This Monday, Ramón Rodríguez ‘Monchi’ stepped onto the grass of the RCDE Stadium, walked through the tunnel, was officially announced as Espanyol’s new sporting director, and minutes later gave his first statements through the club’s channels. With just three rounds left in the league and his new team sitting two points above the relegation zone, Monchi addressed the fans.
“I’m very excited to be at this club,” he began. “I’m here because from the very first conversations with Alan, I felt a lot of affection and respect. I come to try to contribute, not only in the future but also in the present.” He added, “I joined as quickly as possible because I believe any small push, no matter how small, will help the club—coming from modesty, humility, but also from experience.”
Monchi acknowledged the difficult moment: “The situation is complicated, but I believe Espanyol will survive because they have the sporting arguments for it. They’ve shown that throughout the season. Both the coaching staff and the players have the football, the ability to get the necessary points. What they might be lacking is confidence—perhaps not fully believing in their own possibilities.”
He continued, “I think if we all—the club, the players, and especially the fans—give them that affection and support they need, they will recover their sensations and moments and will once again become that team that caught everyone’s attention in the first half of the season. From the outside, they generated a lot of positive things for me, so the ideal is for all of us to push together so that they feel important again, regain confidence, and recover everything they managed to find in the first half.”
Finally, the new sporting director addressed the supporters directly: “I understand that some people have lost hope, that some mistrust the team, the coach, everything—the club. But I think this is the moment to trust, because in the end, if everything goes well, everyone will be happy. We must set aside doubts, grudges, and fears and create a synergy with the team.”