The final match of the season is here, and for Espanyol, it’s a do-or-die situation. They face Las Palmas in a game that could determine whether they remain in La Liga or face relegation. The pressure is immense, but Espanyol has been in this situation before.
In 2004 and 2006, Espanyol managed to stay in Primera after winning their last match. Can they repeat history? The team’s performance has been inconsistent, with a mix of victories and defeats. Their recent form is worrying, with five consecutive losses pushing them to the brink of relegation.
This article will delve into Espanyol’s past survival stories, analyze their current situation, and preview the crucial match against Las Palmas. Will they survive ‘sobre la bocina’ once again?
Espanyol’s Rollercoaster Season
After a great April, where Espanyol won non-stop, the team unleashed after beating Getafe. It was so great that the joy spread through Cornellà to feed on the affection of its people. Everyone stood and clapped, also because there were seven matchdays left. There were even dreams of Europe after living in the catacombs for 10 matchdays. Then, the squad relied on the identity forged by coach Manolo González with the youth players at the helm. Also, the flash saves of Joan García, the goals of Puado and the quality jump offered by the winter additions of Urko González and Roberto. From a black to a bright future, it was thought. A mistake.
The team lacks quality and has plunged into a spiral of five consecutive defeats that have taken them back to the edge of the sewers, required to beat relegated Las Palmas (18.30, Dazn). That’s only if Leganés also beat Valladolid, another team that has given its bones to the Second Division. Otherwise, they’ll return to the second tier a year after going up. In any case, it is not the first time that Espanyol has faced such a drastic challenge and the precedents (2004 and 2006) are encouraging.
2004: Survival Against Murcia
After being in the relegation zone for the whole season, Espanyol reached the last league matchday with the prerogative of depending on themselves despite the threat from Celta and Valladolid. A win against Murcia, already relegated, would be enough to stay in Primera. They sang bingo.
“I spoke a lot with the players about their goals and possibilities, about what they needed to perform. They made a fantastic group of friends. That and footballers with the quality of Tamudo and with other talented players like Hadji and Maxi Rodríguez made the salvation possible,” recalls coach Luis Fernández, who arrived at the bench in the middle of the season to replace Javier Clemente.
“We put those virtues together with the youth players and we got away with it,” he added. The first goal came after a measured cross from De la Peña. And it was the release after a tachycardic match. I remember that that day we didn’t take a nap because of how tense we were. And it was reproduced on the field because we didn’t understand how it was possible that Murcia, already relegated, ran so much. I don’t know if there was a briefcase, and it is clear that nobody gives you anything in Primera, but it shocked us.” Luis Fernández, however, never doubted: “That team was prepared to suffer.”
The first goal, his number 19 in the course. And surely there were many fans who returned to recite the name of Gert jan Goudswaarde, the doctor of Glasgow Rangers who prevented, in October 2000, the signing of the striker to the Scottish club for an alleged knee injury. After the match, President Daniel Sánchez Llibre spoke: “Never again, Espanyol can not go through this situation ever again.” He was wrong.
2006: Escape Versus Real Sociedad
Having finished the previous season in fifth position with a neat football and the Espanyol team was not prepared to be seen in the mud. But they had an extra ball to save themselves: they only needed to win against Real Sociedad in the last match, pursued by Dimitri Piterman’s Alavés, which had s.
“The worst thing about that situation is the waiting, facing the rumour during the week. We all wanted the match to start,” says coach Miguel Ángel Lotina, who took the team concentrated to Peralada for a few days to make a pineapple and not divert the focus.
The reward, however, was long in coming, as Espanyol was virtually relegated for 13 minutes and it was not until the added time when Corominas caught a ball in the area to sentence the duel and the permanence. “It was desperate. Jarque hung it from our field, a balloon, Pandiani combed it, a defender touched it and in the second play, I controlled and shot quickly. It was not a super shot, but when you don’t give it perfect, sometimes it enters,” recalls the protagonist. That one, he says, whenever they stop him in the street they still remember the goal. Before the goal, the team had signed three posts. Suffocated shouts from the stadium, the stands full with 48,950 spectators. “I remember that before that I thought we were going to the Second Division,” Lotina accepts. “The goal did not arrive and you get nervous…, but we got it,” says Coro.
After the match, Lotina went to the stands and threw hugs to everyone and then cried on the bench, also with his players, remembering the hug that Zabaleta gave him between sobs. “My wife called me and told me why we didn’t stay, if I didn’t want to think about it again,” he recalls. But the decision was made. “It was time to leave. Because of the doubts in the board, which suddenly let it be seen that I was going to renew and then it seemed that I was going to bring another one. That was not good for.
Manolo González: A Beacon of Hope
That also happened with Manolo González, as his dismissal hung by a thread in the face of poor results. But the people are with him and the April sprint gave him wings and shelter. It remains to be seen if it also gives him salvation. The history of the club is on his side.
The Current Scenario: A Tense Wait
Espanyol is currently 17th in the league table, just above the relegation zone. Their fate depends not only on their result against Las Palmas but also on Leganés’s match against Valladolid. A win for Espanyol and a loss for Leganés would secure their place in La Liga for another season.
The team needs to put behind their recent losing streak and focus on the task at hand. The support of the home fans at the RCDE Stadium will be crucial in lifting the players’ spirits and pushing them towards victory.</n
Conclusion: Will History Repeat Itself?
Espanyol faces a familiar challenge: surviving relegation on the final matchday. Their past successes in 2004 and 2006 offer hope, but the current situation is precarious. The team needs to draw inspiration from those past victories and perform at their best against Las Palmas.
The match is not only about avoiding relegation but also about preserving the club’s legacy and pride. The players, the coach, and the fans are united in their desire to stay in La Liga. Will they achieve their goal? The answer will be revealed on Saturday, May 24, 2025.
Regardless of the outcome, Espanyol’s fight for survival is a testament to the team’s resilience and determination. It’s a story that will be remembered by fans for years to come.
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