According to Mundo Deportivo, after Espanyol's 1-3 home defeat to Elche, coach Manolo González offered harsh self-criticism. He stated directly that it was the team's worst performance since he took charge of Espanyol and apologized to the fans.
The match marked Manolo's 100th game coaching the Espanyol first team, and the club held a commemorative ceremony for him before kickoff. However, facing Elche, who were bottom of the league before the match, Espanyol lost 1-3 despite Elche playing with ten men from the 5th minute onwards. The result handed Elche their first win of the season.
After the match, Manolo said, "This was the worst game we've played since I came to Espanyol. There's nothing more to say. I have to apologize to the fans."
Espanyol had already suffered two consecutive defeats. Against Rayo Vallecano, the team lacked intensity early on, falling behind 0-2 by halftime. Although they rallied in the second half, they ultimately couldn't turn the game around. Against Elche, the team showed no similar resurgence. With little defensive pressure from Espanyol, Elche created chances easily, and Espanyol's only goal came from an own goal. What concerned Manolo most was that even with a man down, Elche repeatedly found space behind Espanyol's defense to threaten.
Manolo stated, "We are absolutely not ready to defend right now. As a coach, this is something my team would never have allowed in the past. I messed up on this."
Regarding the fans' dissatisfaction, he said, "We cannot ask the fans not to be angry; that makes no sense. When you create this situation yourself, what you need to do is turn it around."
Espanyol will next have a 20-day break.
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