The capital club will begin its Champions League campaign against the Catalan team, last year’s big surprise in La Liga, on Wednesday, September 18 (9 p.m.).
Who would have thought, two years ago, that this Spanish second division club would hear the Champions League anthem before one of its matches? Like Brest in France, Girona will discover the most prestigious of European competitions after an exceptional season in the championship. But if Girona has gotten to this point, it is also thanks to the City Football Group, of which it is a part.
Here’s everything you need to know about the opponent PSG will face on Wednesday, September 18 (9 p.m.) on the Parc des Princes pitch.
• How did Girona get to the Champions League?
Halfway through the season last year, Girona was still teasing Real Madrid at the top of the league. Ultimately, the Catalans finished in third place behind the two Spanish giants at the end of a near-perfect season. The fans were delighted by their team’s results, but also by the style of play imposed by coach Michel. Possession, clean clearance, verticality… Girona scored 85 goals in 38 games, more than any other Spanish team except Real Madrid.
Result: an unexpected qualification for the Champions League, just two years after promotion to the first division. Girona is only playing in the 5th season in its history in the elite this season, having discovered La Liga less than ten years ago. After a first promotion in 2017, the club was bought by the City Football Group, owner of Manchester City.
• What is the City Football Group, of which Girona is a part?
If Girona acts as a small player competing with the big boys, it is nonetheless a symbol of multi-ownership in football, benefiting from privileged links with Manchester City.
This summer, the Savinho case has been at the center of much criticism about the management of the groups owning different clubs. Bought by Troyes (another member of the City Football Group) in 2022 for 6.5 million euros, the Brazilian has never played a single minute for ESTAC.
After a first loan to PSV, he played last season in the colours of Girona. He shone with 9 goals and 10 assists in La Liga, before his loan ended during the summer. During this time, Troyes finished in 17th place in Ligue 2 and was relegated to National. Only the relegation of the Girondins de Bordeaux allowed the Aube club to stay up.
During the off-season, ESTAC made the biggest sale in its history with Savinho, who would never have worn the Trojan jersey. The Brazilian left Aube for 25 million euros and headed to… Manchester City.
• How has the squad evolved after last season’s exploits?
The least we can say is that Girona lost several key players during the summer transfer window. In addition to Savinho, the Catalans saw Artem Dovbyk, the top scorer in La Liga 2023/2024 with 24 goals (and 8 assists), leave. By flying to Roma, the Ukrainian became the most expensive sale in the club’s history, with a transfer worth 38 million euros.
Midfielder Aleix Garcia, the second most used player last season, has meanwhile joined Leverkusen for 17 million euros. Defenders Eric Garcia and Yan Couto have left after their loans. The former to Barcelona, the latter returned to Manchester City before heading to Dortmund.
In terms of arrivals, Girona invested 18 million euros in former Watford winger Yasper Asprilla. A kind of transfer that would have been unimaginable for the club a few years ago. The striker Abel Ruiz arrived from Braga, while Donny van de Beek, Oriol Romeu, Bryan Gil and Pau Lopez came to strengthen the Catalan ranks.
Qualifying for the Champions League has allowed the club to move into another dimension financially. Girona’s salary cap has almost doubled since last season, going from 52 million to 94 million euros. 13th club in La Liga on this point last season, Girona now has the 8th salary cap in Spain, just behind clubs like Athletic Bilbao or Real Betis.
• And this season, what’s Girona like?
One thing is for sure, Michel does not seem ready to renounce his principles. Against the giants as well as the small ones of the championship, his team relaunches from behind, takes risks, and often offers spectacular matches. This should still be the case against PSG this Wednesday.
After a draw and a defeat to start their season in the league, Girona thrashed Osasuna at home (4-0), then beat Sevilla (0-2) away. Against Barça this weekend, Daley Blind and his teammates suffered the law of the team in the best form in Spain. In front of the 14,000 spectators at the municipal stadium of Montilivi, the Barcelonans rolled out (1-4), and brought to the fore the defensive fragility of Girona. A match that Luis Enrique and his staff have surely dissected to prepare for the upcoming encounter. There will be spaces to exploit…
Related News :