Manolo González Eyes San Mamés Shock: 'Would Be Beautiful to Land a Proper Blow'
Espanyol boss Manolo González talks tough ahead of Athletic Bilbao clash as his high-flying side chase a fifth straight win to close out 2025 in style.
Espanyol Gaffer Aims to Continue Remarkable Run at Bilbao’s Cathedral
The surprise package of La Liga this season is heading to one of Spanish football’s most intimidating venues with their tails up and confidence sky-high.
Manolo González’s Espanyol side have been absolutely flying, sitting pretty in fifth place and riding a four-match winning streak as they prepare to visit Athletic Bilbao at San Mamés on Monday night. The Catalan outfit are looking to make it five on the spin to cap off 2025 in style.
Missing Pieces
Espanyol won’t be at full strength for the challenging away trip:
- Javi Puado remains sidelined
- Ramón Terrats is unavailable
- Charles Pickel is away on Africa Cup of Nations duty
González confirmed youth product Ferrán Gómez will be called up from the B team as midfield options are running thin.
The Winning Habit
The gaffer’s been keen to instill a winning mentality at the Barcelona-based club, noting: “The big teams are big because they get used to winning always. They win and win and win and never tire of winning.”
When asked about the possibility of becoming Espanyol’s Ferguson, González was typically modest but clearly chuffed with his progress: “Just being at Espanyol for the time I’ve been here already seems like a miracle. Lasting more than a year at Espanyol has merit.”
No Data Labs Here
In a fascinating insight into his coaching philosophy, González took aim at reports about Espanyol’s analytical approach: “We don’t work with data… this Data Labs thing, I don’t know where it comes from. We rely on images and real game analysis, not data.”
The manager seems to prefer the old-school approach over number-crunching, adding that data in football is “fictitious” in his view.
European Dreams vs Reality
Despite their lofty position, González is keeping his plates on the ground regarding European qualification:
“Right now the club wouldn’t be prepared to go to Europe. It would be very complicated to maintain the level in two competitions. If we can qualify for Europe, we’ll do it. And hopefully, it would be amazing, but going to Europe next year wouldn’t be worth it if you then get relegated.”
San Mamés Statement
González didn’t mince his words about what a win at Athletic’s fortress would mean: “It would be very beautiful to land a proper blow in a stadium of this type. Going on holiday with 33 points and winning five consecutive matches would be wonderful.”
The manager, enjoying what he describes as “the best year of my life professionally,” seems to be relishing the connection between team and supporters at Espanyol.
As they head to the Basque Country, Espanyol know they’ll need to be at their absolute best against one of Spain’s most iconic clubs. It’s a proper Christmas cracker in the making, and you’d be a right mug to miss it.