Manolo González admits his position is “in danger”

Manolo González has admitted that his job is under threat on the eve of the cup match against Sestao River. “I know my situation is in danger,” the Espanyol coach said, while also insisting that this was not a farewell. He intends to keep working for as long as possible, while acknowledging that results will determine what happens next.

The press conference took place in a packed room and included 26 questions over almost half an hour. Faced with the turnout, González quipped: “What is this, Barça-Madrid or what?” He then acknowledged that he had lost some of his standing: “This isn’t a farewell, but I have lost a significant amount of credit.”

The coach said he had not been told that an imminent decision had been made. He said he was preparing for the trip to Sestao with the aim of winning: “As long as I’m here, I’ll always face up to it, defend my club to the end and work as hard as I can. Results are what count.” He plans to field a strong line-up in pursuit of qualification, without revealing his selection, and said he might make a few changes.

González explained that the pressure stems above all from results. He believes defeats ultimately fall on the coach, although responsibility is shared. He also referred to goals conceded late in matches: in his view, avoiding them would have changed the situation, leaving the team with five more points. He said it was understandable for supporters to criticise him when the team was not winning.

He also discussed match management, acknowledging that the messages had sometimes lacked clarity and that the team had made mistakes in its approach to certain games. After a recent match, he said he had considered switching to a 5-4-1 formation, then rejected the idea because he feared it would send an overly defensive message. He wants his team to maintain its personality for 90 minutes.

Looking ahead, González said he was living with uncertainty and could not predict what would happen by Friday. He believes the debate could return if the team loses against Dépor. He said the players had trained well and wanted to win, even though the situation was apparent within the group. He also called on supporters to stay behind the team, whoever the coach may be, and said he would fight until his final day at Espanyol.