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Mao Ye and Fran Garagarza review RCD Espanyol's season
The club authorities comment on the importance of top flight survival and progress
RCD Espanyol CEO Mao Ye and sporting director Fran Garagarza reviewed the recently concluded season in a press conference on Wednesday, and expressed their confidence in the club continuing to make progress in a new campaign that is expected to be just as competitive as the previous one.
Ye noted that the RASTAR group has provided the necessary capital to "avoid having to access external financing. It has been a difficult season, but we have managed to stay in the Primera División and have reduced our debt."
For Garagarza, it has been "a great joy and satisfaction to continue in LaLiga, despite the difficulties we have faced. We have achieved this with a struggle, but the fans have been key throughout the season. We have made a virtue of staying calm. I hope we continue to live up to the standards of our club, our fans, and our level of demand."
"I hope we're not as close to the limit as this year, and our idea is one of providing continuity in terms of the players in the squad. It's about making the right moves with new signings and working hard to achieve consistency."
He also acknowledged that "without last year's promotion and without us staying in the Primera División this year, we would have had a huge problem. Viability is achieved by staying up; I am 100 percent convinced of this."
Speaking about specific names, with the likes of Joan García and Omar El Hilali being linked with other clubs, Garagarza made it clear that, to date, "there hasn't been any official approach from any club to acquire any of our players, just a lot of noise. But we're calm. All the clubs know the amount they have to pay for them. There will be no debate about this."
Regarding other players, he explained that work is being done to agree a new contract for Javi Puado.
"For us, he's a key player, and we have to work hard to ensure he stays."
He also stated that the club's priority is to keep Carlos Romero and Roberto Fernández at the club, revealing that "we are looking for formulas to make it possible. We'll have to work hard to see if we can achieve it."
As for coach Manolo González, Garagarza simply stated that "we're working on it" when referring to the possibility of extending his contract.
"Our main goal is to take a qualitative leap in performance, because we had a scare in the Primera División -in the sense that the demands are very high, and we have to take a step forward."
Mao Ye argued that the upcoming capital increase "is a significant step forward," but that "we cannot create future mortgages. We have to remain in the Primera División, and on that foundation, we have to build, step by step."