RCD Espanyol facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Espanyol

Full name	Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona, S.A.D.
Nickname(s)	Periquitos (Parakeets) Blanc-i-blaus (White and Blue)
Short name	RCDE
Founded	28 October 1900; 124 years ago (1900-10-28) as Sociedad Española de Football
Stadium	RCDE Stadium
Stadium capacity	40,000
Owner	Rastar Group
President	Chen Yansheng
Manager	Manolo González
League	Segunda División
2022–23	La Liga, 19th of 20 (relegated)
Home colours Away colours Third colours

Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona, often called RCD Espanyol, is a professional sports club from Barcelona, Spain. This club plays in La Liga, which is the top football league in Spain.

Espanyol was started in Barcelona in 1900. They play their home games at the RCDE Stadium, which can hold 40,000 fans. Espanyol has won the Copa del Rey four times. Their most recent win was in 2006. They also reached the final of the UEFA Cup twice, in 1988 and 2007. Espanyol has a long-standing rivalry with FC Barcelona. This rivalry is known as the Derbi barceloní.

Club's Name History

First shield of Club Español de Fútbol

When the club started, it was called Sociedad Española de Football. In 1901, the name changed to Club Español de Fútbol. For a short time, the club faced money problems. Many players joined another team called X Sporting Club. This team won the Catalan football championship three times.

In 1908, the club was restarted as the Club Deportivo Español. In 1910, they chose their famous blue and white colors. In 1912, King Alfonso XIII of Spain gave the club the right to use "Real" (meaning "Royal") in its name. This is why it became the Real Club Deportivo Español.

When Spain became a republic in 1931, royal symbols were not allowed. So, the club changed its name to Club Esportiu Espanyol. After the Spanish Civil War, the royal name was brought back.

In 1995, the club started using the Catalan spelling for its name. "Deportiu" is the Catalan version of "Deportivo." They kept "RCD" in their name.

Club's Journey Through Time

How the Club Started

Espanyol was founded on October 25, 1900. A student named Ángel Rodríguez Ruiz started it. The club was special because it was the first in Spain created only by Spanish football fans. Other early clubs had links to Britain or central Europe.

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  CD Espanyol de Barcelona, Catalan champions in 1904

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  RCD Español in 1912

Ricardo Zamora with Español

In 1910, the club picked blue and white stripes for their shirts. These colors honor a brave admiral named Roger de Lluria. He protected the Crown of Aragon in the Middle Ages. Espanyol quickly became successful. They won their first Catalan football championship in 1903. They also played in the first Copa del Rey in 1903.

For a short time, the club had to pause its activities. Many players were university students who left Barcelona to study. Other teams, like X Sporting Club, benefited from this. But in 1908, the club was restarted.

In the 1910s, Espanyol won the Catalan football championship three more times. They also reached the Copa del Rey final twice. A famous player from this time was Ricardo Zamora.

In 1994, Espanyol created its reserve team, Espanyol B. This team helps young players develop.

Reaching UEFA Cup Finals

In 1986, Javier Clemente became the manager. He led the team to a great 3rd place finish. This allowed them to play in the UEFA Cup. They beat many strong teams like A.C. Milan and Inter Milan. They reached the final but lost on penalty kicks.

The club had to sell its old stadium, Sarrià Stadium, in 1997. This was due to money problems.

Under manager Paco Flores, Espanyol won the 2000 Copa del Rey Final in 2000. This was their first cup win since 1940. Six years later, in 2006, they won the cup again. They beat Real Zaragoza 4–1. Raúl Tamudo scored a goal in that final.

Chart of RCD Espanyol league performance 1929–2023

Winning the cup in 2006 meant Espanyol played in the UEFA Cup again. They played very well, winning all their group games. They reached the final in Glasgow. They played against another Spanish team, Sevilla. The game ended in a 2–2 draw, and Espanyol lost on penalties. They are the only team in UEFA Cup history to be unbeaten but not win the trophy. Walter Pandiani was the top goalscorer in that tournament.

On May 31, 2009, Espanyol played its last game at the Estadio Olímpico de Montjuic. They won 3–0 against Málaga. The club's star player, Raúl Tamudo, played in three different home stadiums for Espanyol.

Recent Years (2009–Present)

Iván Alonso in action during a La Liga fixture in August 2009

In January 2009, former Espanyol player Mauricio Pochettino became the manager. He helped the team avoid relegation. He even led them to a 2–1 win against rivals Barcelona.

After 12 seasons, Espanyol moved to a new stadium. It's called the Estadi de Cornellà-El Prat. The new stadium opened on August 2, 2009. Espanyol won 3–0 against Liverpool. Luis García scored the first goal there.

A sad event happened just six days later. The team captain, Daniel Jarque, passed away at age 26. To honor him, fans give an ovation in the 21st minute of every Espanyol match. His shirt number was 21.

In 2016, a Chinese businessman, Chen Yansheng, became the owner. In the 2018–19 season, Espanyol finished 7th. This meant they returned to the Europa League. However, they were relegated to the second division in 2020.

On August 3, 2020, the club asked La Liga to stop relegation, but it did not happen. Espanyol quickly won promotion back to La Liga in 2021. They were relegated again in 2023. But on June 23, 2024, Espanyol won promotion back to La Liga once more!

Club Rivalries

The Barcelona Derby

Espanyol has a big rivalry with FC Barcelona. This match is called El derbi barceloní (the Barcelona derby). In the early 1900s, FC Barcelona was seen as a symbol of Catalan identity. RCD Espanyol was seen as more connected to the Spanish government.

In 1918, people in Catalonia wanted more self-rule. FC Barcelona supported this idea. The local newspapers saw FC Barcelona as important for the Catalan independence movement. RCD Espanyol stayed out of these political discussions.

Today, FC Barcelona is often seen as closer to Catalan political leaders. RCD Espanyol tries to stay out of politics. Most of their fans are thought to be against Catalonia becoming independent.

Espanyol has sometimes complained that some Catalan public media treat them unfairly. They feel these media favor FC Barcelona.

Even with these differences, the derby is usually more important to Espanyol fans. FC Barcelona fans often care more about their rivalry with Real Madrid, called El Clásico.

The Barcelona derby is the most played local derby in La Liga history. But it's also the most unbalanced. Barcelona has won much more often. Espanyol has only finished above Barcelona in the league three times in almost 70 years. Barcelona also won the only all-Catalan Copa del Rey final in 1957. However, Espanyol holds the record for the biggest win in the derby, a 6–0 victory in 1951.

Espanyol did beat FC Barcelona 2–1 in the 2008–09 season. This was special because Barcelona went on to win the treble that year.

Home Stadiums

From 1923 to 1997, Espanyol played at the Sarrià Stadium in Barcelona. In 1997, they moved to the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys on Montjuïc. Since the 2009–10 season, Espanyol has played at the new RCDE Stadium. This stadium is located between Cornellà de Llobregat and El Prat de Llobregat.

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  Estadi de Sarrià

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  Estadi Olímpic de Montjuïc

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  RCDE Stadium

Club Achievements

Espanyol has a rich history in Spanish football.

• In 1928, Espanyol was one of the founding members of La Liga.
• In 1929, the team won its first Copa del Rey.
• Espanyol has played the most seasons in La Liga without winning the title.
• The team has played in the UEFA Cup/Europa League eight times.
• Espanyol reached the UEFA Cup final in 1988. They lost to Bayer 04 Leverkusen on penalty kicks.
• They reached a second final in 2007. They lost to fellow Spanish team Sevilla, again on penalties.

Honours

League

• Segunda División
  • Winners (2): 1993–94, 2020–21

Cups

• Copa del Rey
  • Winners (4): 1928–29, 1940, 1999–2000, 2005–06

Regional

• Campionat de Catalunya
  • Winners (9): 1902–03, 1903–04, 1911–12, 1914–15, 1917–18, 1928–29, 1932–33, 1936–37, 1939–40
• Supercopa de Catalunya
  • Winners (1): 2016

League (Women's Team)

• Primera División
  • Winners (1): 2005–06

Cups (Women's Team)

• Copa de la Reina
  • Winners (6): 1996, 1997, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2012

Players

Current Squad

No. Position Player 1 GK Joan García 2 FW Roberto Fernández (on loan from Braga) 3 DF Sergi Gómez (captain) 4 DF Marash Kumbulla (on loan from Roma) 5 DF Fernando Calero 6 DF Leandro Cabrera (vice-captain) 7 FW Javi Puado (3rd captain) 8 MF Edu Expósito 9 FW Alejo Véliz (on loan from Tottenham Hotspur) 10 MF Pol Lozano (4th captain) 11 FW Pere Milla 12 DF Álvaro Tejero 13 GK Fernando Pacheco

No. Position Player 14 DF Brian Oliván 15 MF José Gragera 16 FW Walid Cheddira (on loan from Napoli) 17 FW Jofre Carreras 18 MF Álvaro Aguado 19 MF Urko González de Zárate (on loan from Real Sociedad) 20 MF Alex Král (on loan from Union Berlin) 22 DF Carlos Romero (on loan from Villarreal) 23 DF Omar El Hilali 24 DF Pablo Ramón 31 MF Antoniu Roca 33 GK Ángel Fortuño

Reserve Team

No. Position Player 27 DF José Luis Català 32 FW Omar Sadik 34 GK Llorenç Serred 35 MF Rafel Bauzà 38 GK Pol Tristán

No. Position Player 39 MF Alex Almansa 40 MF Justin Smith 41 DF José Ángel López 42 DF Roger Hinojo

Players on Loan

No. Position Player DF Rubén Sánchez (at Granada until 30 June 2025) DF Ian Forns (at Murcia until 30 June 2025) MF Javi Hernández (at Huesca until 30 June 2025)

No. Position Player MF Roger Martínez (at Lugo until 30 June 2025) FW Gastón Valles (at Cartagena until 30 June 2025) FW Kenneth Soler (at Murcia until 30 June 2025)

Retired Numbers

No. Position Player 21 DF Daniel Jarque (2002–09) – posthumous honour)

Notes

Players with Most Appearances

	Name	Years	La Liga	Segunda División	Copa del Rey	Copa de la Liga	UEFA Cup	Other	Total
1	Raúl Tamudo	1996–2010	340	—	26	—	14	9	389
2	Antonio Argilés	1950–1964	301	14	38	—	—	4	357
3	José María	1965–1976	269	31	33	—	2	11	346
4	Thomas N'Kono	1982–1990	241	33	30	19	10	—	333
5	Mauricio Pochettino	1994–2006	275	—	30	—	13	2	320
6	Fernando Molinos	1974–1984	264	—	43	6	6	—	319
7	Manuel Zúñiga	1979–1988	259	—	29	18	9	—	315
8	Marañón	1974–1983	261	—	43	4	6	—	314
9	Arteaga	1993–2003	238	28	32	—	10	2	310
10	Diego Orejuela	1982–1991	216	33	27	15	12	—	303

Notes

Coaches

Club Officials

Current Technical Staff

Role	Name	Appointed
Manager	Manolo González	Mar 12, 2024
Assistant managers	Gerard Garrido	Jul 1, 2024
Fitness coach	Dani Parra David Martín	Jul 1, 2021
Goalkeeping coach	Iñigo Arteaga	Jul 4, 2023
Analyst	David Llobet Igor Labaien	-
Club doctor	Narciso Amigó Quique Pérez	-
Physiotherapist	Albert Torner Adrià García Daniel Marco Francesc Soriano Carles Busquets	-
Nutritionist	Robert Bausells	-
Kit man	Ángel Inac Víctor Ruiz Oscar Busquet	-
Delegate	Guillem Calzón	-

Board of Directors

Role	Name
Owner	Rastar Group
President	Chen Yansheng
Vice president	Wang Hongyuan
Board Secretary	Jorge Sarró Riu
Board Vice Secretary	Iñaki Frías Inchausti
Board of Directors	Liu Shenghua Mao Ye Wu Zheng Zefeng Lu Zuilan Rafael Marañón
Business and Coordination Director	Mao Yewu
Sport General Area Manager	Óscar Perarnau Figueras
CEO	José María Durán
Professional Football Director	Francisco Rufete
Professional Football Management	Raúl Tamudo
Academy director	Luis Vicente Mateo
Femenino Football Director	Raquel Cabezón
Femenino Sporting Director	Francisca Camúñez Moreno
Head of medical services	Manolo González Postigo
Marketing and Commercial Director	Antoni Alegre Puzo
Financial Director	Joan Fitó Pardo
Chief Communications Officer	Agustín Rodríguez Mas
Social area Director	Alberto Ariza Navarro
Head of Ciutat Esportiva Dani Jarque's Schools and Academies	Eloy Pérez García
Stadium Director	Josep Toldrà Alegret
Office manager	Olga Moscatel Vivet
Administration and human resources manager	Laura Carranza
Security Director	Antoni Guerra Rojas
Telecommunications Director	Ángel Rojas Gómez
Business Coordination and Expansion in Asia	Senon Chen

Presidents

Dates Name 1900–02 Àngel Rodríguez 1902–06 José María Miró 1906–09 no activities 1909 Julià Clapera 1909–10 Àngel Rodríguez 1910–11 Evelio Doncos 1911–12 José Gaspar Hardoy 1912–13 Santiago de la Riva 1913–14 Alfonso Ardura 1914–15 José Gaspar Hardoy

Dates Name 1915–18 José María Bernadas 1918–19 Manuel Allende 1919–20 Victorià de la Riva 1920–22 Genaro de la Riva 1922–22 Eusebio Fernández Muñiz 1922–24 Victorià de la Riva 1924–25 Santiago de la Riva 1925–30 Genaro de la Riva 1930–31 Santiago de la Riva 1931–33 Javier de Salas

Dates Name 1933–42 Genaro de la Riva 1942–47 Francisco Román Cenarro 1947–48 José Salas Painello 1948–58 Francisco Javier Sáenz 1958–60 Frederic Marimón Grifell 1960–62 Victorià de la Riva 1962–63 Cesáreo Castilla Delgado 1963–67 Josep Fusté Noguera 1967–69 Juan Vilá 1969–70 Josep Fusté Noguera

Dates Name 1970–82 Manuel Meler 1982–89 Antonio Baró 1989 Ferran Martorell 1989–93 Julio Pardo 1993–97 Francisco Perelló 1997–11 Daniel Sánchez Llibre 2011–12 Ramon Condal 2012–16 Joan Collet 2016– Chen Yansheng

Other Sports at RCD Espanyol

Before the 1990s, Espanyol had many different sports teams. In 2017, a group of fans and shareholders started a project to bring back these sports sections. They created a new multi-sports club called Seccions Deportives Espanyol. This new club is separate from the football team financially.

In 2017, Espanyol started competing in roller hockey and women's volleyball. The next year, they restarted their basketball team and added a handball team.

Men's Basketball

• Copa del Rey

Winners (1): 1941

• Catalan championship

Winners (2): 1931, 1932

Runners-up (3): 1941, 1943, 1954

Women's Basketball

• Copa de la Reina

Winners (1): 1943

Runners-up (1): 1944

Men's Rink Hockey

• Copa del Rey

Winners (11): 1944, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1951, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1961, 1962

Runners-up (4): 1946, 1952, 1953, 1958

Women's Volleyball

• Superliga

Winners (3): 1985, 1988, 1991

• Copa de la Reina

Winners (5): 1984, 1985, 1986, 1990, 1992

Men's Baseball

• División de Honor

Winners (2): 1946, 1953

See Also

In Spanish: Real Club Deportivo Espanyol para niños

• RCD Espanyol B
• RCD Espanyol cantera
• Ciutat de Barcelona Trophy