Noise, a lot of noise, as Joaquín Sabina sang. The epilogue of Espanyol in the First Division was a huge protest by the parakeet fans against everything and everyone. A deafening climax to a very poor season that started from the previous one with a massive concentration in the outskirts of the stadium and that continued throughout the game with continuous whistles and proclamations against the Federation and against Chen Yansheng, president and owner of the club.
The pain and frustration of the fans after the capitulation of the team in Mestalla turned throughout the week into enormous anger due to the clear refereeing errors in recent days. With ordinary justice as the last bullet, the club also promoted that alibi for which the team had been relegated to VAR errors against Atlético and Valencia. Cornellà bought this idea and went with the firm intention of boycotting the match against Almería. Black was the predominant color in the stands, which displayed banners against the referees: "If there is no justice for Espanyol, let there be no peace for the corrupt" or "Mourning for sports justice." But they went further and filled the stadium with whistles that they blew relentlessly throughout the entire game. A deafening noise that, however, did not complicate the referee's task. But there was more. Every quarter of an hour, and mainly from the south end, tennis balls and beach balls were thrown, forcing the match to stop.
They also accompanied the players in their criticism of the arbitrations by wearing a black shirt when they jumped onto the pitch and by refusing to play during the first minute of play as a symbolic protest.
Despite the monumental criticism against the referees, the parakeet fans also made it clear that the sixth relegation in the history of Espanyol, the second in six years with Chen Yansheng, can be explained by many more reasons than a few, albeit serious, errors by others. For this reason, seconds before the initial whistle, the entire stadium in unison shouted “resignation directive”. Later they sang a derogatory "Chinese go away now" against Chen Yansheng and went so far as to show flags of Taiwan and Tibet.
In their catharsis in search of culprits, the stands also pointed to the striker who has scored 16 goals this season who sustained the team for so many games. Joselu was booed very forcefully when his name sounded over the public address system and Luis García decided not to give the Galician a single minute in what could have been his last game in the blue and white team. Sad farewell for a player who gained international status playing in Cornellà and who until a few weeks ago was an idol.
The anger was only interrupted by the fans to fire Sergi Darder, captain and soul of this team throughout the season. The entire RCDE Stadium stood up to ask the man from Artà to continue with the team in the Second Division. Also Nico Melamed, who has one year left on his contract, was fired with honors by the stands.
On the grass, the team showed their faces again and was saved from burning. There were no reproaches to those of Luis García in a night of many farewells, such as that of Denis Suárez, Vini Souza, Aleix Vidal, Pierre-Gabriel and who knows if César Montes. Despite everything, Espanyol was able to come back against an Almería team that was risking its life and deserved victory for many minutes. The Andalusians managed to save the category in extremis thanks to a penalty converted by Embarba against a hungry team that did not win, but did manage to end the season in a very dignified manner. The goals from Puado, Pierre Gabriel and Koleosho are, pending court rulings, the first stone for Espanyol to try to return to the First Division
