Chen’s next steps

“When mathematical salvation is consolidated, the conversation that everyone expects will take place with Rufete“. The words are of Mao Ye, CEO of Espanyol since the end of March after the departure of José María Durán. And he pronounced them not weeks ago but this very Monday, just two days before the parakeet team certified – not through a win, not even a draw, but thanks to Mallorca’s stumble – that will remain at least one more season in First.

LaLiga Santander

*Data updated as of May 12, 2022

Until having that guarantee, the club has been postponing its main decisions, and their respective announcements, which have been triggered as promised. Y the first to leave his position was Vicente Morenoeven though the technician He had just fulfilled the objective that had been entrusted to himpermanence, just like a year ago, reached with solvency that of promotion. A Francisco Joaquín Pérez Rufete will follow in his footsteps in the next few hours that, according to reliable sources, this Thursday he did not go to Espanyol’s office to communicate with Chen Yansheng, president and owner, because was in the Levante area. The sports director ends his contract in a few weeks. Domingo Catoira, until now technical secretary, will succeed him with total probability. It can be a Friday with several public appearances, and with the Theoretical promotion as interim coach of Luis Blancocurrent coach of Espanyol B.

The positions of greater responsibility, however, are not the only ones that can undergo variations, such as a bench for which nominations are already beginning to sound. It is inevitable that the workforce will experience little less than a revolutionTaking into account that Almost a dozen soccer players end their contract or they return to their club of origin after transfer. It is the case of Yangel Herrera, Manu Morlanes, Loren Morón, Tonny Vilhena, Fran Mérida, Dídac Vilà, Oier Olazabal, Óscar Melendo and Diego López. These last two are the only ones for whom there is any possibility of continuity, although the majority are still waiting to be notified the intentions of the club.

Other players will have a valid contract, but they will face their last season and are far from renewing, as is the case with Adrià Pedrosa. The left side points to one of the summer sales –although it also happened the previous year and stayed–, which the club needs first to balance the financial year 2021-22 and second for thrive in a market whereas Mao already advanced, The club will not count a priori with the economic injection of its president and owner, Chen Yansheng, but will be supplied with its own resources. And it is for this reason, among other reasons, that the name of Thomas RaulEspanyol’s main currency and asset, will appear again and again in the shop window of the possible transfers.

In that market, they already have a small part of the homework done Rufete and the technical secretariat of Catoirawith the closed additions of Brian Oliván, left-back for Mallorca, and Joselu Mato, scorer for Alavés. Other reinforcements will rise from the quarryvery secondary this course but the necessary cornerstone of an entity that in terms of results is rapidly lowering the level of its crown jewel.

But if the staff, the managers and the leadership are important, it will be no less crucial the role of the club in regaining the trust and appreciation of a crowd that has not been getting angry, indignant and furious, but in many cases disconnecting, the worst thing that can happen to a team.

The wish of this League final, the atony general at home, the inertia of recent years and a project as healthy as it is frozen they have provoked a dangerous apathy among the fans, which even a tycoon like Chen will have to take into account, no matter how much they have a residual shareholding weight, if you don’t want the parakeets to desert before he himself, sooner or later, does the same if a buyer definitely meets your demands.