BarcelonaIf nothing goes wrong in the next few hours, Diego Martínez will be Espanyol’s new coach. The Galician, who will sign for three seasons, has been seduced by the sports project that has been drawn in recent weeks between the sports director, Domingo Catoira, and the general manager, Mao Ye, with the approval of the club’s owner. , Chen Yansheng, who has given his final approval. The Spanish president, who always demands a previous hearing with the candidates who are in the final three, has already spoken with Martínez. The sensations of both parties have been satisfactory. After reaching an agreement, and failing to close the last bureaucratic fringes, the club plans to present Martinez this week. “He is a coach who could give a lot to Espanyol,” said Mao Ye on Sunday during the Espanyol Supporters Club Gathering held in Avià.
As ARA explained on May 18, Martínez was the preferred option in the sports area, ahead of other options such as Marcelino García or Paco López. Espanyol intensified talks with the Galician once Vicente Moreno was fired. Without a team for a year, when he left Granada due to the wear and tear of three very intense years and, especially, because the project offered by the Andalusian team was not ambitious enough, the coach has agreed to take the step and lead a Spaniard who has been able to convince him with a project several years ago that he has a clear will not to settle for permanence and to grow in the future.
Inside the club, the fact of having convinced Diego Martínez to lead Espanyol is considered a great victory. The Cornellà-El Prat offices believe that this bet projects a message of optimism and will give a boost to the confidence of both the fans and the players regarding the new project that is to be built. Martínez, who had refused to lead Valencia and Getafe last year, had received other proposals in recent months, but he was expecting a project that was convincing enough to encourage him to return to the bench after a year of training. to live a few months in England.
The Premier League is one of the destinations where he would like to train, but for now he has chosen to continue in the League. Another bench he was waiting for was Sevilla, but the doors were closed when Monchi ratified Julen Lopetegui, who has a contract for two more seasons. Martínez had already coached Sevilla in the lower categories and was also the second coach in the first team. The continuity of Lopetegui on the bench of the Andalusian team placed Espanyol in a privileged position to get the services of this coveted coach.
Weight in the preparation of the template
One of the main arguments that have served Espanyol to convince Diego Martínez is the aspiration for growth of the project and the fact that he will be able to actively participate in the preparation of the staff. That is, he will work hand in hand with Domingo Catoira. In fact, according to ARA, the club stopped several operations, both entry and exit, waiting to receive the approval of the new coach. Martinez will be the first piece of the movement gear that the club hopes to activate in the coming days. Names like Óscar Melendo or Tonny Vilhena, who end their contract on June 30, are waiting to know the intentions of the new coach. If Martínez wants them, Espanyol will make an effort to keep them. Other names are also waiting, such as David López, who hinted at his farewell while waiting to see if the next coach had him or not. Closed signings such as Brian Oliván and Joselu are also waiting for the club to make the new coach’s name official.
