"If I have to ask forgiveness from the people who felt offended, then I ask forgiveness," Eder Sarabia told Europa Press, in comments translated from Spanish, at his official presentation as Espanyol coach on 4 November 2026 in Barcelona. The apology was aimed at remarks he made in December 2023 while coaching FC Andorra. Just as important, Sarabia used the occasion to promise that Espanyol will now be defended "to the death" and to make clear he is not arriving with a revolution speech.

The presentation carried both themes at once. Sarabia was trying to reset relations with supporters, but he also laid out a football message built on continuity, restraint and a gradual rebuild.

The apology came first

Sarabia knew the issue would follow him into the room, so he dealt with it head-on. Speaking to Europa Press, in comments translated from Spanish, he said: "We have always defended what is ours tooth and nail. In that case, the day of Andorra, if I have to ask forgiveness from the people who felt offended, then I ask forgiveness. I also tell those people that what is ours now is the Real Club Deportivo Espanyol and that we are going to defend it to the death to take it where we understand it has to be."

That was the heart of the unveiling. Not because the football side was ignored, but because any new coach walking into this situation would have needed to address it cleanly.

He returned to the same point in comments quoted in Spanish by Estadio Deportivo: "My past? We have always defended what is ours tooth and nail out of responsibility, commitment, conviction and gratitude. About what I said while I was at Andorra, well, if I have to apologise to the people who felt offended, I apologise. I also tell them that what matters to us now is Espanyol and that we are going to defend it to the death. With our work, our energy and our emotions we will try to put it where it deserves to be. It is a big club, with a great fanbase."

There is an obvious reason he chose that tone. The club do not need a manager spending his first week reopening an old argument. They need one who can settle the mood quickly and get on with the job.

The football message was about continuity

Sarabia's pitch on the team itself was cautious, and that probably suits where Espanyol are. He did not talk like a coach tearing everything up. He talked like someone who thinks there is already a base to recover.

Quoted by Europa Press in comments translated from Spanish, he said: "Manolo in this dressing room is always going to be spoken about well, we have already had a first meeting with the players in which we talked about what things they want to feel again. Not long ago this team was a very reliable team; the players felt strong, convinced and knew that no matter who they played against they could win. That is recovering many of the good things this team has done with Manolo González and then gradually adding our own touch."

That sounds much more like a repair job than a reset built on ego. Sarabia wants to recover reliability first, then add his own ideas once the team feels stable again.

He made the same point to Estadio Deportivo, again in translated comments: "In the first meeting with the players, we talked about the things they want to feel again. Not long ago, this was a reliable team, and its players felt strong and convinced, capable of winning in any scenario. We want to recover many good things that the team has done with Manolo and give it our touch."

That is a smart read of the dressing room. New managers often feel pressure to announce a new identity straight away. Sarabia seems to understand that a side low in the table usually needs clarity before it needs novelty.

Espanyol's league position explains the caution

The context is straightforward enough. Espanyol are 14th in La Liga with 11 points from 11 matches and a goal difference of minus 1. Their recent run is uneven rather than encouraging, with one win in the last five league games, plus a draw and three defeats. Sarabia is taking over a team that needs stabilising.

That is why his language around time and process matters more than any grand tactical promise. Speaking to Estadio Deportivo in comments translated from Spanish, he said: "This is a big Vuelta and you have to go stage by stage. So that in the end you are in a position to do important things. As I learned from Quique Setién, when you go to places you have to do it thinking that it is for life."

He also pointed to the players' quality, while admitting the adjustment cannot be instant. In the same interview, quoted in Spanish by Estadio Deportivo, Sarabia said: "Against Villarreal things happened and people already started saying, 'ah well maybe it is a team for Eder after all.' For me, this is a team that has a lot of talent, many alternatives and, surely, when we get to know the players more we will be able to get more performance out of them. We have spoken with the players to ask them where they feel most comfortable and to know where they can perform best. We have to be intelligent because it is not the same to take over a team at the beginning as now, but there is a lot of quality."

That leaves a pretty clear first impression. Sarabia's unveiling was about apology and tactics, but the two were linked by the same idea: lower the noise, rebuild trust and restore a team that has drifted to 14th after 11 league matches.

FAQ

Why did Eder Sarabia apologise at his Espanyol unveiling?

Sarabia apologised for remarks he made in December 2023 while coaching FC Andorra that offended Espanyol supporters. At his presentation in Barcelona on 4 November 2026, he said that if people felt offended, he asked forgiveness and tried to reset relations from day one.

What did Eder Sarabia say about Manolo González's work at Espanyol?

Sarabia said his first job is to recover the reliable, convinced version of Espanyol that existed under Manolo González. He described that as a team that felt strong and believed it could win against anyone, with his own ideas to be added gradually rather than through a sudden overhaul.

What situation is Eder Sarabia walking into at Espanyol?

Espanyol are 14th in La Liga with 11 points from 11 matches and a goal difference of minus 1. Their recent league run has been uneven, with one win in the last five, so Sarabia's early message has been about stability, patience and a step-by-step reset.

Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →