From Nou Barris to Europe: the secret weapon of Manolo González's Espanyol

BarcelonaEspanyol 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.

"Sometimes people look down on Segunda B (Spanish Third Division)... well, I was already doing that goal-scoring move at Penya Deportiva, Badalona, and Montañesa," said the Galician after the victory in Getafe, sealed once again from the penalty spot – half of Espanyol's goals (10): a cross from Expósito to the penalty spot, a block by Urko González, and a header into the net by Cabrera, who was coming from behind. "It's a play that's been done forever. I remember several goals like that at Montañesa," confirms former center-back Juan Pablo Amantini, who played alongside Manolo González at the Nou Barris club and, later, at Badalona.

"The Montañesa pitch is very small, and strategy was key; we made the most of it. We practiced it every Friday. They were simple plays to learn and very effective. With Nils Puchades and Alberto Padilla as set-piece takers, and Sascha, Borges, or Amantini, who were beasts at finishing, we scored a lot of goals. We scored a lot of goals. I'd never scored as many as that season (2013-14). I think I alone scored six or seven," the Argentine defender recalls. His last goal came in the controversial play-off The promotion playoff to Segunda B against Formentera was also Manolo González's last at the Montaña, where, in his first stint as coach of an amateur team, he led the club to its best season ever; thanks in large part to his tactical approach.

"I also placed great importance on Badalona. On Saturdays before matches, we practiced free kicks from the flanks and corner kicks, and many Fridays we also practiced throw-ins. In fact, in 2020 we forced extra time against Granada with a header from Robusté from a corner kick in the previous round, the day that the Badalona was eliminated in Bordalás' EuroGetafe match. in the Copa del Rey, and for the first time, Manolo González's name was heard beyond the artificial turf fields of Catalonia.

The tandem with Gerard Garrido

"If you look at the Espanyol bench during set pieces, you'll see one of Manolo's assistants standing there giving instructions. That's Garri," points out Max Marcet, who played under the Galician coach at Badalona and Peña Esportiva Ibiza in the Segunda RFEF (Spanish Second Division). The current Sant Andreu player is referring to Gerard Garrido, the Espanyol assistant coach and the one in charge of the tactics, who practices in Sant Adrià on Thursdays.

Garrido is a football fanatic who played as a midfielder for several teams in the Baix Empordà region. A decade ago, at the age of 23, he hung up his boots to become an assistant coach for Palamós, Tordera, Ordino (Andorra), and Llagostera under Oriol Alsina, before serving as Manolo González's assistant in the Pitiusas Islands between 2021 and 2022. After confirming the Galician as Espanyol's manager following their promotion to La Liga, the first thing he asked the Basque sporting director was to sign Garri – also known as Garri in the Espanyol dressing room – who, like him, lacked experience in the top flight. "They make an incredible team. It's no wonder they're doing so well," Marcet concludes. "Garrido is everything you could hope for in an assistant coach: a born worker with tactical acumen and incredible analytical skills; plus, he's a great guy, very approachable with the players. Manolo, who considers him a brother, surrounds himself with good professionals and, above all, good people," Moreno concludes. It's there that the connection was born that breaks down prejudices in La Liga and has turned Espanyol into the surprise team of Spanish football.