Espanyol bring 11 dogs out onto the pitch before LaLiga 2 clash with Real Valladolid

Espanyol’s players came out onto the pitch with a different kind of mascot ahead of their LaLiga 2 clash against Real Valladolid on Saturday.

Instead of lining up alongside children as they took to the field at the RCDE Stadium, Espanyol’s footballers emerged with 11 dogs and were photographed with their canine friends before the game.

It is the first time in the history of Spain’s top two divisions that players have come out onto the pitch with dogs and the gesture was widely applauded online.

And there was a deeper meaning to it as well, with the Catalan club looking to find homes for the dogs.

“Pericos! We have to find a home for these furry guys,” the club’s official account on X (formerly Twitter) wrote before the game.

The post was the start of a thread which shared more information for people looking to adopt one of the animals.

📣 ¡Pericos! Tenemos que encontrales un hogar a estos peludos 🐶🧵 ¡Vamos con un hilo para que los conozcáis mejor y con toda la información para su adopción! pic.twitter.com/7ACd66SYIPOctober 15, 2023

And before the game, they said: “For the first time in LaLiga and LaLiga 2, our players walk out onto the pitch with 11 little dogs to find them a home.

“A perico does not abandon.”

Espanyol went on to win 2-0 after an early penalty from Martin Braithwaite and a second goal from Javi Puado late in the first half.

The Catalans have 23 points from their 11 games so far this season and lead LaLiga 2 by a point from Tenerife.

The Barcelona-based club are at home to Leganes next Friday in another home match as they look to bounce back to Spain’s top flight at the first time of asking.

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has opened up on his Real Madrid exit, calling it “the best decision” for his career.

But Jude Bellingham is loving life with Los Blancos. The England midfielder has scored 10 goals from his first 10 games in Spain, matching the number netted by Cristiano Ronaldo at the start of his career at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Meanwhile, former Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood has been offered a route back into international football following his return to action with Getafe.