Espanyol fans have been left feeling cautiously optimistic following news of an agreed takeover by Burnley chairman Alan Pace.
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That’s according to a Catalan expert, who believes the La Liga outfit are ready for a new era of ownership.
An official statement posted to Espanyol’s website states both clubs will remain independent and the two clubs will “participate in a strategic alliance”, while keeping them on the same level.
Aside from that, we’re yet to hear further details of how this alliance will work.
According to Spanish outlet Sport, Pace is planning to stay in Barcelona this summer following completion of the takeover. It’s also mooted that Burnley could loan some of their players to the La Liga side.
Belgian side KV Kortrijk reportedly remains a club of interest to Velocity following a failed takeover two years ago. A strengthening of relations with partner club Dundee has also not been ruled out.
Alan Pace is due to become the new owner of Spanish side Espanyol. Pictures: Getty Imagesplaceholder image
Alan Pace is due to become the new owner of Spanish side Espanyol. Pictures: Getty Images
Minority shareholder JJ Watt also appears to be involved with the new Spanish adventure, writing on X: “¡Força Mágico Espanyol!”.
To find out how the news has gone down in Spain, the Burnley Express caught up with Alberto Martinez, who covers Espanyol for Barcelona-based outlet La Vanguardia, Catalonia's leading newspaper.
What has been the reaction to the takeover?
The supporters desire that Chen Yansheng, the Chinese owner, sells the club because in the last 5-6 years there has not been investment.
It's true that when Rastar group arrived to Espanyol, they reduced more than €100m, €150m, of debt - and this is a very good news.
But on the other side, there was a period of 25 years where Espanyol didn't go down to the Second Division. Yet with this owner, they went down twice in three years.
They didn't invest, Yansheng didn't visit Barcelona during the last three years. It's like the club was without an empty president. An empty model and an empty project.
For this reason, in the beginning, the people are very happy that Alan Pace has invested in the club. It’s a new phase and I'm sure that all the things will be better.
Are there any concerns?
On the second hand, it's true that people are staying calm with the situation.
When the Chinese owners arrived, they promised that in three years Espanyol would qualify for the Champions League. The supporters were excited by this, but it turned out to be a lie.
Now it's like: ‘okay, we have Alan Pace, it's good, he saved the club, it's true, he saved the club emotionally but let’s keep calm’.
The fans don't know what his intentions are, we don't know what money he wants to invest, what project he wants to make.
There are mixed feelings but the people generally are happy that there is a new phase and a new phase with credibility because he’s already been in Burnley and he already has experience of how running a club in Europe works.
What's the opinion on being part of a multi-club model?
It's similar, it’s a case of staying calm. If we look at some of the other multi-club models, for example Leipzig and Salzburg, or Manchester City and Girona, there’s always one big team and the second team is a complement.
Okay, they are independent clubs but we know the major investment always goes towards one team.
In this case, there are those doubts. It’s possible that two clubs can remain independent, but perhaps Alan Pace needs to decide if he wants to invest more in Espanyol or Burnley.
They have a very new stadium in Barcelona and it can be easier to enjoy success in Spain because you need less money.
On the other hand, Espanyol has a very good academy, so perhaps he will want to bring the best young players to Burnley to give them a grounding?
There are these doubts, the people are a little confused because they don't know how Alan Pace will manage the situation.
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