Burnley and Espanyol owner Alan Pace set for tense end to the season

The Clarets have already had their relegation confirmed following another hugely disappointing campaign in the Premier League.

They’ve collected just 20 points from their 35 games, having won just one of their last 26 league encounters.

It resulted in the club parting ways with Scott Parker last week, with first-team coach Mike Jackson now in interim charge for the remainder of the season.

It’s the club’s third consecutive relegation from the Premier League, having immediately bounced back on both previous occasions. But the pressure will now be on to get back at the first attempt once again.

But as if that isn’t bad enough news for Pace and ALK Capital, a potentially disastrous double relegation could now be on the cards.

Espanyol, who he took over in October 2025, now find themselves in the midst of a survival battle with just four games remaining of the La Liga season.

It’s scarcely believable given the Parakeets were actually in Champions League contention for the first half of the season.

But it’s gone badly wrong since the turn of the year, with the Catalan-side going 17 games without a win. In 2026, they’ve lost 11 games and drawn six.

While Espanyol remain 13th, giving them a four-team buffer between themselves and the dropzone, they now find themselves just three points ahead of the bottom three.

Sevilla, who pulled themselves away from the relegation zone with a 1-0 win over Real Sociedad last night, are up next in what promises to be a huge game down at the foot of the table.

Having lost 2-0 to Real Madrid on Sunday, Espanyol face further games against Athletic Bilbao, Osasuna and Sociedad, following on from Saturday’s trip to Seville.

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While many acknowledged Espanyol were over-performing to be as high as they were earlier in the season, there was a hope they could cling onto one of the lesser European spots. But those hopes have since evaporated.

There are some familiar themes between both clubs, with Pace also facing criticism from Espanyol fans for overseeing a quiet January transfer window.

Like Burnley, they only brought one player in, as Napoli’s Cyril Ngonge arrived on loan. But the forward has yet to break his duck.

It had been hoped the La Liga outfit would capitalise on their strong start and bolster from a position of strength, but it never materialised.

The Clarets, meanwhile, also struck a loan deal for West Ham’s James Ward-Prowse during the final days of the window. While the England international has begun to hit some form in recent weeks, as he nears full match fitness, many believe his acquisition was far too little, too late.

According to well-placed sources in Barcelona, Pace has also faced criticism for his lack of communication since taking over.

He has, so far at least, also opted to stick with the coach Manolo Gonzalez despite the plummet in form. This was also the case with Parker, who left by mutual consent after relegation had been confirmed, rather than being sacked.

Pace has faced difficulty though, with his sporting director Fran Garagarza suffering a heart attack at the end of 2025.

On the subject of sporting directors, it has been mooted to the Burnley Express that a potential re-structuring behind the scenes might be the number one priority, before a new head coach is installed.

Reports in Spain even suggest this figure, if appointed, could cover both clubs of the multi-club ownership (MCO).

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