Source: Supplied<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nBut things began to change in 2006-07 and the following season, when they earned back-to-back promotions to return to the second division for the first time in 49 years. An ownership takeover was completed in 2010, which founded a reserve team and improved training facilities. Suddenly the team\u2019s financial woes were behind them, though they were still operating on a shoestring budget.<\/p>\n
The side stabilised in the second tier and soon pushed towards promotion \u2013 missing out in the play-offs in 2014-15 and the following season. At the third time of asking, they made it in 2016-17 by finishing second in the Segunda Division. <\/p>\n
For the first time in the club\u2019s 87-year history, they were in La Liga.<\/p>\n
THE LEGEND\u2019S BROTHER BEHIND THE RISE<\/b><\/p>\n
It was after their first push for promotion in 2014-15 that a key figure arrived who would revolutionise the club \u2013 slowly but surely, step by painful step turning them into a side capable of not just competing in the top flight, but potentially even winning it.<\/p>\n
Guardiola. Not Pep, the coach of Manchester City who broke records at Bayern Munich and Barcelona before taking England by storm. No, Pere \u2013 Pep\u2019s brother, his junior by five years.<\/p>\n
After retiring from playing, Pere had played a key role in developing Nike\u2019s football footprint \u2013 including managing the deals with Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, before working in marketing with Barcelona and the Spanish and Portuguese national teams.<\/p>\n
In 2009 he co-founded his own agency and became one of the most influential agents in global football. His clients included his brother \u2013 of course \u2013 as well as superstars like Andres Iniesta and Luis Suarez.<\/p>\n
In 2015, when a French company bought out Girona, Pere was brought in as an influential adviser and deal-maker. Under his leadership and canny negotiating skills, Girona were emboldened in the transfer market and developed into a more professional club from top to bottom.<\/p>\n<\/amp-img>Pep Guardiola with brother Pere.<\/span>Source: Supplied<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nTHE TAKEOVER THAT TURNED THINGS AROUND \u2013 AND RAISED EYEBROWS<\/b><\/p>\n
And two years later, just after Girona were promoted to the top flight, Pere Guardiola bought a 44.3% stake in the club \u2013 while Manchester City\u2019s owners, the City Football Group, bought an equal stake. The total cost of the 88.6 per cent sale was reportedly just 7 million euros ($A11.4m), effectively pocket change in City\u2019s budget.<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t the first franchise bought by the City Football Group (largely owned by billionaire Sheik Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi) \u2013 but it was the first in Europe.<\/p>\n
It was a significant moment in the growing trend of mega-money ownership groups taking charge of multiple clubs.<\/p>\n
According to a SportBusiness and CIES Sports Intelligence report, as of November 2023, there are now 124 entities worldwide which own two or more clubs, with a staggering 301 clubs part of multi-club operations.<\/p>\n
One key problem is that multiple clubs with the same owners could face off in the Champions League, for example.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is more and more interest for this multi-club ownership and we shouldn\u2019t just say no [to] the investments, and for multi-club ownership,\u201d UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said in March. \u201cBut we have to see what kind of rules we set in that case, because the rules have to be strict.\u201d<\/p>\n
In 2017, UEFA launched a landmark investigation into Red Bull Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg, who have close ties through their Red Bull owners.<\/p>\n
But UEFA found the clubs had enough operational independence, and both were allowed to compete in the 2017\/18 Champions League. The next year, they were even paired in the same group in the Europa League. <\/p>\n
However, because City Football Group (CFG) are not the majority owners of Girona (they currently own 47 per cent), UEFA\u2019s multi-ownership rules do not apply \u2013 and Girona last year were granted UEFA approval to compete in continental competitions should they qualify.<\/p>\n
<\/amp-ima-video><\/p>\nReds too good for Gunners in the FA Cup | 00:54<\/p>\n
<\/div>\nNevertheless, Girona have clearly benefited from close ties to Man City and the wider City network.<\/p>\n
CFG\u2019s chief executive, Ferran Soriano, is from Catalan \u2013 and was previously vice-president of Barcelona FC. Their director of football, Aitor \u2018Txiki\u2019 Begiristain, learned Catalan while playing for Barcelona alongside Pep Guardiola and under the coaching of the legendary Johann Cruyff. It was his decision, as Barcelona\u2019s director of football, to hand Guardiola the coaching reins of the senior side instead of Jose Mourinho. At that time, Guardiola had coached Barcelona\u2019s reserve team for a season.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe trusted me when I wasn\u2019t anyone in football management. He could have chosen many managers at that time. My gratitude is eternal,\u201d Guardiola once said.<\/p>\n
The pair \u2013 and Sorriano \u2013 turned Barcelona into one of the greatest teams in club football history \u2013 and they have done the same at Man City.<\/p>\n
After taking over at City, Guardiola emphasised just how important Begiristain is, saying: \u201cIf Txiki worked for Chelsea, I would probably have called Chelsea.\u201d<\/p>\n
The trio\u2019s strong Catalan links \u2013 never mind the brotherly connection between Pep and Pere Guardiola \u2013 made buying Girona far more than just a smart business decision. It was personal.<\/p>\n<\/amp-img>Ferran Soriano (L), with Pep Guardiola and Khaldoon Al Mubarak of CFG.<\/span>Source: Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nHOW MAN CITY STRENGTHENED THE GIRONA CHARGE<\/b><\/p>\n
There\u2019s no doubt that the City connections have been a key factor in developing Girona into surprise Champions League contenders.<\/p>\n
After Pere Guardiola took a role at the club in 2015, he immediately began to secure loan deals for fringe City players or talented youngsters in need of match minutes to develop into world-class stars \u2013 something that has remained a major source of Girona players down the years.<\/p>\n
In 2015\/16, four players were loaned from Man City to Girona. In 16\/17, it was three and in 17\/18 it was a whopping five. The next season it was three, in 2020\/21 it was four, then three last season \u2013 including one from another CFG-owned club, New York City.<\/p>\n
For Manchester City, the loan connection with Girona provides a place to develop young players or signings that are not quite at the first-team level with the Premier League club.<\/p>\n
But many CFG players will never reach the ultimate goal of playing for Man City\u2019s first team \u2013 and that\u2019s where Girona looms as an opportunity for CFG to send players to boost their transfer value.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe haven\u2019t seen too many instances of players coming from CFG-owned clubs into Manchester City,\u201d Shiv Jhangiani, head of Strategy and Mergers & Acquisitions at sports consultants Sportsology, told ESPN last year. \u201cBut they have been able to generate returns from players that have come into their clubs and moved on externally to other clubs in the market and made a pretty significant return.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlayer trading has become a very robust revenue stream for clubs that are able to operate it well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Many teams, Chelsea most notably, have been accused of stockpiling vast numbers of players and sending them out on multiple loans to increase their transfer value before selling them for a profit \u2013 effectively treating them as a commodity. <\/p>\n
It is something that FIFA and UEFA have cracked down on in recent months, limiting squad sizes as well as the number of players that can be loaned out by a club.<\/p>\n
But over the years, signing multiple players on loan from Man City has provided a valuable mechanism for Girona to strengthen their squad without spending money on transfer fees.<\/p>\n
That includes Catalan native Pablo Maffeo, who was loaned there from City for three seasons in a row \u2013 and was later named by Lionel Messi as the toughest man-marker he had played against. VfB Stuttgart splashed out a then-club-record fee for him \u2013 and then loaned him back to Girona (for a FOURTH time) one season later.<\/p>\n<\/amp-img>Pablo Maffeo (L) was loaned from Man City to Girona in three different seasons.<\/span>Source: Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nIt includes the likes of Douglas Luiz, who could not receive a work permit when signed by Man City in 2017 for \u00a310m. He was loaned to the Spanish side for two seasons in a row, before being sold for \u00a315m to Aston Villa in 2019. He has since played 179 times for Villa.<\/p>\n
The network of CFG clubs \u2013 and the system of loaning Man City players to other clubs to develop them \u2013 has raised plenty of eyebrows. <\/p>\n
Are Girona being controlled by Manchester City, merely being used for the benefit of City\u2019s squad-building and profiteering? Or do they boast unfair advantages through their links to CFG?<\/p>\n
The answer, according to those at Girona, is a definite no. They have their own independent scouting and football departments, and while they have connections with City Football Group leaders like CEO Ferran Soriano and director of football Txiki Begiristain, they are not dictated to by them.<\/p>\n
Instead, Girona believe they are simply being smart in nabbing some of the best young players from Manchester City on loan \u2013 and they have also made an impressive habit of signing City rejects on permanent deals.<\/p>\n
The perfect example of that is Aleix Garcia, an extremely talented Villareal youngster who was signed by City in 2015. But after two years at City saw him make just nine appearances, he was loaned to Girona in 2017-18 and again the following season. <\/p>\n
He would eventually return to Girona \u2013 then in the second tier \u2013 on a permanent deal in 2021.<\/p>\n
Another is Yangel Herrera, who was signed in the off-season by Girona after he spent last season on loan there from Manchester City.<\/p>\n<\/amp-img>The Montelivi stadium is tiny – but its 14,000 fans have had plenty of reasons to celebrate this season.<\/span>Source: Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nHOW THEY FELL OUT OF LA LIGA \u2013 AND CAME BACK STRONGER<\/b><\/p>\n
Girona\u2019s first year in the Spanish top flight was utterly remarkable. They beat reigning Champions League winners Real Madrid in October and finished a lofty 10th, defying all expectations of a relegation battle.<\/p>\n
But the next season, in 2018\/19, they finished 18th and were relegated right back to the second tier. There were real improvements, however, like the academy being redeveloped, and the pitch at Montilivi re-laid \u2013 though the stadium itself remains tiny!<\/p>\n
All that remained was the right coach to take them back into La Liga \u2013 and they found him in 2021.<\/p>\n
Michel Sanchez had been sacked by Huesca in January of that year, with the team bottom of La Liga \u2013 largely due to Michel\u2019s refusal to waver from his all-out-attacking principles.<\/p>\n
In many ways, he was the perfect coach for Girona and for CFG, given they want all clubs in their network to play an attacking and attractive brand of football.<\/p>\n
And while he was born in Madrid \u2013 and was a Rayo Vallecano legend as a player \u2013 he began Catalan lessons straight away.<\/p>\n
It took just one season for Michel to lead the team back to the top flight. And last year, they finished 10th in the first division \u2013 having scored 58 goals (fifth most in the league) but conceded 55 (also fifth). Simply put, you were guaranteed goals when watching a Girona game.<\/p>\n
Finishing 10th was impressive for a newly-promoted team. But this year, they took things to a whole new level despite losing a host of their star players in the off-season.<\/p>\n<\/amp-img>Girona’s Spanish coach Michel celebrates a stunning win over Atletico Madrid last week.<\/span>Source: AFP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nTHE PERE GUARDIOLA TRANSFER MASTERCLASS<\/b><\/p>\n
They lost midfield star Oriel Romeu (formerly of Chelsea and Southampton) to Barcelona. Then they lost centre-back Santiago Bueno to Premier League side Wolves for \u20ac12m, their best winger Rodrigo Riquelme, and topscorer Taty Castellanos.<\/p>\n
Girona had been gutted. But then Pere Guardiola masterminded an incredible transfer window to reshape and strengthen the team yet again.<\/p>\n
They turned a loan deal for 32-year-old goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga (from England second-tier team Fulham) into a permanent deal for free. <\/p>\n
In another free deal, they landed 33-year-old centre-back Daley Blind from Bayern Munich.<\/p>\n
Both Gazzaniga (Southampton and Tottenham) and Blind (Manchester United) were former Premier League players.<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t the only veteran they picked up for a bargain, bringing back 31-year-old winger Portu for just \u20ac1.5m \u2013 a player they sold in 2019 for \u20ac10m.<\/p>\n
As always, Girona raided CFG clubs for young talents \u2013 turning a loan deal for Man City reject Yangel Herrera into a permanent move, and poaching 19-year-old Brazilian winger Savio on loan from Troyes in France (another CFG club). They also landed Barcelona\u2019s 22-year-old centre-back Eric Garcia on loan.<\/p>\n
Then they smashed their transfer record for Ukrainian international striker Artem Dovbyk for a reported \u20ac7m.<\/p>\n<\/amp-img>Girona’s Ukrainian forward Artem Dovbyk (L) has been a revelation this year.<\/span>Source: AFP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nAll up, the team spent just \u20ac4.35m more than they earned in sales (ten teams in La Liga had a bigger net spend). <\/p>\n
Yet they had built a squad of veterans and youngsters, loanees and rejects. In total, Girona has spent just \u20ac33.75m in transfer fees on the entire squad \u2013 the sixth-cheapest squad in the league.<\/p>\n
Compare that to Real Madrid, who spent \u20ac573m on their squad, while Barcelona spent \u20ac371.4m and Atletico Madrid \u20ac361.1m (all figures per Transfermarkt).<\/p>\n
The massive gap between the Spanish giants and Girona in spending is also reflected in their salary caps for wages, coaches and reserve and youth teams.<\/p>\n
Real Madrid\u2019s expenditure limit this season is \u20ac727.5m, Atletico Madrid \u20ac296.4m, Barcelona \u20ac270m, while Girona is limited to just \u20ac52m, the eight-lowest in the league. <\/p>\n
When it comes to spending, Girona might have backing from the City Football Group, but they are operating on a fraction of the budgets of their rivals \u2013 and well and truly punching above their weight.<\/p>\n<\/amp-img>The squad is an interesting mix of Premier League rejects and young loanees.<\/span>Source: Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nTHE SEASON<\/b><\/p>\n
The season began with a comeback 1-1 draw with Real Sociedad, who were also competing in the Champions League after finishing fourth in the league last year. There were plenty of promising signs, including Dovbyk scoring on his league debut.<\/p>\n
The minnows would win their next six games on the trot, roaring into first place on the ladder for the first time in their 93-year history.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know this isn\u2019t normal,\u201d said Girona player Aleix Garc\u00eda.<\/p>\n
The streak included a 3-0, a 4-2 and a 5-3, with goals flowing from all over the park.<\/p>\n
That has been a hallmark of Michel\u2019s coaching \u2013 a flexible and freewheeling attack that relies on pace and rapid passing. The wingers and fullbacks are constantly on the move and regularly confuse defences by changing which channels they use down the flanks \u2013 if a winger cuts inside, the fullback overlaps; if the winger hits the sideline, the fullbacks run through the middle.<\/p>\n
Even when they lost to Real Madrid in September \u2013 still their only loss of the season after 19 games \u2013 they went toe-to-toe with the giants, never backing down despite being outclassed. <\/p>\n
They finished with more possession and 13 shots to Los Blancos\u2019 14, despite losing 3-0.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a team that knows it goes forward,\u201d Michel has said.<\/p>\n
Villareal star Ramon Terrats said: \u201cThey\u2019re the team that play the best football in primera division.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s lovely to see them play. It\u2019s hard when you\u2019re against them but they\u2019re nice to watch.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/amp-img>Girona are in dreamland this season.<\/span>Source: AFP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe defeat was a setback, but Girona were already scaling vertiginous heights on the ladder. And they rebounded by winning the next five games in a row, including two more massive scorelines \u2013 a 4-2 and a 5-2.<\/p>\n
Then, in early December, came the result that announced Girona to the world \u2013 beating Barcelona for the first time ever.<\/p>\n
Ahead of the game, Girona manager Michel had said: \u201cIf we win at Barcelona, this club will indeed enter a new dimension.\u201d<\/p>\n
They did just that, a famous 4-2 victory that humbled their neighbouring giants.<\/p>\n
Girona were back on top of the table, two points clear of Real Madrid and seven ahead of Barcelona.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor some people it\u2019s a surprise that Girona are co-leaders with Real Madrid, but for us, no,\u201d Barcelona coach and legendary former player Xavi said afterwards.<\/p>\n
\u201cMichel is a great coach, with a system very similar to ours. Excellent, just congratulate them! They\u2019re playing with a spectacular flair. They can fight for the title. They are brave and that\u2019s what has put them there.\u201d<\/p>\n
It was high praise. Michel, meanwhile, downplayed Xavi\u2019s call that his team could challenge for the title \u2013 but couldn\u2019t shy away from what a magnificent performance it was.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not our target to win La Liga and I don\u2019t want to compare our team to anyone, but we play really, really well,\u201d the 48-year-old said. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a great advert for La Liga, two teams wanting to attack and score goals. Any football fan watching this will have ended up feeling more sympathy for Girona. I don\u2019t know if we can win La Liga, but tonight I realised we can beat any opponent.\u201d<\/p>\n
And not just beat any opponent, but do so playing in a style reminiscent of Guardiola\u2019s Barcelona, of Manchester City. A thrilling, rollercoaster of attack \u2013 even if it means conceding plenty of goals at the other end.<\/p>\n
That was summed up perfectly in their second historic victory this season, beating Atletico Madrid 4-3 in stoppage time last week. It was, just like against Barcelona, the first time Girona had ever beaten Atletico.<\/p>\n
That victory was their 15th from 19 games, with just three draws and one loss (to Real Madrid). The minnows sit level on points with Los Blancos (both 48) on top the ladder, second only on goal difference \u2013 but remarkably, having scored six more goals than the Madrid giants this season.<\/p>\n
They are seven points clear of Barcelona, and ten ahead of Atletico Madrid and Athletic Club de Bilbao.<\/p>\n
As Michel termed it, the club is well and truly in a \u2018new dimension\u2019.<\/p>\n
BUT CAN THEY WIN THE LOT?<\/b><\/p>\n
But the 48-year-old is doing his level best to dampen expectations that they\u2019ll be able to keep up their surprise title bid in the second half of the season.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe cannot keep up with Madrid\u2019s rhythm, we don\u2019t want to put that label on ourselves (of challengers),\u201d the Spaniard said.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo talk about bigger things, like the Champions League, we have to get to the last 10 matches \u2026 then I\u2019ll be ready to talk about our next objective.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201c(Winning the league) is not the objective, the objective is first to think game by game, and try to reach Europe, which would already be a success for us,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
And that\u2019s perhaps the most surprising thing about this remarkable rise. Girona were never meant to be in the hunt for the title. <\/p>\n
They themselves set the target at the start of the season of reaching European football. The top four teams qualify for the Champions League, fifth the Europa League, and sixth the Europa Conference League qualifying stages. Even finishing sixth, for Girona, would be a remarkable success.<\/p>\n
But now, the fans at the tiny Montelivi stadium are dreaming of higher honours. On a minuscule budget, with a hodgepodge team of discards and loanees, they could become just the third team outside of the Spanish \u2018big two\u2019 of Barcelona and Real Madrid to win the league this century.<\/p>\n
And for once, Pere Guardiola might just outshine his brother.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In the northeastern tip of Spain lays a small city named Girona, an hour from the French border. It is known for its medieval walls and historic Jewish quarter, so quaint that Game of Thrones even filmed there. 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