RCD Espanyol

Espanyol
Full name Reial Club Deportiu
Espanyol de Barcelona, S.A.D.
Nickname(s) Periquitos (Budgerigars) Blanquiazules (White and Blue) Mágico (Magical) RCD Español (name in Spanish)
Founded 28 October 1900 (28 October 1900)
as Sociedad Española de Football
Ground Estadi Cornellà-El Prat
Ground Capacity 40,500
Owner Rastar Managerial Group[1]
President Chen Yansheng[1]
Manager Quique Sánchez Flores
League La Liga
2015–16 La Liga, 13th
Website Club home page

Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona (Catalan pronunciation: [rəˈjaɫ ˈkɫub dəpurˈtiw əspəˈɲɔɫ də βərsəˈɫonə]; Royal Spanish Sports Club of Barcelona), commonly known as RCD Espanyol, or simply as Espanyol, is a professional sports club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.

Founded in 1900, the team plays in La Liga, the highest division of Spanish football. It has won the Copa del Rey four times, most recently in 2006, and reached the UEFA Cup final in 1988 and 2007. The team compete in the Derbi barceloní against FC Barcelona.

Espanyol play at the 40,500-capacity Estadi Cornellà-El Prat, having previously played at grounds including the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.

History

Foundation and club culture

Espanyol was founded on 28 October 1900 by Ángel Rodríguez Ruiz (1879–1959), an engineering student at the University of Barcelona. The club's original home was in the well-off district of Sarrià and was initially known as the Sociedad Española de Football. One year later, the club changed its name to Club Español de Fútbol. Espanyol was the first club in Spain to be formed exclusively by Spanish fans of the game.

The club originally played in bright yellow shirts, with the colour of the shorts being left to the individual player. A friend of the club founder owned a textile business and happened to have an abundance of yellow material left over from a job. In 1910, the club changed its name to Club Deportivo Español and chose blue and white stripes as shirt colours and as the central colours of the club badge. Blue and white was chosen in homage to the colours appearing on the shield of the great Sicilian-Aragonese Admiral Roger de Lluria, who sailed the Mediterranean protecting the interests of the Crown of Aragon in the Middle Ages. The club were successful from the very beginning, winning the Campionat de Catalunya in 1903 and subsequently playing in the Copa del Rey.

Development of club's name

Line-up in the 1980s

In 1906, the club folded due to financial reasons and most of the players joined the X Sporting Club. This club won the Campionat de Catalunya three times between 1906 and 1908. In 1909, this club was effectively relaunched as Club Deportivo Español, and in 1910, they adopted their present-day colours. Espanyol are one of several Spanish football clubs granted patronage by the Spanish crown and thus entitled to use Real in their names and the royal crown on their badge. This right was granted to Espanyol in 1912 by Alfonso XIII and the club subsequently became known as Real Club Deportivo Español.

Following the abdication of the same king in 1931 and the declaration of the Second Spanish Republic, due to prohibition of royal symbols, the club adopted the more Catalan/republican friendly name, Club Esportiu Espanyol. After the Spanish Civil War, the name reverted.

The club took the Catalan spelling for its name in February 1995. The word "Deportiu" in Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona is a Catalanised form of the original word "Deportivo" (Castilian), despite the correct word being "Esportiu" in the Catalan language. This choice was made in order to retain the initials "RCD" in the club's name.

In 1994, Espanyol created its reserve team, Espanyol B, currently playing in the Segunda División B.

2006–07 UEFA Cup

For more details on Espanyol in Europe, see RCD Espanyol in Europe.

With their win in the Copa del Rey the previous season, Espanyol entered the UEFA Cup. Following a 5–3 aggregate success against Slovak side Artmedia Bratislava, they were drawn in Group F alongside Ajax, Belgian minnows Zulte Waregem, Sparta Prague Austria Wien. Espanyol were group winners, victorious in all four of their ties.

Their opponent in the Round of 32 was Livorno, who had just scraped into the knockout stages. Espanyol were 4–1 victors on aggregate, recording a 2–1 win in Tuscany and finishing the job 2–0 in Barcelona. Next up was Israeli side Maccabi Haifa, and after a dour 0–0 draw in the away leg, Espanyol thrashed their Israeli counterparts 4–0 in the second leg. Many were starting to see Espanyol as favourites to go all the way to the final in Glasgow's Hampden Park.

If that were to be the case, however, Espanyol would have to defeat Portuguese club Benfica, two-time European Cup winners. Espanyol did not seem fazed by this, as they raced into a 3–0 lead in Spain. However, Benfica fought back and scored two away goals to leave the tie firmly in the balance. Nevertheless, Espanyol survived a daunting trip to Lisbon, coming away with a 0–0 draw, which was enough to book them a place in the semi-finals.

Germans Werder Bremen lay in wait for the Catalan side in the last four, but once again, Espanyol produced a brilliant home performance to virtually seal the tie on the night. A 3–0 rout of the Germans put the Spanish firmly in control, and any real doubts about their passage to the final disappeared, with a 2–1 win in Bremen. In the final, held on 16 May in Glasgow, Espanyol fell to fellow La Liga side Sevilla, losing 3–1 in a shootout following a 2–2 draw. They became the only football team in UEFA Cup history to remain unbeaten in the tournament, yet didn't take home the trophy. Walter Pandiani, who would leave the club at the end of the season, was the top goal scorer of the UEFA Cup of that season.

On 9 June 2007, Raúl Tamudo became Espanyol's highest-ever goalscorer after surpassing the 111 goals scored by Rafael Marañón. (Tamudo also scored his 113 goal in the night.) One of the most memorable of Tamudo's goals was his 90th-minute match equalizer away at the Camp Nou against rivals Barcelona in 2006–07. The goal, which secured a 2–2 draw, cost Barcelona the Liga title after it finished level on points (76) with champions Real Madrid, but with a poorer head-to-head record.

On 31 May 2009, Espanyol played its last match at the Estadio Olímpico de Montjuic, a 3–0 defeat of Málaga. Espanyol played in the Olympic Stadium of Montjuic after moving from their all life ground in Sarria. With the move, club talisman Raúl Tamudo had the unique distinction of having played in three different home stadiums with his club: Sarrià, Montjuïc and, beginning in the 2009–10 season, the Cornellà-El Prat.

Back home

After 12 seasons playing at the Estadi Olímpic de Montjuïc, Espanyol moved to the Estadi de Cornellá-El Prat. The new stadium was officially inaugurated on 2 August 2009 with a match between Espanyol and Liverpool. The periquitos ("budgerigars") won 3–0, with Luis García scoring the first goal at the ground, followed by a Ben Sahar double.

On 8 August 2009, Espanyol captain Daniel Jarque, then 26, died from a cardiac arrest in the Italian village of Coverciano, where the club was at the time after playing several fixtures in Italy. Since then, at every match in the 21st minute – his former shirt number – for a full minute an ovation is made in his honour. Espanyol supporters also pay tribute to Jarque by singing his name.

On 10 September 2009, the IFFHS published the best European Clubs classification during the 20th century, ranking Espanyol 98th due to their European participations.

Mauricio Pochettino, former player, was named manager of the team during the 2008–09 season in order to prevent the team from relegation to the Second Division; an objective that he fulfilled, the Club carries out a sport project based in the promotion of footballers coming from the Club lower teams as well as within this environment of cutbacks. In subsequent seasons, the Club managed to stay in the First Division trouble free, even in certain moments the team fought to take part in the UEFA Europa League. Nevertheless after 14 matches in season 2012-13, the Directors of the Club fired Pochettino since the team was last in the classification. A few days later, Mexican coach Javier Aguirre took over managing to revert the situation and obtaining good results.

Javier Aguirre carried on in charge one more year and again he managed to keep the Club in the First Division in the course of a so called transition season. Sergio González took over in the summer of 2014 and in his first season the team reached the semifinal of the Cup and the team ended the league with no difficulties in staying in the First Division. But on December 2015, the Board of Directors decided to sack him in view of poor results obtained. It was then Constantin Galca, another former Espanyol player, who was appointed as new Manager.

At the same time, there were remarkable changes office wise. President Joan Collet and his Board of Directors resigned on January 20, 2016 so that Chen Yanseng got in charge of the management of the Club. Rastar Managerial Group owner bought out in November 2015 the shares, over 50% of the written down capital to the main shareholders, thus he was able to be in full control although the operation was completed on January 19, 2016 when the acquisition was finally confirmed. His take over was crucial to cover several payments with the Treasury as well as various suppliers.

Stadia

From 1923 until 1997, Espanyol played their home games in Estadi de Sarrià in the Sarrià-Sant Gervasi district of Barcelona. In 1997, they moved to the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys on Montjuïc. For the beginning of the 2009–10 season, Espanyol moved into the newly constructed Estadi Cornellà-El Prat between Cornellà de Llobregat and El Prat de Llobregat.

Rivalries

El derbi Barceloní

Main article: El derbi Barceloní

Espanyol's local rival has always been FC Barcelona. Blanc-i-blaus, being one of the clubs granted royal patronage, was founded exclusively by Spanish football fans, unlike the multinational nature of Barça's primary board. The founding message of the club was clearly anti-Barcelona, and they disapprovingly saw FC Barcelona as a team of foreigners.[2] The rivalry was strengthened by what Catalonians saw as a provocative representative of Madrid.[3] Their original ground was in the affluent district of Sarrià.[4][5]

During the dictatorships of Miguel Primo de Rivera (1923-1930) and Francisco Franco (1939-1975), Espanyol was seen by the vast majority of Barcelona's citizens as a club which cultivated a kind of compliance to the central authority, in stark contrast to Barça's revolutionary spirit. This feeling stands in contrast with the fact that Franco gave financial support to Barça [6] Espanyol drew their support mainly from sectors close to the regime such as policemen, military officers, civil servants and career fascists.[7]

Though it is the most played local derby in the history of La Liga, it is also the most unbalanced, with Barcelona overwhelmingly dominant. In the league table, Espanyol has only managed to end above Barça on three occasions in almost 70 years and the only all-Catalan Copa del Rey final was won by Barça in 1957. Espanyol has the consolation of achieving the largest margin win with a 6–0 in 1951. Espanyol achieved a 2–1 win against Barça during the 2008–09 season, becoming the first team to defeat Barcelona at Camp Nou in their treble-winning season.[8]

Achievements

RCD Espanyol play at the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat

Trophies

Men's football

Domestic competitions

Winners (4): 1929, 1940, 2000, 2006
Winner (1): 1993–94

Regional competitions

Winners (11): 1903–04, 1905–06, 1906–07, 1907–08, 1911–12, 1914–15, 1917–18, 1928–29, 1932–33, 1936–37, 1939–40
Winners (6): 1994–95, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2005–06, 2009–10, 2010–11
Runners-up (5): 1993–94, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2006–07, 2008–09

Women's football

Main article: RCD Espanyol (women)
Winners (1): 2005–06
Runners-up (3): 2006–07, 2009–10, 2010–11
Winners (6): 1996, 1997, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2012
Runners-up (4): 1990, 2002, 2007, 2011

Men's basketball

Winners (1): 1941
Winners (2): 1931, 1932
Runners-up (3): 1941, 1943, 1954
Winners (1): 1981

Women's basketball

Winners (1): 1943
Runners-up (1): 1944

Men's hockey

Winners (11): 1944, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1951, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1961, 1962
Runners-up (4): 1946, 1952, 1953, 1958

Women's volleyball

Winners (3): 1985, 1988, 1991
Winners (5): 1984, 1985, 1986, 1990, 1992

Men's baseball

Winners (2): 1946, 1953

Competition summary

Current squad

As of 31 August 2016[11]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
1 Spain GK Roberto
2 Argentina DF Martín Demichelis
3 Spain DF Rubén Duarte
4 Spain MF Víctor Sánchez (vice-captain)
5 Spain DF Víctor Álvarez (3rd captain)
6 Costa Rica DF Óscar Duarte
7 Spain FW Gerard
8 Spain MF Salva Sevilla
9 Spain MF José Antonio Reyes
10 Ecuador FW Felipe Caicedo
11 Brazil FW Léo Baptistão
13 Spain GK Diego López (on loan from Milan)
No. Position Player
14 Spain MF José Manuel Jurado
15 Spain MF David López
16 Spain DF Javi López (captain)
17 Paraguay MF Hernán Pérez
18 Spain MF Javi Fuego
19 Argentina MF Pablo Piatti (on loan from Valencia)
20 Senegal MF Pape Diop
22 Spain FW Álvaro Vázquez
23 Mexico DF Diego Reyes (on loan from Porto)
28 Spain MF Marc Roca
29 Spain DF Aarón Martín

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
Spain GK Pau López (on loan at Tottenham)
Spain DF Rober Correa (on loan at Elche)
Spain DF Edgar González (on loan at Cornellà)
Spain MF Joan Jordán (on loan at Valladolid)
No. Position Player
Spain MF Paco Montañés (on loan at Levante)
Spain FW Jairo Morillas (on loan at Numancia)
Spain FW Adrián Dalmau (on loan at Mallorca)
Senegal FW Mamadou Sylla (on loan at Eupen)

Retired numbers

21 Spain Daniel Jarque (posthumous honour) (2002–09)

Players with most appearances

Competitive, professional matches only.

As of 24 May 2014

NameYearsLeagueSecond DivisionLeague CupOtherTotal
1Spain Raúl Tamudo1996–201034049389
2Spain José María1965–19762693110310
3Spain Antonio Argilés1950–196430145309
4Argentina Mauricio Pochettino1994–200627529304
5Cameroon Thomas N'Kono1982–1990241331910303
6Spain Arteaga1993–20032382829295
7Spain Manuel Zúñiga1979–1988259189286
8Spain Fernando Molinos1974–198426466276
9Spain Diego Orejuela1982–1991216331512276
10Spain Marañón1974–198326146271
1Includes Copa del Rey data only since 1997.

Managers

[12]

Dates Name
1922–24 Scotland Edward Garry
1924–26 Spain Francisco Bru
1926–June 1930 England Jack Greenwell
July 1930–June 1933 Spain Patricio Caicedo
July 1933–June 1935 Spain Ramón Trabal
July 1935-Nov 1935 England Harry Lowe
Nov 1935–June 1943 Spain Patricio Caicedo
July 1943–Dec 1943 Spain Pedro Solé
Dec 1943-June 1944 Spain Crisant Bosch
July 1944–Dec 1945 Spain Baltasar Albéniz
Jan 1946-June 1946 Spain Crisant Bosch
July 1946–June 1947 Spain Josep Planas
July 1947–June 1949 Spain José Espada
July 1949–Feb 1950 Spain Patricio Caicedo
Feb 1950–June 1952 Spain Juan José Nogués
July 1952–Dec 1954 Argentina Alejandro Scopelli
Dec 1954 Spain José Espada
Jan 1955-June 1955 Spain Odilio Bravo
July 1955–June 1957 Spain Ricardo Zamora
July 1957–June 1958 Hungary Elemér Berkessy
July 1958–June 1959 France Marcel Domingo
July 1959–June 1960 Spain Antonio Barrios
July 1960–Jan 1961 Spain Ernesto Pons
Jan 1961-Feb 1961 Argentina Alejandro Scopelli
Feb 1961-June 1961 Spain Ricardo Zamora
July 1961-Nov 1961 Spain José Luis Saso
Dates Name
Nov 1961-Dec 1961 Spain Ricardo Zamora
Dec 1961–June 1962 Spain Julián Arcas
July 1962–June 1963 Paraguay Heriberto Herrera
July 1963-Dec 1963 Spain Pedro Areso
Dec 1963–June 1964 Spain Pedro Solé
July 1964–June 1965 Hungary László Kubala
July 1965–Feb 1966 Spain Fernando Argila
Feb 1966-June 1966 Spain José Espada
July 1966–Oct 1968 Hungary Jenő Kalmár
Oct 1968–June 1969 Spain Antonio Argilés
July 1969–Feb 1970 Chile Fernando Riera
Feb 1970-June 1970 Spain Rafael Iriondo
July 1970–June 1971 Czechoslovakia Ferdinand Daučík
July 1971–Dec 1977 Uruguay José Santamaría
Dec 1977–June 1978 Paraguay Heriberto Herrera
July 1978–Dec 1979 Spain José Antonio Irulegui
Dec 1979-June 1980 Spain Vicente Miera
July 1980–June 1983 Spain José María Maguregui
July 1983-Sep 1983 Serbia Milorad Pavić
Sep 1983–June 1986 Spain Xabier Azkargorta
July 1986–Feb 1989 Spain Javier Clemente
Feb 1989-Apr 1989 Spain Pepe Mauri
Apr 1989 Argentina Raúl Longhi
Apr 1989-June 1989 Spain José María García Andoaín
July 1989–Dec 1989 Spain Benito Joanet
Jan 1990-June 1990 Spain Juanjo Díaz
Dates Name
June 28, 1990 – June 9, 1991 Spain Luis Aragonés
July 1991-Nov 1991 Serbia Ljupko Petrović
Nov 1991–Jan 1992 Spain Jaume Sabaté
Jan 21, 1992–June 30, 1992 Spain Javier Clemente
July 1992–May 1993 Spain José Manuel Díaz Novoa
May 1993-June 1993 Spain Juanjo Díaz
July 1993–June 1996 Spain José Antonio Camacho
July 1996–Jan 1997 Spain Pepe Carcelén
Jan 1997-Mar 1997 Spain Vicente Miera
Mar 1997-June 1997 Spain Paco Flores
July 1, 1997 – June 1, 1998 Spain José Antonio Camacho
July 1, 1998–Sep 6, 1998 Argentina Marcelo Bielsa
Sep 1998–Jan 2000 Argentina Miguel Ángel Brindisi
Jan 17, 2000–June 30, 2002 Spain Paco Flores
July 1, 2002–Oct 20, 2002 Spain Juande Ramos
Oct 2002-Dec 2002 Spain Ramón Moya
Dec 18, 2002–Nov 4, 2003 Spain Javier Clemente
Nov 4, 2003–June 30, 2004 France Luis Fernández
July 1, 2004 – June 30, 2006 Spain Miguel Ángel Lotina
July 1, 2006 – June 30, 2008 Spain Ernesto Valverde
July 1, 2008–Nov 30, 2008 Spain Tintín Márquez
Dec 1, 2008–Jan 20, 2009 Spain Mané
Jan 20, 2009–Nov 26, 2012 Argentina Mauricio Pochettino
Nov 28, 2012–May 16, 2014 Mexico Javier Aguirre
May 28, 2014 – December 14, 2015 Spain Sergio González
December 14, 2015 – May 27, 2016 Romania Constantin Gâlcă
June 9, 2016 – Spain Quique Sánchez Flores

Presidents

Dates Name
1900–02 Spain Ángel Rodríguez Ruiz
1902–06 Spain Josep María Miró Trepat
1906–09 no activities
1909 Spain Julià Clapera Roca
1909–10 Spain Ángel Rodríguez Ruiz
1910–11 Spain Evelio Doncos
1911–12 Spain Josep García Hardoy
1912–13 Spain Santiago de la Riva
1913–14 Spain Alfonso Ardura
1914–15 Spain Josep García Hardoy
Dates Name
1915–18 Spain José María Bernadas
1918–19 Uruguay Manuel Allende
1919–20 Spain Victorià de la Riva
1920–22 Spain Genaro de la Riva
1922–24 Spain Victorià de la Riva
1924–25 Spain Santiago de la Riva
1925–30 Spain Genaro de la Riva
1930–31 Spain Santiago de la Riva
1931–33 Spain Javier de Salas
1933–42 Spain Genaro de la Riva
Dates Name
1942–47 Spain Francisco Román Cenarro
1947–48 Spain José Salas Painello
1948–58 Spain Francisco Javier Sáenz
1958–60 Spain Frederic Marimón Grifell
1960–62 Spain Victorià Oliveras de la Riva
1962–63 Spain Cesáreo Castilla Delgado
1963–67 Spain Josep Fusté Noguera
1967–69 Spain Juan Vilá
1969–70 Spain Josep Fusté Noguera
1970–82 Spain Manuel Meler
Dates Name
1982–89 Spain Antonio Baró
1989 Spain Ferrán Martorell
1989–93 Spain Julio Pardo
1993–97 Spain Francisco Perelló
1997–11 Spain Daniel Sánchez Llibre
2011–12 Spain Ramon Condal
2012–2016 Spain Juan Collet
2016– China Chen Yansheng

See also

References

  1. 1 2 http://www.forbes.com/profile/chen-yansheng/
  2. Ball, Phil. pp. 86–87.
  3. Shubert, Arthur. p. 199.
  4. "Edición del martes, 09 abril 1901, página 2 – Hemeroteca – Lavanguardia.es" (in Spanish). Hemeroteca Lavanguardia. Retrieved 13 March 2010.
  5. "History of Espanyol". RCD Espanyol. Retrieved 13 March 2010.
  6. Missiroli, Antonio (March 2002). "European football cultures and their integration: the 'short' Twentieth Century". Europa (web portal). Retrieved 1 July 2009.
  7. World Soccer, September 1997, p. 74.
  8. "Matchday 24". FC Barcelona. Retrieved 13 March 2010.
  9. "RCD Espanyol Profile". http://www.uefa.com/teamsandplayers/teams/club=54189/profile/history/index.html. UEFA. External link in |website= (help);
  10. Catalan football championship
  11. "Primer equipo" [First team] (in Spanish). RCD Espanyol. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
  12. http://www.bdfutbol.com/en/e/e14.html
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