Sports · Football · 4 hrs ago
Espanyol sack Manolo González after Copa del Rey loss to fourth-tier Sestao River
Espanyol have sacked coach Manolo González after their Copa del Rey defeat on Tuesday.
Fourth-tier Sestao River scored twice in extra time, including a 121st-minute winner, to beat the LaLiga side 4-3 and knock it out in the first round.
The loss followed a difficult league run: Espanyol had gone five LaLiga games without a win and were in the relegation zone.
The Barcelona club is owned by Velocity Sports Limited, an investment group led by Alan Pace that includes former NFL player J.J. Watt.
Espanyol are at risk of relegation if their league position does not improve, though the season is still in progress.
González has been dismissed, and no replacement was named in the information available.
Espanyol sacked coach Manolo González after losing 4-3 to fourth-tier Sestao River in the Copa del Rey.
Sestao scored the winning goal in the final minute of extra time, eliminating Espanyol in the first round.
González was already under pressure after Espanyol lost to Racing Santander and went five league games without a win.
Espanyol were 18th in La Liga after 10 league matches, according to Voetbal International.
The club’s ownership group includes former NFL player J.J. Watt and is led by American businessman Alan Pace.
- Who
- Espanyol and coach Manolo González; Sestao River defeated Espanyol.
- What
- Espanyol sacked González after a 4-3 Copa del Rey defeat to fourth-tier Sestao River.
- When
- Tuesday, 27 October 2026.
- Where
- Las Llanas, Sestao, in the Copa del Rey.
- Why
- The cup defeat followed poor league form, including five league games without a win and a place in the relegation zone.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Espanyol lost 4-3 to Sestao River in the first round of the Copa del Rey, with Jon Rojo scoring the extra-time winner.
Espanyol dismissed Manolo González hours after the cup defeat.
- Final score
- Sestao River 4-3 Espanyol
- Winning goal
- Jon Rojo scored in the final minute of extra time
- League position
- 18th after 10 matches, according to Voetbal International
- Winless league run
- Five games, according to ESPN
- Ownership group
- Velocity Sports Limited, led by Alan Pace and including J.J. Watt
3 sources
What people are saying
We are not stupid. But I will give everything for Espanyol until the last day. We were promoted and stayed up twice. Nobody can take that away from me.
Espanyol wants to thank González for his work over the past years. We wish him much success in his future projects.
Posts on X
✍️ OFICIAL | Manolo González deixa de ser entrenador de l'#RCDE. El Club vol agrair-li la seva feina durant tots aquests anys i li desitja molta sort en els seus projectes futurs.