RCD Espanyol de Barcelona, commonly known as "Espanyol", was founded in 1900 and is located in Cornellà, Catalonia, Spain. It is a professional sports club in Spain.
The Espanyol team was founded on October 28, 1900, by Ángel Rodríguez Ruiz, a student from the engineering department of the University of Barcelona. It was originally called the Spanish Football Association, renamed RCD Espanyol in 1901, faced a financial crisis in 1906, and merged with the Spanish Judo Club in 1908, becoming the Espanyol Sports Club. In 1901, it received sponsorship from several royal families, hence the title 'Royal' in its name.
Espanyol has won the Copa del Rey four times, with the most recent victory in 2006. They reached the UEFA Cup finals in 1988 and 2007. They have long been rivals with FC Barcelona, known as the Barcelona Derby. Espanyol often fluctuates between La Liga and Segunda División, and in the 2023-24 season, they returned to La Liga by defeating Real Oviedo 2-0.