Espanyol was, along with Getafe, the great revelation of the 2018-19 season in LaLiga Santander. The Catalan team finished the season in seventh position in the championship, which earned it to play the Europa League preview and subsequently achieve their place in the group stage. One year later, that project has completely collapsed and none of its protagonists can be satisfied with what happened. The last to fall has been Ruby, who took control of Betis and has been dismissed after a post-pandemic results crisis.
Everything was born from a project designed to save the category. However, it was soon discovered that the potential of those footballers went further. The climax was the second position of the 11th day, something unthinkable. Since then, the results began to falter, but at no time did the descent haunt. A new climb in the final stretch and the victory against Real Sociedad on the last day took them to seventh place and a triumphant return to Europe. With Beautiful wall; Borja from 'killer'; rock or Darder, of leaders in the core; and a great direction by Joan Francesc Ferrer, better known as Ruby.
An attempt was made to maintain the block that the feat had achieved, but it was not possible. Teams with greater economic potential knocked on the door of the RCDE Stadium and took three key pieces from him. Soccer players like Calero, 'Monito' Vargas or Jonathan Calleri. The first has hardly had continuity; the second has not achieved a performance that is as expected; and the third has played at his level, but with the nuance of not being a voracious scorer like the 'Panda'.
To top, Borja Iglesias left in the last days of the market, without the club having little room for maneuver to sign a benchmark of its stature. At least, he left money in the box to face the signing of the call to be a hero of permanence. From Benfica came Raúl de Tomás, author of four goals in the seven games he has played. Embarks It was another of the winter additions, also the result of the cash raised in the past summer market.
Monito Vargas, a signing with much to prove.
RODOLFO MOLINA (DAILY AS)
A team in danger
The main victim of last summer's changes is Espanyol himself. The loss of its operations commander and two key footballers has been really expensive. The team has gone from not stepping on the descent in a single day in the 2018-19 season to just being out of it on day 4 of the current championship. In addition, the alternation of Europa League and Liga has not favored when it comes to obtaining positive results every weekend.
The bet of the house did not work: David Gallego. So we opted for Machín, which lasted just over two months after signing the qualification for the Europa League round of 32, but only five of 30 points in the domestic tournament. At Christmas Abelardo arrived and soon after, the signings. With them, Espanyol has taken a step forward, without yet achieving the goal of emerging from relegation. Five points from permanence, it remains a difficult goal.
Betis, Rubi and Borja Iglesias
After a delicate negotiation with Espanyol, Rubi paid his termination clause and signed three seasons with Betis. He thus gave up playing European competitions, in exchange for an ambitious project in which he would, for example, have a footballer of the stature of Nabil Fekir. In addition, he seemed to enjoy the full confidence of the board, as they secured a long-term contract. Nothing is further from reality, He was questioned almost from the first day, with a team that has only surpassed the equator of the table on matchday 6.
Borja Iglesias and Rubi, in a Betis training.
MIGUEL MORENATTI (DAILY AS)
The victory against Real Madrid involved a kind of reconciliation with the fans, but the post-confinement results have not helped. So that, the board has chosen to dismiss him eight days after the end of the championship and with a small risk of decline still present. Rubi did not hit the key. His Betis have had very little goal and, at times, have depended too much on the individual talent of Canales or Fekir. In defense, they are the third most scored team in the category. As a visitor, only Mallorca has scored fewer points.
Borja Iglesias did better, but very far from the level and records that he signed in Cornellá. Betis reached an agreement with Espanyol to pay their clause in installments. It arrived in mid-August, already shot by the dispute of the Europa League previews. At the moment, he has only scored three league goals and is not the undisputed starter, against Loren's competition. It should be remembered that in Barcelona it marked 17 and a year earlier, at Zaragoza in Segunda, 22. However, it has been improving as the competition has advanced.
Mario Hermoso and the complicated adaptation
Atlético de Madrid paid 25 million euros to take over the services of Mario Hermoso. The central defender, who was essential for Rubi, is not essential for Simeone, who has resorted to him when he had no other remedy for injuries or to give rotation to the most common men. It was expected that he would be Giménez's partner, but Felipe has established himself as one of the revelation signings of the year.
Also, the 'Cholo' has resorted to Hermoso on several occasions for the left-back, which is not his usual position. He has even gone so far as to be out of the call in momentous duels such as Juventus or the return match against Liverpool. Now, with the accumulation of matches you will have more options. However, his contrast has been enormous: from the leader of the team behind the revelation to few opportunities at Atlético. Of course, his youth is his greatest guarantee.