Espanyol's new coach, Eder Sarabia, begins his management with a busy schedule that decides the direction of the club before the Christmas break. The parakeet team opens its November campaign on Saturday the 18th at the RCDE Stadium, where it faces Deportivo de La Coruña. Sarabia, who took the reins in his first training session the day before, will be presented to the media tomorrow and will have the opportunity to explain his project alongside Monchi, the sports director. The meeting with Deportivo, which shares the same number of points (eleven) with the parakeets, is crucial to maintain the good dynamic that began at Villarreal and to consolidate the club's resurgence.
The Basque coach, who will not be able to direct his players due to the sanction that prevents him from playing, will have the presence of his assistant coach, Jon López, who will already begin to leave his mark on the team's game despite having trained for a short time with the team. Saturday's day will be the first test of Sarabia and his ability to organize the parakeets in a high-pressure environment.
On November 20, after the national team break, Sarabia will make his debut as coach on the Espanyol bench in the match against Athletic Club, which will be played in San Mamés. This match, considered a “great game” for their first date, will be decisive for the confidence of the new coach and for the spirit of the team. The results of these four matches, which also include visits to Getafe and Alavés, will determine the team's position in the table before the Christmas break.
Getafe, who face Espanyol at the RCDE Stadium on the weekend of November 28/29, represent an important challenge, as the visiting team has shown an irregular performance. Sarabia will have to take advantage of the home field to secure a point that will allow them to move away from the relegation zone. The visit to Alavés, scheduled for December 5 or 6, will be the closing of this critical month. Alavés, although they have started with good performances, present themselves as a rival that can complicate Espanyol's fight to stay out of the relegation zone.
Overall, the coming month is marked by Sarabia's need to impose his playing philosophy and consolidate his stamp in the locker room. The results of these matches will define if the team manages to overcome the “bump” left by Manolo González and if it can reach the Christmas break in a safer position. The next objective will be to finish the season with an established base, avoiding the fall and preparing the club for the following campaign.