For the fifth time in its history, Espanyol will step on one category, the Second Division, from which it has always escaped the first attempt. A stage that will be new for a wide generation of parakeet fans who, despite living used to suffering, had never seen their team go down. The fatal outcome of a horrible course will break with 26 uninterrupted seasons in Primera, his second longest period in the elite since the 31 courses he lived there from the creation of the League (1928-29) to to the first descent of the entity (1961-62).
A League classic returns to hell, putting a break of 85 courses in the top category. So far, of the 63 clubs that have ever played in the Primera Division, only Barça, Madrid and Athletic have surpassed him, the only ones that have always lived there (89 seasons). Next year Espanyol will fall to fifth place for clubs with more seasons in the Primera Division, because they will also be ahead of Valencia (86). The parakeet descent has many readings, but one of them also has a point of pride, since since his last promotion he has seen most clubs that have gone through Primera go down. Entities such as Sevilla (19 seasons in a row in Primera), Atlético (18), Real Sociedad (10), Celta (8), Villarreal (7), Betis (5) and Getafe (3 ) also suffered similar episodes, but they managed to turn them into one-off accidents that served them to return with an added boost that has allowed them to dream of European competitions.
“We posed this course as an exciting challenge and we failed. This is very painful. We are confident that with relentless efforts, the club will return to its category. We look forward to the return of a stronger Spaniard, ”Chen Yansheng said in an institutional message from China apologizing to the fans. “The responsibility for the poor sports result of this course is mine. We have to do a deep self-criticism and reflection “, he added. The Chinese owner’s commitment to Espanyol remains intact. At the moment, he has no intention of leaving a club that, on the other hand, will lose economic value in Segona. Chen, an entrepreneur who has always worked to delegate responsibilities to his companies, has failed to surround himself with leaders capable enough to reverse the situation.
More changes in the staff than in the offices
The challenge presented to the white-and-blue entity is major, as it will have to be reinvented once again in a context marked by the impact that covid-19 has had on football clubs. In addition to Chen and a board of directors that will remain intact, the general manager, José María Durán Farré, and Rufete, the sports director, will be in charge of returning Espanyol to its place. The Alicante native, who has already appointed Domingo Catoira as the new technical secretary, still has credit despite being one of those responsible for the relegation. “It’s an opportunity to build a new Spaniard,” he said after the derby. “Going down to Second is a care of humility, it makes us reflect on many aspects. We’ve debugged responsibilities, we know who did what. We are changing a lot of things these weeks, we are refounding Espanyol. We have been working in a new direction for months, we are identifying mistakes and we want to explain the future “, added Durán.
“Soon we will start giving joy to the fan. We will have the highest budget in history in Second. Although the economic factor will not be decisive, it will be the management. And there are certain aspects in the culture of the club that we do not like “, anticipated the leader. Chen’s absence from the box office will be offset by what has been the club’s new strongman since January, a Durán who, in addition to being the institutional spokesman, will have the difficult task of restructuring an entity that will initially be serious treasury problems. The compensatory aid he will receive from the League – 30 million, according to 2Playbook – and the club’s budget will be the highest in the history of Segona. Nevertheless, the entity will see its salary limit cut from the current 80 million to 40 or 50. Before letting it in, however, it will be necessary to let it out. Until October 6, when the market closes, there will be moves in the offices.
Players like Bernardo, Ferreyra, Calleri, Iturraspe, Naldo or Corchia – who are no longer there – end their contracts and will not continue. These could be accompanied by others with a large poster in the market and who will not miss offers: Raúl de Tomás, Cabrera, Embarba, Roca, Darder and David López have many numbers to go out. “We would like De Tomás to be the new next year, but we don’t know if it will be possible “, admits Durán. They could follow three veterans – Diego López, Javi López and Dídac – with whom the club agreed to renewals during the confinement, thinking more about the treasury than about sports performance. The staff will experience a forced renewal for finances, but also for the demands of a very different category. Before the players, however, will have to hit it off with a coach who will play a key role in renewing the enthusiasm of a disenchanted fan.
Espanyol must recover its essence and become a rebellious club that fights to the end. You can’t waste any more time regretting a descent that everyone has been seeing for months. Complex months of hard work are coming to reverse the serious mistakes made and everyone at the club needs to be aware that there is only one thing worse than going down to Second: spending an eternity there.
Espanyol’s previous relegations
1961-62: From the Cup of Fairs to Second
The first decline in the history of Espanyol came in the first year in which the entity participated in a European competition, the Fairs Cup. Julián Arcas, the third coach of that season, picked up a team that was at one point of the leather and changed his face. Three days before the end, Espanyol was out of the relegation promotion. But following the European elimination (with a painful 5-0 in the return match of the quarterfinals at the Red Star field in Belgrade), the team collapsed and ended up sinking in the relegation promotion. The rival, a Valladolid that, despite falling 1-0 in Sarrià, was more ambitious in the return match. In his field he turned the tie around (2-0) thanks to two goals from Garcia (74 ‘) and Rodilla (88’) in the final stretch.
1968-69: The first direct descent
Six courses after returning to First came what, until this course, was the only direct descent to Second of the white-and-blues. Espanyol faced the last day of that league two points away from salvation. Winning in the field of a descended Malaga would have saved him, as he would have tied on points with a Zaragoza who was overtaken by goal average. The last episode of that course in La Rosaleda, however, was cruel. The Malaga team was shouted at by their fans but, in spite of that, they beat a collapsed Spaniard 4-0. A sad and bloodless new game for a team that has only been able to score five goals in the last 15 league games. That Spaniard was the worst visitor in the category: 3 points in 15 home games in which he did not suffer any defeat.
1988-89: The harsh hangover of Leverkusen
After losing the UEFA final in Leverkusen, Espanyol lost important players such as Soler, Valverde, Losada, Job, Lauridsen, Zúñiga, Losada, Márquez and Mauri. It was not renovated well enough. “We thought we would get ahead, but you don’t realize it, you’re stuck there and time is running out. Everything turns you upside down “, says Diego Orejuela, captain of that team that did not react with any of the four coaches. In the promotion, Mallorca overcame the 1-0 in Sarrià in a game decided in overtime by a controversial goal in a possible offside. Earlier they had canceled out another dubious goal in Golobart. “The relegation is the worst thing that has happened to me as a player. The ridiculousness and disappointment it implies for the club and seeing the fans have a hard time is hard to digest “, adds Iñaki Pérez de Arrilucea.
1992-93: From dreaming of Europe to falling to the Sardinero
Stranger was the fourth white-and-blue descent. On matchday 27, UEFA had three points. But a bad streak, 10 losses and a draw condemned the team to a new relegation promotion. Racing beat Sarrià (0-1) and maintained the advantage over Sardinero (0-0). “Despite having a balanced staff, the mood is very good. When you go out on the field but you don’t have high morale, these are complicated situations “, remembers Xavi Escaich, who together with Eloy Pérez is the only player in the history of the club present in two relegations. To get out of Second he believes that “you have to be strong mentally, because it’s a category that requires adaptation.” “You have to know that the way you play may not be the same. To think that you will win easily is a big mistake,” he says.
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