All sports followers know the top Spanish clubs Barcelona and Real Madrid, but how many can honestly say they knew Girona before last year?
Now Girona is at the top of La Liga, the main league of Spanish football. It got there for the first time in history in September of last year and since then has surprisingly been fighting for the top spots in the series with Barcelona, Real Madrid and others.
The path of Girona, which rose from the lower leagues to the top of the Spanish League from the brink of bankruptcy, sounds like a fairy-tale cinderella story, but ‘s football expert Miika Nuutinen according to the story is quite typical for an upstart club.
– There are no magic tricks. The background is money and an understanding of how to use it.
– There must be resources, good player recruitment, an understanding of coaching, a good coaching process, strategy and vision, analyzes Nuutinen.
Girona was not a soccer city
Girona, a small town of about one hundred thousand inhabitants, is located in the northeastern corner of Spain in northern Catalonia. Barcelona is about a hundred kilometers away, and the French border is roughly an hour’s drive away.
The more than 2,000-year-old city has gone through dozens of battles against different conquerors, and the city still has an old wall from the time of the Roman conquest. In addition, the city is known for its famous restaurants and food fairs.
The fictional hit series Game of Thrones, also seen on Yelle, has been filmed in Girona. The city’s old cathedral and narrow alleys with old houses have served as the backdrop for a popular TV series.
Before Girona’s first promotion to La Liga in 2017, football was not particularly popular in the city by Spanish standards. The residents were fans of Barcelona and Real Madrid. Now children run through the streets of the city wearing Girona’s red and white shirt, the residents are proud of their club and there are even fans from abroad.
Move up from the fifth division
Back in 1999, Girona played in Spain’s fifth division, when it had only a few hundred fans. In 2013, Girona had already established its place in the second division of Spain, but the club had a lot of tax debts and was on the verge of bankruptcy.
Two years later, a saving angel came to the rescue, the coach of Manchester City Pep Guardiola’s older brother, football agent Family Guardiola. He negotiated a contract with the French company TVSE Futbol and the club’s debts were settled. There is an urban legend circulating in the city that Guardiola bought the club for one euro.
In 2017, for the first time in its history, Girona rose to the first level of Spain, La Liga.
In the same year, the French company TVSE Futbol sold its share of the club to City Football Group. It is an Arab-funded investment company that is also behind Manchester City and many other smaller clubs. The company now owns 47% of Girona.
Pere Guardiola once represented sports equipment manufacturer Nike and maintained relationships with Barcelona players, among others. In 2009, he founded his own Media Base Sports company, currently serves as Girona’s chairman and owns 16% of the club.
– Pere Guardiola is an interesting man. He is not much in the limelight, but he is nevertheless a key figure in Girona’s rise, says Nuutinen.
But after the ascent, there was an elevator movement. Girona dropped back to the second division, Segunda, after two years of promotion.
In the summer of 2021, Girona got a new coach, by Michel Sanchez. After initial difficulties, he lifted the team back to La Liga in 2022
– Michel is considered a special man on the rise in top football, says expert Miika Nuutinen.
In his first season back, Girona’s position in the Spanish league was tenth, and this season’s goal was to retain the league position.
Criticism towards Manchester City’s ownership
Whenever big money starts talking in sports, there is criticism from some direction. The background of the Cinderella story is money coming from the Arab world, which is not viewed well by everyone.
– Criticism is understandable. Today, money comes into football from questionable addresses, but drawing the line is difficult even for a more enlightened follower, explains expert Nuutinen, who also works as the responsible coach of TPS.
– Maybe I’m not the right person to take a stand on what is morally right, says Nuutinen, but believes that models like this will become more common in elite football.
However, it is clear that City Football Group’s funding and, above all, the scope of that organization have helped Girona.
– Few people understand what kind of machinery it really is. It’s a big mill and Manchester City will also benefit a lot from it.
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City Football Group currently has full or partial ownership of 13 different clubs. Its rainbow extends to every continent except Africa.
Girona’s success is not built on money alone. The team’s player budget is only the 14th largest in La Liga.
– They have succeeded in player acquisitions. City Group has one of the world’s largest networks of player scouts.
– They have the hottest young players, but also experienced players. For example Eric Garcia is one of the best players in the series, Nuutinen knows.
Girona has scored the most goals in La Liga
After 20 matches have been played this season, Girona has only one defeat in the league. In addition, the team has scored the most goals in La Liga – a total of 46 – and they have been scored on a wide front.
– The number of goals is a good indicator of what is happening on the field, says Nuutinen.
Girona’s game is very attacking, and the fact that the head coach is a former goalscorer has certainly had an effect on that.
– Michelin’s system is dynamic and really brave football. They attack a lot through the wings and go into the box with many players.
A 19-year-old Brazilian striker has become the club’s star player Clay, which is on loan from Troyes. Ukrainian players have also played well Viktor Tsygankov mixed Artem Dovbyk.
The lineup includes, among other things, an ex-Manu player Daley Blindthe goalkeeper who also represented Tottenham Paolo Gazzaniga and defender David Lopez.
Girona’s advantage is that it does not have the burden of European games like other top clubs. However, at this rate, they will be coming next season.
The last time the championship went outside of Madrid or Barcelona was twenty years ago, when it was won by Valencia. Could Girona even win the championship this season?
– Maybe it’s a bit exaggerated, but you can never say never. It would be great if they could go all the way, says expert Nuutinen.
Sources: The Guardian, Athletic, Pulse Sports