Espanyol continued their remarkable record of having come back up to La Liga in every season they have spent in Segunda, after a 2-1 aggregate win over Real Oviedo in the Segunda play-off final.
A brace from Javi Puado, the first coming just before half-time, and the second a matter of minutes later, was enough to see Los Pericos through the tie. His first-time finishes were clinical, having missed a golden opportunity in the first half, but once they were ahead, Espanyol allowed Oviedo little hope of returning to La Liga for the first time in the 21st century. Only a Borja Sanchez shot in the closing minutes troubled Joan Garcia, and Borja Baston was a fraction later to the rebound than he needed to be to convert.
The 33,000 in the RCDE Stadium went wild with delight, but the mood was tapered off a little. Former B team manager Manolo Gonzalez is unlikely to continue in the senior position next season, despite confirming to Cadena Cope that he would like to stay.
Una afición que sueña con volver a Primera, un himno cantado a capela que es puro sentimiento perico 🤍💙@RCDEspanyol #LALIGAHYPERMOTION pic.twitter.com/dKSFok8s4E
— DAZN España (@DAZN_ES) June 23, 2024
Meanwhile star striker and top scorer Martin Braithwaite confirmed he was likely to depart. The 33-year-old scored 22 times in Segunda this season, and spoke after the match, leaving the club in a poor light.
“I still don’t know, I’ll talk in the coming days. A year ago the club made me a renewal offer, but it was a lack of respect. We’ll have to see if they want me to stay here, because the offer a year ago showed that they don’t trust me, I worked hard to return Espanyol to the First Division and we’ll see what the club wants now.”
🦜 Braithwaite raja tras el ascenso del @RCDEspanyol
😳 "Hace un año el club me hizo una oferta de renovación, pero fue una falta de respeto"pic.twitter.com/4MJnFEJ4lE
— Tiempo de Juego (@tjcope) June 23, 2024
“Now I am free, I can leave for free. The club, the team and the fans deserve to be in first division, but now I need to rest.”
Last summer Braithwaite went AWOL in search of a move, which never ended up materialising, and he was forced to apologise for. There seems little love lost for the club from his point of view.
Meanwhile it also brings uncertainty to Oviedo – manager Luis Carrion has been heavily linked with a move to Las Palmas, and had promised to stay if Oviedo won promotion. Now having fallen at the last hurdle, the Canary Islanders may look to pounce.
