Espanyol fires Martínez, hires former player García as coach
BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Espanyol has fired Diego Martínez and hired former player Luis García as its new coach. The coaching change was made after Espanyol lost at Girona 2-1 on Saturday. The result left the team in the relegation zone after 27 matches. It was Espanyol’s fourth straight league loss. The 42-year-old García was a midfielder who played five years with Espanyol. He made 262 appearances and scored 60 goals before retiring in 2019. He netted a brace in the 2006 Copa del Rey final won by Espanyol against Zaragoza.Espanyol’s next match is at Athletic Bilbao on Saturday.