doctor to activate the emergency medical system after feeling unwell at home. Garagarza arrived at Espanyol in the summer of 2023 after the team's relegation to the Second Division and this season has managed to build a squad that is achieving good results. The StandsGaragarza was scheduled to meet tomorrow with Manolo González to discuss the possible payment of the "fear clauses" to Carlos Romero and Ramón Terrats, two footballers who belong to Villarreal, Espanyol's next opponent.

"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.

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.

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.

Fran Garagarza had long considered the idea of creating a second Espanyol reserve team, introducing an Espanyol C into the blue and white structure. After exploring various possibilities, in early 2025 he contacted Vilassar de Mar, a historic club from Maresme with over a century of history that competed in the Third Division RFEF. The threat of relegation from the Elite League cooled negotiations, but despite the confirmation of the relegation, talks resumed in June, concluding with an agreement whereby Vilassar would become Espanyol's second reserve team.

Espanyol has started the 2025-26 season with its usual preseason stay in Torremirona and with many new facesOne of them is veteran striker Kike García, who Fran Garagarza has signed as a free agent after scoring 13 goals with Alavés, and who made his debut as a blue and white player last Saturday with a hat trick against Peralada.

A few days ago, Espanyol tweeted to congratulate Eloi Tost for achieving a 12.908 on the university entrance exams, the highest score of the seven players from their youth academy, all of whom passed, who took the university entrance exams (PAU). The Reus-born U19 B forward, who resides at the club's residence, needed a high score to enter the aerospace engineering degree, and Espanyol has given him every opportunity to obtain it. as in La MasíaDani Jarque, too, is given a lot of emphasis on his studies.

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.