Portrait of a historical twist

The one who warns is not a traitor. He is warning. This variant of the maxim could be applied to the President and owner of Espanyol, Chen Yanshengwho through CEO, Mao Yehad been launching ‘spoilers’ of the changes that would occur after the very moment in which the permanence was certified. Mao’s own appointment weeks ago, to the detriment of Jose Maria Duran, could have been interpreted as a first (and already revolutionary) track. From one day to the next, between Thursday afternoon and Friday morning, the club experienced a historical twist.

LaLiga Santander

*Data updated as of May 15, 2022

This is not an exaggeration, but a reality. Vincent Moreno had become just a few weeks ago the most capped coach of the Chen era (85, finally), ahead of Quique Sánchez Flores (79) and at a distant distance from the others: 44 Joan Francesc Ferrer ‘Rubi’, 26 Constantin Galca, 21 David Gallego, 17 Abelardo Fernández, 15 Pablo Machín and 7, Francisco Joaquin Perez Rufete. 38 draws, 21 wins and 26 losses, two seasons in a row achieving the objectives entrusted –promotion and permanence– and the monday championshipeven if it was unwanted, but what is the only title won under Chen. From an emotionally sunk team to the already famous “consolidation”.

Historical is also the output of Laundry, whose team appears next to Moreno in the Juan Segura Palomares Auditorium of the RCDE Stadium, for being the last two Espanyol coaches. That gesture, his predisposition to appear in the bitter photo of the descent, earned him as sports director a few extra credits from Chen’s perspective. And the promotion to the first, how could it be otherwise, extended that mutual loyalty that was confirmed with a special understanding in their conversations. Thomas Raulfor its goals and as equity in case of sale, is perhaps the crown jewel of the legacy he leaves at Espanyol.

If Moreno is the coach with the most appearances in the Chen era, despite the fact that never met personally –the coach arrived in August 2020, in a pandemic that has prevented the president from returning to Barcelona–, no one had covered as much time with a position of responsibility in the sports area as Rufetewho arrived at the club in the summer of 2018 at the hands of Óscar Perarnau, then general sports director, and who after his demotion at the end of 2019 took over, first unofficially and then as sports director in June 2020, the reins of a department for which he signed, shortly after, Domingo Catoira as technical secretary.

Two exits with curious offers

Curious anyway have been both outputs. In the case of Rufete, because he himself explained in his farewell letter that weeks before the permanence it was the club that offered to renew, given that his contract ended this June, and that it was he who summoned him until the objective was achieved. And as for Moreno, because The club has not endured the two remaining days to finish the Leaguethat not the season –the third year they would have saved it just the same– and even They came to probe him, after the dismissal, about whether he was in the mood to lead the team these ten days until the end of the season. Obviously, he didn’t even think about it. Y Luis Blanco is the interim coach until Sunday. for now

The historical facts of the offices and the bench are about to be transferred to the game rectangle, if the exit of emblematic soccer players who end the contract. The first sample in this sense were the heartfelt tears during the Espanyol-Valencia by David López, academy player, captain and twenty-first footballer who has played the most games as parakeet (236), above the legendary Julián Arcas (234) and about to equal in the Top-20 with Juan Verdugo (237) in case he has minutes in Granada. No less traumatic would be the departure of Óscar Melendo, the only player who has gone through all the categories of the quarry since the Escola.

It would also be historic the departure of Diego López, fifth goalkeeper with the most appearances (212) in the club’s 121 years of life after Tommy N’Kono (333), Toni Jiménez (265), Carlos Kameni (229) and José Trías (216), and holder of the Espanyol’s unbeaten records in the First and Second Divisions, and in Europe.

All in all, you have practiced Chen in a few hours, and In a few more days, it is estimated that in the next two weeks, it can finish configuring a radical change between the past and present of the club and its future.. Among the positions of responsibility, since the landing of Rastar in 2016 just hold on mao, who has been combining his position as a director with tasks such as the Feminine, the international business area, the deputy director and the omnipresence in any meeting worthy of the entity with the president and owner. Her success comes from commanding, together with Catoira, the return of the illusion and the achievement of that jump that so much resists the parakeet club.