Crisis at Espanyol before visiting Sporting, their star explodes against the environment: “Enough is enough!”
The RCD Espanyol, facing the first leg of the Playoff semifinals for promotion against Real Sporting de Gijón this Sunday, is confronting a new challenge in a season where the team’s roster construction aimed to quickly return to the top flight, as one of the 3 recently relegated teams. Their season has been turbulent, always hovering around the top positions, but lacking the consistency in results to break into the direct promotion spots. In this sense, up to 3 coaches have passed through their bench, demonstrating the lack of stability given to coaches and the high demands in the “perico” environment and the club itself.
It has been this demand that has prompted two of their main references in the squad to speak out in the last hours. The first to do so was Nico Melamed, a club youth product, who posted a brief message on his personal social media alluding to external “gossip.” Shortly after, Martin Braithwaite, the top scorer of the white and blue team, was much more forceful, directly referring to the media environment surrounding the club with a cry of “Enough is enough!” These messages seek unity but also show the turbulent waters flowing through the “perico” river, where Sporting, no stranger to the pressure from the rival, will seek their gain.
“I do believe that Espanyol has more pressure in this tie. They have a squad assembled to ascend directly, it’s their demand. They have a lot of pressure and responsibility to be in La Liga. They have had 3 coaches and the obligation to be at the top all year, and if they haven’t achieved it, it’s because something has gone wrong,” commented Miguel Ángel Ramírez today regarding the pressure and favoritism of the Catalans for this tie.
Regarding the statements from his players, their coach, Manolo González, also spoke at a press conference today: “I can’t say anything about the statements because I have no idea; I don’t have social media, I have no idea. I imagine it must have been for good, Martin is with Nico in the locker room every day, if he is at his level, he is differential in this category, the more people on board, the better. Nico came out the other day and held up, scored a goal, hit the post, he is committed to helping the team in any way necessary. I like to talk to them, face to face with the player, I speak frankly to their face, today I did it with four or five, it’s nothing special, this way you can tell how the player is feeling.”
Nico Melamed’s statement: “It’s the moment of truth and the most important of the year. After a season of ups and downs, and we are aware, the time has come to unify forces to take this shield where it deserves. There will be time to clarify all the gossip, with truths. Now just to win. Just to go up. Together. Let’s go, my Espanyol.”
Martin Braithwaite’s statement: “Over the past two years, I have had the privilege of being part of the ‘perica’ family: getting to know its people, values, living the passion for this club is something very special. I use the word family on purpose: because that’s what we are. I myself am a family man, and my number 1 priority is to protect it, both my personal one and the ‘perica’ one, which I have come to love and respect. We are in the most important moment of the season, where the slightest mistake is lethal, and reading so much false and negative information in the media about some players is something that disappoints me. And it fills me with rage.
Those who know me know that I work hard. I never complain, as I like to channel my positive energy, but reading false information about a player like Melamed is too much. Nico is a true ‘perico’, who wears the number 21 because he knows what it represents for the club… Enough is enough.
I don’t want to go into details, but this Club is much bigger than the rumors spread. I understand that fans may be upset when they read certain things, but we cannot respond. Now I only ask one thing, that players, staff, and fans come together and take the club where it belongs. Let’s go, ‘pericos’!”
The Sporting1905 Quinielona: Marcos is the winner of the official Sporting shirt for the next season. In addition, another Sporting shirt will be raffled among all paying subscribers, each euro contributed to the Sporting1905 project will be equivalent to a ticket and can be watched live on Twitch.
Classification: marcos 45, asturxixon 44, perrin 42, fortu 41, jandro garcia 38, desterrao 36, mre 36, elgutben 36, tamosguaposss 35, jandro granda 35, payo asao 33, and migxixon 27.
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Sporting de Gijón