"He made his other dad mad and a policeman put his head in his hands, but at least Gerard Moreno said sorry and in the end they couldn't help but forgive him. In fact, they were happy for him, the defeated Espanyol fans who briefly fell silent when he hurt them standing to hand him an ovation when he headed off, the long walk from the pitch ending with another win, a bit like old times."
"Espanyol came on to the pitch with rescue dogs, the two teams posing together, every man in blue and white with a mutt of their own: Marko Dimitrovic led a huge alsatian, Ty Dolan held a husky and Roberto Fernandez petted a black puppy. Defeated only once at home, these are the best days they have had for years. The club whose former owner, remote-control car impresario Chen Yansheng, had promised Champions League football in three years and instead presided over two relegations."
Gerard Moreno scored for the third consecutive week, his first such run in two years and the first time he had ever scored against Espanyol, where he began. He apologized after upsetting familiar figures, and the Espanyol supporters forgave him, offering an ovation as he left the pitch. Espanyol presented rescue dogs and posed jointly with opponents before the match. The club recently changed ownership after relegations under Chen Yansheng, and it now enjoys strong support under a popular manager. Villarreal's victory maintained Moreno's scoring form and represented a meaningful personal milestone at age 33.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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