Espanyol have appointed Sergio García as their interim manager for Friday's match against Villarreal CF at La Cerámica. The change comes after the sacking of Manolo González, dismissed following a Copa del Rey elimination against Sestao River and a run of just one point from their last 15 league games.

García, 43, is a club legend with 231 appearances and 50 goals as a player. He signed a contract until 2028 and was managing Espanyol B in the Segunda RFEF, where the team sits second. He previously coached the Spanish U-17 national team. The club released a statement saying that "la llegada de Sergio García significa la llegada de más ADN Perico a 'La21', además de ser un hombre virtuoso en liderazgo".

Crisis context

Espanyol are mired in a sporting crisis, sitting 18th in La Liga with only four wins in all of 2026. Their next opponent, Villarreal CF, are tenth with 12 points after 10 matchdays, from a record of three wins, three draws and four defeats. The Yellow Submarine arrive in high spirits after a 0-5 thrashing of Manacor and a 1-2 win at Mestalla, putting together two consecutive victories. Their form in the last five matches is three wins, one draw and one loss. The last meeting between the sides, on February 9th, ended in a resounding 4-1 win for Villarreal.

Villarreal, who trail leaders Barcelona by 15 points, face this fixture following a run of recent results that includes the win at Mestalla, a 4-3 defeat to Liverpool, a 0-0 draw with Elche and a 3-1 victory over Napoli. Diatta, T. Oluwaseyi, S. Cardona, N. El Jmili and N. Pepe. In the win against Valencia, the scorers were Alex Freeman and Georges Mikautadze.

Friday's October 30th match takes on added importance for both teams. For Villarreal, it's a chance to continue climbing the standings and close in on European spots. For Espanyol and their new interim boss, it represents a huge challenge on the day of the club's 126th anniversary. Manolo González managed the team for 107 matches over two years and seven months, but the poor run forced his exit. The Villarreal faithful will hope their team, who have scored 15 and conceded 14 this season, can capitalise on the opponent's instability to take three points at home.

Background and full detail: SPORT