Espanyol's first-round Copa del Rey exit to Sestao River did more than dump them out of the competition. It was followed a few hours later by the dismissal of Manolo González, with the club 18th in La Liga and on just one point from their last 15.
The cup tie that tipped the decision
Relevo reported that Espanyol were eliminated 4-3 by Sestao River, a Segunda RFEF side, and that the game needed extra time after a penalty in the 90th minute. Jon Rojo then scored the 121st-minute winner, turning a bad night into a very public embarrassment for a club already under pressure.
The scoreline is the part that will grab attention, and the context around it is even harsher. Espanyol have only 8 points from 10 matches, and their last five league results are LLDLL, which is the kind of run that leaves very little room for a cup upset to be treated as a one-off.
What comes next for Espanyol
Relevo said the dismissal came with Espanyol 18th in La Liga and just one point from the last 15. Sergio García, the reserve-team coach, will take charge on an interim basis on Friday against Villarreal.
Sestao River's celebration was public too, with the club account posting after the result. For Espanyol, though, the main issue is not the cup itself anymore. They go into Friday with an interim coach and a league position that has left the board acting fast.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
