Espanyol boss Abelardo Fernandez insists his side will not be relegated from La Liga without a fight despite being eight points from safety.
Thursday night’s defeat at Real Betis left the Catalan outfit rooted to the foot of the table and they are now eight points from safety with just seven rounds of matches remaining.
Espanyol have been an ever-present in the top division of Spanish football since their promotion in 1994 but it appears increasingly likely that 26-year stint will end this year, but Abelardo will not give up.
“We know that survival is really difficult, we are in a really bad place,” Abelardo told his post-match press conference, as cited by Cadena Cope.
“We have no choice but to continue fighting, it is the DNA of the club.”
Abelardo is Espanyol’s first boss of the campaign – he took the helm in late December following unsuccessful stints for both David Gallego and Pablo Machin at the RCDE Stadium.
The club made a series of high-profile signings in January including striker Raul de Tomas from Benfica, but despite an early upturn in results they are now without a win in three.
Next up for Espanyol is a home game against title chasing Real Madrid, for which they will once again be firm underdogs.
