Football | The small group of the town known for the popular TV series bullies the bigger ones every week

from Barcelona Girona, located about 100 kilometers to the northeast, is known as a lively tourist town. Although only 100,000 people live there permanently, it has been an important city in Catalonia since the 4th century.

The city's Jewish quarter and cathedral were indeed used as filming locations for the fantasy series Game of Thrones. In sports circles, many consider Girona to be the mecca of cycling, thanks to its mild climate and good terrain, where both professionals and amateurs of the sport practice.

Especially since last autumn, jerseys of the local football team have also started to be seen in the city, even Dutch tourists wearing them by Daley Blind to the game. This is new, because previously Girona could not be considered a real football city and the streets were mostly only FC Barcelona accessories.

Girona FC has been the sensation of the Spanish league this season. As January draws to a close, the tiny Catalan team is still tied for the top two in La Liga with Real Madrid. The team has scored the most goals in the entire league.

In December, Barcelona fell away 4-2 and at the beginning of January at home Atlético Madrid in a real thriller 4-3. Both big teams are below Girona in the league. The only loss of the season so far came to Real Madrid at the end of September with a score of 0–3.

Of course, there have also been moments of luck along the way. The winning goal has been scored in several matches only in the last minutes or extra time, such as against Atlético. Girona has scored the second most goals in the last ten minutes in the league after Barcelona. On the one hand, this speaks of enormous self-confidence.

Although Girona is not a big team, it plays like a big team. Even in the lead position, the team doesn't really become passive. Girona has impressed precisely because of its bold style of play. The style of play has been shaped by the team coach in the third season Michel specifically to suit Girona.

The most enthusiastic have already started talking about Girona as a champion candidate. Many fans can see their team playing in the Champions League next season at the Montilivi stadium, which attracts more than 13,000 spectators. However, head coach Michel knows very well that there is a long spring ahead.

“We cannot be considered a champion candidate, because we cannot fight until the end of the season on an equal footing with Real Madrid. Our dream is to make it to the Euro courts next season. We can only think about the Champions League if we are still fighting to get there in the last rounds. We just have to go one game at a time,” stressed Michel after the win over Atlético.

Although the success of the season has been a huge surprise, Girona has not emerged as a league club completely out of nowhere. The basis of growth was laid almost seven years ago.

Girona rose to the league for the first time in its history in the 2016–17 season, after many unlucky promotions. After the rise, a new era began for the club when City Football Group (CFG), which owns Manchester City, decided to invest in the Catalan club.

City Group owns 12 football clubs around the world and currently owns 47 percent of Girona. 35 percent is owned by a Bolivian-American businessman Marcelo Claurewhich is also CFG's partner.

The current chairman of the board of the club was also involved in the transactions Family GuardiolaManchester City's head coach Pep Guardiola's brother, whose management Girona Football Group owns 16 percent of the club.

Pere Guardiola is a player agent who has represented, among others, his brother, Andrés Iniesta, Luis Suárez and Thiago Alcantara. So it's no surprise that, in addition to Manchester City, Girona also has close ties to Barcelona.

Thanks to the change of ownership, the club has been able to focus on long-term growth and development. However, Girona was relegated from the league in the spring of 2019 and it took three years to get back up. Last season's tenth place in La Liga was a great achievement for the promotion team, but no one expected this season's success.

City Football Group has also received harsh criticism. It is part of Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG), the investment company of Manchester City's owners.

CFG is also suspected of financial wrongdoing, with Manchester City facing 115 charges of breaching financial regulations, which the club and company are desperately trying to fight off.

City Group's influence on Girona's success is undeniable. Even more significant than the financial investment have been the opportunities brought by the owner's network.

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“The club's project seemed good.”

Girona midfielder Aleix García has risen to the elite of La Liga. Celta Vigo's Carlos Dotor tried to cover his shot in a meeting between the teams in late January. Picture: Miguel Riopa / Newspaper photo

Catalan club the budget is around 60 million euros and the team's salary cap is 52 million. They don't compete with the Spanish giants. However, thanks to its owner, Girona has received players from other teams owned by City Group.

The brass that shined in Girona this season Clay and Yan Couto are on loan from CFG-owned Manchester City and Troyes, like MLS's second-season goalscorer Taty Castellanos last season from New York City.

He also rose to the league's elite in the midfield Aleix Garcia already arrived in Girona for the first time in 2017 on loan specifically from Manchester City.

The owner's brand has also helped Girona sign other players such as the Ukrainians Artem Dovby too and Viktor Tsyganov. And it was no coincidence that Barcelona's topper Eric Garcia just moved to Girona for rent.

Without the boost brought by CFG, Dutch national team defender Blind, 33, would hardly have decided to move from Bayern Munich to Girona either. According to Blind, head coach Michel has also had a great influence on his choice of club.

“We had good conversations with Michel about how he sees football. I was interested in it and the club's project seemed good,” Blind said in an interview with ESPN.

In his playing career, his full name is Michel Miguel Angel Sanchez Muñoz, is remembered as a midfielder for Rayo Vallecano. Even in the middle of Michel's debut season, Girona's coaching job was at stake, when the team was at the tail end of Segunda. However, the club decided to let the pilot continue with his project, and the season ended with a league promotion. Sports director Quique Cárcelin already at that time the foundation for the current success was created.

“Even then, I liked our team's style of play, even though the results didn't match what I saw on the field. I saw the players grow and develop. I believed that Michel's style of play would still lead us to something,” Cárcel assured in an interview with ESPN.

Girona basically tries to always play quickly upwards by utilizing the entire width of the field, even though Michelin's team has also kept the fourth most ball in the league.

In their own area, Girona sometimes seems to almost tempt the opponent to press in order to get more playing space between the lines. Dissolving Präss with a passing game in tight spaces shows self-confidence.

Girona tries to create superiority in the midfield with surprising moves. Game locations change quickly and automatically. This makes Girona a very difficult team to defend against.

For example, the left deck Miguel Gutierrez plays for the most part everywhere other than on his own plot. He often cuts to the midfield, so that the experienced Blind moves from the topper's plot to the left wing.

Girona's game is all about the midfield balancing player Aleix García, who, depending on the situation, tends to open attacks, drop down to provide a passing option or even in the defensive line if Blind also joins the attack. It's no surprise that Barcelona are serious about García.

In attack, Savio on the left and Yan Couto and Tsygankov on the right wing keep the formation wide. Savio, 19, who made his breakthrough this season, is one of the league's best passers in one-on-one situations. He could very well be the first player to move from Girona to Manchester City.

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“External pressures do not affect us.”

The Ukrainian Artem Dovbyk has become one of the best scorers in the Spanish league in Girona. Picture: Lluis Gene/AFP

Brazil's Savio (right) is only 19 years old, but he is already one of the best passers in the world in 1v1 situations. Picture: / ZUMA

Ukrainian top scorer Dovbyk, who leads the scoring market in La Liga, is a target attacker who can still go down to get the ball. He's definitely not one of the league's most technically gifted, but more than half of his shots have gone into the net and he's scored five of his 14 goals. The Uruguayan veteran is an option for the attack Christian Stuani and Portu.

When Girona attacks, the defensive line also usually plays well up top. There is always a risk in the way you play. The team remains united, but is also vulnerable to the opponent's counterattacks. However, this is Girona's chosen style of play.

The results speak for themselves.

If Girona would qualify for next season's Champions League, this would put the club and City Group in a strange situation.

According to the rules, two clubs of the same owner, in this case Manchester City and Girona, should not play at the same time in the Champions League. For example, the Red Bull clubs Leipzig and Salzburg were able to circumvent the regulation.

Girona still has a long way to go to the Champions League. However, it would be easier if the Spanish teams were successful enough in the spring Euro competitions. The two best countries in the season's Euro competitions are guaranteed one additional place in the renewed Champions Lea
gue next season.

Despite the success, the club management knows very well that another similar season may never come again.

Girona's main goal is to establish a place in the league. However, the point differences are already starting to be such that survival in next season's Euro fields looks more likely round by round.

Unlike the other top teams, Girona can also play the rest of the season without much pressure. As usual, head coach Michel wants to progress only one game at a time:

“External pressures don't affect us. Right now, the team has a strong belief that we can beat anyone. We don't have to win every game, but we have an obligation to fight in every one of them.”

Real Madrid – Girona on Saturday at 19:30.