Espanyol will open its preseason on Saturday, July 18, against UE Olot, and the first test comes at 20:00 hours at the Estadi Municipal d’Olot. For Manolo González, it is the kind of friendly that starts to show what this summer can become; for Roger Vidal, it is a rare chance to measure his side against a top-flight rival.
The search around Olot vs RCD Espanyol is being driven by the timing. This is Espanyol’s first friendly of the summer, the opening public look at a squad that has spent the week on double training sessions in Torremirona. The expedition will include 30 footballers, and three names should draw the most attention: Álex Calatrava, Quilindschy Hartman and Gabriel Moscardo. Calatrava can work inside or from a wing, Hartman is set to occupy left back and Moscardo is expected to compete for a place in central midfield.
The two coaches met on Thursday at the Hotel Torremirona Golf & Spa, where they posed with their shirts and spoke with unusual agreement about what they want from the match. González said the game is special for him because he likes Olot, while Vidal described it with “la máxima ilusión.”
That enthusiasm comes with a clear warning. Olot has only completed four training sessions, so Vidal is asking for minutes, rhythm and the chance to bring in youth players, reserves and recent arrivals without forcing the pace. Espanyol, meanwhile, is expected to have more of the ball and more of the game, but that is not the point either coach is chasing. González said he hopes for a good match and, above all, that nobody gets hurt, which is the real standard of the night.
What happens next is simple: Espanyol finally plays. The first preseason check comes at the Estadi Municipal d’Olot on Saturday night, and the unresolved question is not who wins, but which players begin to settle into González’s project when the match starts to move at full speed.
