Back
President Chen Yansheng reflects on six years at RCD Espanyol
The club president talks to Espanyol TV
The six-year anniversary of Chen Yansheng's arrival as president of RCD Espanyol takes place this week. To mark the occasion, he reflected on his time at the club to date in conversation with Espanyol TV, and also expressed his confidence that the team can get a positive result in Sunday's derby against FC Barcelona.
"The main challenge when we arrived was to achieve the economic stability that had historically been lacking at the club, in order to have a solid base from which to grow. Today we are in a position to do so. We would like to move faster and we must make an effort to make the fans happy, but you cannot be successful if you do not maintain your humility. We have grown economically and in terms of assets, and we will continue to grow on a sporting and social level. We are going to dedicate our resources and efforts to doing this," stated Mr. Yansheng.
"My obsession from day one was for RCD Espanyol not to be in a critical situation again, to make the club viable and sustainable in order to be able to grow in a sustained and permanent way. We are very close to achieving this objective of economic stability."
"I understand the desire to see the team win and to aim to be higher up the table. I know that it is difficult to talk about patience when there are negative results, but it is necessary for us to remain calm right now. I am aware that on many occasions in history, the fans have heard that we should take a step forward that hasn't happened. Our circumstances are different today and, although competing permanently with the elite LaLiga teams is a difficult challenge, it is where our objectives lie."
Next up is the derby against FC Barcelona, and the club president is excited about the game ahead.
"This season we have been able to beat big teams like Real Madrid, so why not FC Barcelona this Sunday? Why shouldn't we trust that our team can bring us very good results between now and the end of the season? I am optimistic for the rest of the season and for future campaigns. I dream of beating Barcelona this Sunday," he assured.
"We have trust in this group. I talk constantly with the General Management, the Sports Management and the coach, and they have my confidence that they will achieve the results that we want this season. I have full confidence that we will face this last part of the season well. In the past, I experienced our European qualification with great joy. Seeing the happy faces of our fans is something that, without a doubt, I want to see again very soon," Mr. Yansheng acknowledged.
"Our strong personality and the attitude of Los Pericos in the face of adversity have allowed us to move forward. It is a way of approaching life with which I fully identify: We get back up after falling down and redouble our efforts in the face of difficulty. More than satisfaction, us returning to the Primera División was the closing of a wound."