Alan Pace’s decision to dismiss Burnley manager Nicky Hayen may have bought Espanyol coach Manolo González a few days. Spanish journalist Quique Iglesias says Pace is reluctant to handle two managerial departures in the same week, even as Espanyol’s results leave González under immediate pressure. That account makes the timing of a possible change part of the story: González’s position appears fragile, but the call may depend partly on the owner’s attention elsewhere.
Burnley’s change of direction
Burnley dismissed Hayen after 14 games in charge. His last match was a 4-1 loss to Lincoln City at Turf Moor, where Burnley surrendered an early lead. The defeat was the club’s sixth of the campaign and left the Clarets 22nd in the Championship. For a club expected to pursue promotion, that combination of poor results and a low table position has made patience difficult to defend.
Hayen had joined in July to replace Scott Parker, who left in April after Burnley’s relegation from the Premier League was confirmed. The Belgian arrived with a strong record: he won the Belgian title with Club Brugge in 2024. Burnley had appointed him to lead a promotion push, but the club is now searching for another manager. His reputation offered a reason to expect a steadier start, yet it couldn’t outweigh the immediate results.
That rapid turnover leaves Pace managing another coaching decision while Burnley’s season continues. A new appointment could change the club’s direction, but changing managers also brings a period of uncertainty as players and staff adapt. The available account doesn’t establish how that process will affect Espanyol’s decision; it does explain why Iglesias sees Pace’s workload as relevant to the timing.
Espanyol’s results put González on the edge
Espanyol sit 18th in La Liga, with eight points from ten matches and six defeats. The club’s summer reset, which included hiring Monchi as sporting director, was meant to set a more ambitious course. Instead, Espanyol are in the relegation zone, and supporters are calling for a change. The gap between the intended direction and the current position is sharpening scrutiny of the coach.
El Desmarque reports that González is “on thin ice.” He has two matches to improve his position: a Copa del Rey tie against Sestao River, followed by a league visit to Villarreal. If he doesn’t win both, Monchi may have to find a replacement. Those fixtures offer a short window for results to change the discussion, but they also leave little room for a gradual recovery.
Here’s the thing: two matches can be decisive for a coach without settling whether the underlying problems are fixed. A cup result and a league result carry different weight, and the source doesn’t spell out how the club would judge performances beyond the scorelines. For González, the immediate demand appears stark all the same. The margin for error is narrow.
Pace’s timetable may be the deciding factor
Iglesias told El Partidazo de COPE that González knows his position is precarious, but believes Pace’s recent decision at Burnley has affected the timing of any move at Espanyol. That is a claim about the president’s likely bandwidth, rather than evidence that Espanyol have formally delayed a decision. It offers a plausible explanation for a brief reprieve, though the coach’s results remain the more visible test.
“He [González] knows he’s on thin ice—he’s no fool,” Iglesias said. “He’s all but finished; however, my impression is that the Espanyol president—who recently had to fire his own manager at Burnley—doesn’t want to deal with two ‘fires’ in a single week.”
Iglesias added that González would face four press conferences over five days, and said his future was “all but sealed” unless he won both upcoming matches. That schedule puts the pressure in public view: each appearance gives González another chance to answer questions while the results decide whether his position can hold. The phrase “all but sealed” is forceful, but it remains Iglesias’s assessment.
@qiglesias y la continuidad de Manolo González al frente del @RCDEspanyol
“Solo aguantaría en el cargo si gana mañana y en Villarreal”
#PartidazoCOPE https://t.co/yDxbvJkVQu
— El Partidazo de COPE (@partidazocope) October 27, 2026
What a short reprieve would mean
Espanyol’s next two results now look central to González’s future, with Pace’s workload possibly shaping how quickly the club acts. If you’re following the club, the distinction matters: a delay can keep the current coach in place briefly, but it doesn’t remove the pressure created by the league position or the supporters’ calls for change.
This is more significant than it looks because timing can influence how a coaching transition is handled, even when it doesn’t alter the underlying case for one. And yet a few extra days only help González if the team gives decision-makers a reason to reconsider. The results will provide the clearest signal; the presidential calendar may determine how quickly that signal becomes action (and this is the part most people overlook).
Short-term breathing room. That said, it shouldn’t be mistaken for renewed confidence in the project. Iglesias’s account points to a possible pause, while Espanyol’s position and the two upcoming matches point to an urgent decision.