Manchester City and La Liga New Boys Girona Share A Special Bond

Manchester City and La Liga New Boys Girona Share A Special Bond
09:20, 09 Aug 2017

When most football fans, even in Spain, think of the region of Catalonia in footballing terms, they see Barcelona, perhaps Espanyol. Now, though, there is a third club beginning to earn notoriety as they climb the Spanish divisions, attempting to establish themselves in the autonomous community.

That club is Girona, and their journey to La Liga is one that has been defined by their relationship with Manchester City. With a stadium that holds fewer than 10,000 fans, the modest Catalans earned promotion to the top flight for the first time in their history last season, helped by their Premier League affiliate.

It all began in 2015, amidst City’s pursuit to appoint Pep Guardiola. The coach, born in Santpedor and an ardent advocate of Catalan independence, was the prime target for the club’s executives, Ferran Soriano and Txiki Begiristain.

Guardiola’s brother, Pere, was at the forefront of a consortium that had bought a controlling stake in Girona, and City sought to build their relationship with Pep by first reaching out to his sibling. It worked; Guardiola is of course now in Manchester, while Girona have benefitted greatly from their association with one of football’s most affluent clubs.

The mutual agreement – which has involved numerous loan deals of young players in recent years – is undoubtedly beneficial for both parties, although City certainly have a vested interest. Without Girona their pursuit of Guardiola may have not proved successful, and they cannot simply abandon them now; such a decision could have an adverse effect on future contract negotiations with the former Barcelona coach and would alienate Pere Guardiola.

Fortunately, there appears to be little chance of that happening. Ruben Sobrino, Pablo Mari and Florian Lejeune are all players that have spent time at Girona on loan from City, and with the club now in La Liga, the formative experience for young players will be even greater.

Clearly City have come to that conclusion. Four players were shipped out to Girona last week. Midfielder Alex Garcia, who impressed for City when given opportunities last season, will be looking for more regular football, while Colombian winger Marlos Moreno will return to La Liga after spending the previous campaign with Deportivo La Coruna. Pablo Maffeo, meanwhile, has signed on his third loan spell with the club, aged only 20.

But perhaps the most interesting of the loanees is Douglas Luiz, the Brazilian midfielder who joined City for £10 million from Vasco De Gama earlier this summer. He is expected to play alongside Garcia, as a pivote, and is already highly rated amongst Girona staff. “Girona will give Douglas the perfect opportunity to develop at the top level of the European game,” Begiristain said following the 19-year-old’s departure.

For City, Girona’s promotion last season was ideal. Some of the most talented prospects, unable to break into the first team of their parent club with any regularity, will now be given a taste of top level football, against the likes of Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and of course Catalan rivals Barcelona.

And for Girona, this partnership, borne almost of coincidence, could now prove even more pivotal. Many have written them off as relegation fodder before the campaign has even begun, but there is talent in the squad, and an unassuming, modest determination to exceed expectations.

City and Girona will meet in a friendly – a game likely to epitomise the meaning of the word – on August 15, three days after the beginning of the Premier League season and shortly before La Liga

kicks off. It’s likely to give an indication as to how Girona will fare following the influx of youthful talent, and Guardiola will surely have a keen eye on his opposition.

Following that encounter, Girona will play the first La Liga game in their history against Atletico Madrid, a daunting but equally exciting start to life at Spanish football’s summit. Such reputable opposition playing at the Estadi Montilivi would have been hard to imagine when Pere Guardiola first approached the club, then £3 million in debt and struggling in the lower reaches of the Segunda Division.

They remain comparatively impoverished amidst some of Spain’s big spenders, but help from City and sensible, shrewd management has helped Girona progress. It can’t be forgotten, though, that this is a two-way agreement. Both clubs have played big parts in each other’s recent histories, and that looks set to continue over the coming years.

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