Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona Femenino, commonly known as RCD Espanyol, is the women’s section of RCD Espanyol.
RCD Espanyol was one of the pioneering teams in women’s football in Spain, playing its first match in 1970. In 1971, they were one of the four Catalan teams to participate in the Catalan Pernod Cup, playing in front of 40,000 people at Sarrià Stadium and 30,000 at Camp Nou; Espanyol lifted the cup by defeating rivals Barcelona in the final. They also went on to win the Catalan League six times and the cup twice by 1979.
Espanyol’s first national success came in 1989 when they first reached the national cup’s final, but lost to Añorga. Later, they won the competition for the first time in 1996, and successfully defended it in 1997.
Espanyol women’s most successful season was in 2006 when they won their first and only league title till date, and their third queen’s cup. As a result of this performance they took part in the UEFA Women’s Cup the following season.
The club established itself as one of Spain’s top teams from the early 2000s to the early 2010s. They’ve been the most successful in the Copa de la Reina, winning it three times in 2009, 2010, and 2012, where they tied with Levante UD as the competition’s most successful club. However, like any team that has a bit of a quiet time, RCD Espanyol did too. In the late 2010s they risked relegation multiple times as they finished in the middle/bottom half of the league table.
Their worst ever finish came in the 2019-20 season when they ended 16th on the table, as they won neither of their matches. The club was lucky to avoid relegation to the third tier of the competition (Segunda Federación) as the RFEF decided that there would be no relegations for the season due to suspension of the league brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2020-21 RCD Espanyol marked 50 years of their women’s section. But the season was far from a fairytale they would’ve hoped for as they were relegated to the third tier for the first time in their history of existence. They couldn’t bounce back immediately on the final matchday of the 2021-22 season, losing 3-0 to Levante Las Planas, who won it instead.
The club plays their home games at.
Their nicknames are Periquitos and Españolistas.
Debut in Spain’s Top-Tier Football Competition:
RCD Espanyol’s debut in the Liga Nacional (now Liga F) came way back in the 1988-89 season. They were one of the founding members of the national league alongside Olímpico Fortuna, Puente Castro, Parque Alcobendas, Santa María Atlético, Vallès Occidental, RCD Espanyol, FC Barcelona, CE Sabadell and Peña Barcelonista Barcilona.
First and Current Manager:
The club’s first manager was Julián Arcas, while currently Sara Monforte manages the women’s team.
League Standing:
In the 2025/26 Liga F season, RCD Espanyol finished 11th out of 16th on the table.
Major Honours:
RCD Espanyol Femení has won several trophies so far.
Their first major trophy was in 2006 when they won their first league title. They’ve also won the Copa de la Reina six times till now, in 1995–96, 1996–97, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10 and 2011–12.
Apart from this they’ve won the Copa Catalunya in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and in 2013.
Famous Players:
Some of the most famous players of the club include Verónica Boquete, Alexia Putellas, Marta Corredera, and Adriana Martín.
Boquete, the Spanish international played for the club from 2008 to 2010.
Putellas, the two-time Ballon d’Or winner, and a Barça legend spent her early formative and senior years developing at the Espanyol academy.
Corredera, the Spanish international forward featured prominently for Espanyol early in her career, while Martín, also Spanish, a striker, had an impressive run with the club.
First Match of the Season:
RCD Espanyol Femení will open their 2026/27 Liga F campaign against SD Eibar on Saturday, August 29, 2026.
