Espanyol bids farewell to its craziest year with a sterile point

Cornellà de LlobregatIt had been years since Espanyol had enjoyed such a calm end to the season, without the worry of knowing if they would play in the First or Second Division next year. It is the reward for having done their homework; very late, after 18 long, agonizing matchdays, but just in time. That is why the draw against Real Sociedad (1-1) did not hurt. It was inconsequential. In case of victory, they would not have been able to qualify for the Conference League either. It would have been a cinematic ending to the schizophrenic season of the Catalan team, capable of fighting for the Champions League and seriously seeing its survival in danger after almost five months without a win.danger its survival after almost five months without a win.

It was a day of goodbyes at the RCDE Stadium. Calero's, whose contract ends and he will not renew, and Terrats' and Carlos Romero's, on loan until the end of the season. Monchi still has to decide if yesterday was also the last match on Manolo González's bench.

To the Valencian footballer, who returns to Villarreal, the white-and-blue team will miss him greatly, where he has become one of the best full-backs in the League. Romero, a hero at El Sadar, yesterday was again close to scoring again with a shot from outside the box that went just wide. At the end of the match, the entire stands sang his name.

Also protagonist was Àngel Fortuño, who, like Lluc Castell, debuted in the League with the Espanyol jersey after a season in Dmitrovic's shadow. The goalkeeper from La Verneda made a great save from a shot by Óskarsson, who later scored. He scored at ease after a great assist from the Catalan Sergio Gómez. With the 0-1 score, Espanyol's utopian European qualification became even more complicated, and Marrero, the goalkeeper who replaced a Romero with discomfort, did not make it easy for them at all.

Nor did the referee, who disallowed Dolan's equalizer for an alleged foul by Carreras that only his assistant saw. Despite being reviewed, he did not disallow Roberto's 1-1, which put the icing on a brilliant individual play by Pere Milla and closed Espanyol's craziest season. Their fans celebrate, who will no longer have to suffer until the end of August.