Sergio García has stepped in as the interim head coach of RCD Espanyol following the dismissal of Manolo González, who was removed from his post after a 4-3 Copa del Rey defeat against Sestao River.

Defeat in Sestao Ends Manolo González Era

The decision to remove González came after Espanyol suffered a 4-3 extra-time loss to fourth-tier side Sestao River in the Copa del Rey Mapfre. Jon Rojo scored the decisive goal in the 121st minute, marking the third elimination of Espanyol by a lower-division opponent, following earlier exits against Barbastro and Atlético Baleares, as reported by Mundo Deportivo. The defeat brought an end to a tenure that began in March 2024, during which González managed 107 official matches, secured promotion to LaLiga EA Sports, and kept the club in the top flight for two seasons, according to Infobae.

Infobae noted that González’s departure represents the third managerial change in LaLiga EA Sports for the 2026–2027 season, following the earlier dismissals of Carlos Corberán at Valencia CF and Luis Miguel Ramis at CA Osasuna. Espanyol enters this transition sitting in the relegation zone in LaLiga EA Sports, having collected only one point from their last fifteen available.

From Club Icon to Interim Caretaker

With the first team struggling and morale low, sporting director Monchi turned to former forward Sergio García to take charge of the dressing room on an interim basis until Eder Sarabia arrives. García, who was born in Barcelona in 1983 and raised in the Buen Pastor neighborhood, is remembered by supporters as one of the club’s modern idols. During his playing career, which included nearly 500 professional matches and 128 goals, he spent seven seasons across two spells with Espanyol from 2010 to 2015 and 2017 to 2019, scoring 50 goals and providing 45 assists in 231 official appearances while wearing the captain’s armband.

Before stepping up to the senior squad, García managed the Espanyol B team in Segunda RFEF, with which he has disputed seven encounters this season. His coaching background also includes stints with the youth categories at CF Damm and serving as head coach for Spain’s under-17 national team.

Preparation for La Cerámica and the Road Ahead

García took charge of training at the Dani Jarque Sports City on Wednesday, preparing the squad for an upcoming fixture against Villarreal CF at the Estadio de la Cerámica. Mundo Deportivo confirmed that the team travels to face Villarreal on Friday, with kickoff scheduled for 21:00 local time (20:00 UTC).

While García handles the squad on an interim basis, sporting director Monchi and the club leadership have arranged for Eder Sarabia to take over permanently, with Sarabia’s official presentation scheduled for Tuesday. Whether García can spark an immediate turnaround against Villarreal while awaiting a permanent successor remains the immediate question for the club.