Espanyol has made official the hiring of Diego Martínez as the new coach. After a sabbatical year, the Galician will be the one to take the reins of the team from next season. After closing the last fringes, he will sign for two years and will be presented this Tuesday at 1:00 p.m. at the RCDE Stadium.
The former Granada coach was the club's priority to replace Vicente Moreno and the good predisposition on both sides has allowed the negotiation to come to fruition. The announcement was pending Diego Martínez having a telematic conversation with the club's owner, Chen Yansheng, in China.
The new general director of Espanyol, Mao Ye, already reported days ago that Diego Martínez's profile fit what the club was looking for. It is the first important decision of Domingo Catoira since he assumed the sports management after the departure of Rufete.
The 41-year-old coach from Vigo made himself known to the elite when he achieved promotion to the First Division with Granada in the 2018/19 season and, with one of the lowest budgets in the category, qualified for the Europa League the following year. competition in which he reached the quarterfinals.
He is a coach who has shown that he knows how to squeeze his players very well, adapting to the needs of the team and who prioritizes the group over individuals. Although it can vary depending on the game, 4-2-3-1 is usually his usual drawing.
Martínez will have the mission of recovering the illusion of a disenchanted fans with the team and the entity, especially in the final stretch of the season. It is true that Espanyol did not suffer when it came to sealing permanence, although the lack of identity in the game, the irregularity and the dramatic end of the course have clouded his return to the First Division.
Trained in the lower categories of Celta, he changed his boots for the blackboard as a young man after graduating in Physical Activity and Sports Sciences at the University of Granada. His first experience on a senior bench with Motril left him on the brink of promotion from Segunda B.
His good work in the Andalusian city did not go unnoticed by Monchi's Sevilla. He hired him in 2009 to lead the club's training teams. Member of the coaching staff of Sevilla champion of the Europa League in the 2013/14 season. The following year he trained Sevilla Atlético until 2017 when he joined Osasuna.
The last few weeks had sounded like a substitute for Julen Lopetegui on the Sánchez Pizjuán bench, but finally Diego Martínez will be a parakeet.
