Espanyol sack Manolo González after Copa loss to fourth-tier Sestao

📰 LaLiga side Espanyol lost a cup tie to a fourth-tier club – and sacked their coach within half an hour. 📌 Key points 😱 Espanyol lost 4-3 to fourth-tier Sestao River in the Copa del Rey. ⏱️ Jon Rojo scored the winner in the 120th minute of extra time. ✂️ The club dismissed Manolo González about 30 minutes after the game. 📉 Espanyol lost five of González's final six matches. 🔻 They sit 18th in LaLiga on eight points, in the relegation zone. 📝 What happened 😱 The tie was played on 27 October at Sestao's Las Llanas ground on a heavy, muddy pitch. Sestao, who lead their Segunda RFEF group, went ahead, and Espanyol needed a 90th-minute Roberto penalty to force extra time. ⏱️ The sides traded goals in extra time to reach 3-3, but Jon Rojo struck in the final minute, the 120th, to knock Espanyol out. ✂️ According to Flashscore España, Espanyol decided to sack González around half an hour after the match. The club, on behalf of president Alan Pace and the board, thanked him for his commitment and professionalism. 💬 González had admitted before the game that his future was at stake. Afterwards he said he felt 'really down, completely shattered', calling it 'one of the worst days of my life, without a doubt'. 📊 By the numbers • Cup result: Sestao 4-3 Espanyol (after extra time) • González's last six games: 5 defeats • LaLiga position: 18th, 8 points 🔭 Why it matters González arrived in March 2024, won promotion within months and kept Espanyol up for two seasons – but even that record could not survive a cup exit to a fourth-tier side. No successor has been named yet. Sporting director Monchi has work to do, and Espanyol face Villarreal in LaLiga on Friday 30 October.