ABELARDO FERNANDEZ HAS BEEN SACKED BY ESPANYOL.

Espanyol has just confirmed its main coach Abelardo Fernandez has officially resigned because Espanyol cannot pass the relegation zone. Espanyol also announced its sporting director Francisco Joaquin Perez Rufete will be the temporary coach until the season ends. The following official statement:

"The RCD Espanyol de Barcelona has decided this morning that Francisco Joaquín Pérez Rufete, the current sports Director of the institution, will take charge of the first team in the white-and-blue way until the end of the season.

The club wants to express all its hobby that this decision is framed from the profound conviction in the sports project of the organization and with the firm intention of achieving the objectives.

The aim of salvation can only be achieved from the commitment and unity of each and every pericos and, at this moment, this is the only way to face the future.

In the absence of seven days the sports situation is not what we want and that is why the whole entity works with the illusion and hope to achieve the proposed objectives. Only from unity, commitment, collaboration and loyalty can be reversed the difficult situation in which we find ourselves.

Rufete will be conducting this afternoon at 18 hours with his first training prior to tomorrow's real Madrid match."