COLUMN: From UCL to relegation? Why Girona are suddenly in a fight for survival

It was not long ago that Girona became La Liga’s latest sensation, taking Spain by storm as they looked set to fight for the title. 

Although critics have argued that Girona’s success is not as impressive as other fairytale stories, pertaining as they do the CFG (City Football Group), there was no doubt among La Liga’s fanbase that Artem Dovbyk, ‘Savinho’ and Viktor Tsygankov impressed loads. 

Although Girona couldn’t quite keep up with Real Madrid, Michel Sanchez’s team ended up qualifying for the Champions League, a first in the club’s history, and ahead of Atletico Madrid at that. The Spaniard has installed his name in the club’s history.

Like most small teams making the big step, Girona struggled to handle the pressure that came with the new status. Several important stars left, such as Artem Dovbyk (AS Roma), Savinho (Manchester City), and Aleix Garcia (Bayer Leverkusen). On the other hand, certain loans could not be signed permanently, as was the case of Eric Garcia (Barcelona).

The result? Girona find themselves 16th out of 20, claiming only one victory in the last thirteen matches. This is the same team that played against Paris Saint-Germain and other Champions League giants earlier this season – and put up a decent fight. Yet only three points separate Girona from relegation, which raises the question: what happened ?

It is one thing to lose key players. There is no doubt that Aleix Garcia’s brilliance is unique, who has since continued to shine with Bayer Leverkusen. The Spaniard has earned himself regular international call-ups under Luis de La Fuente with La Roja, demonstrating he is more than just a breakout player. As the primary playmaker for the team last year, finding a replacement was more than difficult. One can argue that Yangel Herrera and Oriol Romeu have their qualities, though that is replacing one player with two. Nobody would blame Girona for not finding another Aleix Garcia.

The problem is not losing key players. Dovbyk became the most prolific goal-scorer in the league, and Savinho one of the best dribblers in Europe. The issue comes with Girona’s board, who failed to provide similar players, in terms of profiles and quality. Dovbyk, a cornerstone of Michel’s project, was replaced by Abel Ruiz. One thing Dovbyk stood out for, more than scoring goals, was his physical dominance. It made it a key aspect of Michel’s Girona, with Dovbyk winning his duels in the box. A lone striker makes sense as such, where there is a constant threat in the box.

Ruiz is nowhere near Dovbyk, in quality or in profile. Without any intended disrespect, Ruiz does not dominate the penalty box. A shy striker who struggled to make the switch from academy to professional football in Barcelona, he spent a time with Braga before returning to Spain for €9m this summer. As a consequence, Girona’s legendary Cristhian Stuani has played more and more often, despite dangerously edging 40 years old. Stuani has distinguished himself in the last years as a super-substitutes, his legs not allowing him to run as much as he’d like. It was bound to be a disaster if he were to end up as the starter, and with Bojan Miovski proving no more clinical nor dominat in the box, Stuani often looks their biggest threat.

To lose one striker is one thing. To lose another winger and fail to replace him as well is a death wish for what was a flowing attack. This is where Girona comes in: few of the signings performed as the expected level. The club signed Arnaut Danjuma on loan and Yaser Asprilla for a club record €18m, in the hopes of bolstering the squad. Although not catastrophic, it’s fair to say both players have been a hard pass, or more often, lacking one.

Girona was once known to be the team to complete comeback after comeback, as Michel embraces an attacking philosophy. He was a risk-taker, where Girona conceded goals but scored more. This was possible because of the quality up front. All of this is gone, unrecognisable, down to naive transfers. Out of a dozen signings, only defender Ladislav Krejci can be considered a success. A traditional defender, he has been one of the few positives of the season. That a defender becomes the most important player at Girona under Michel says a lot.

The other issue that plagued Girona is typical of upcoming teams: a squad that is not ready to compete in multiple competitions. At the beginning of the season, Girona’s Champions League qualification meant that Michel had to juggle between the Champions League and La Liga. The squad was not ready, in addition to a new squad given the crucial exits up front. A lack of depth led to the inevitable: an injury crisis, bringing team morale down as they suffered defeat after defeat.

It was previously mentioned that Girona was known to be a risk-taking team, ready to charge up front against any team, no matter if Real Madrid or Osasuna. Due to the injuries and the lack of results, this self-belief has vanished. It became evident in Monday night’s game against Real Betis, with Girona being 3-0 down by half-time. The sense that Girona could beat anyone is gone, and was a big part of Michel’s philosophy, and without it, the risk looks much less sensible.

Beyond signings, Michel’s footprint seems to have evaporated in Catalunya’s winds. A team once feared for incessantly charging at their opponents like Sparta did in the old times, is now fearful of advancing, now ruled by paranoia. Girona have been warned: the dream season is on the verge of turning into a nightmare.