Espanyol make U-turn on manager as they return to La Liga next season | OneFootball

Espanyol had been planning to change managers this summer, but interim coach Manolo Gonzalez will hold onto the job.

Gonzalez, 45, had spent much of his career managing teams in and around Barcelona in the lower divisions, before joining Espanyol B and doing a good job. So much so that he was chosen as the interim boss for Los Pericos until the end of the season when Luis Miguel Ramis was sacked.

As reported earlier this week, Sporting Director Fran Garagarza had originally wanted former Espanyol coach Sergio Gonzalez to return to the position, but hip surgery would have prevented him from taking charge for a number of weeks, ruling himself out. Gonzalez has been appointed on a one-year deal with an option for a further year extension.

Their new permanent coach finished fourth in Segunda with Los Pericos, but eeked out a 1-0 win on aggregate over Sporting Gijon in the play-off semi-finals, before coming back from a goal down in the first leg of the final against Real Oviedo to win the second 2-0 back in Cornella.