They started the season with a prudent, sensible and humble speech. Once again, Girona's goal was to remain in its second consecutive season in the First Division. But something began to change on the sixth day, when the team took the lead. There were already those who took out of the drawer the story of the English Leicester City, winner of the Premier League in 2016, to Quique Cárcel, sports director of Girona. He immediately said that Girona's obligation was to keep that euphoria away to continue.
The script twist was complete at the Estadi Olímpic de Montjuïc. After beating Barcelona with fun and goals, the squad and coaching staff celebrated the victory in the locker room with visits from president Delfí Geli and the aforementioned Quique Cárcel. In the background, Freed from Desire by the Italian artist Gala was playing. “This song only plays on big occasions. It began to be part of the repertoire in Ipúrua, two seasons ago when we came back to go to the final of the promotion playoff. In Tenerife, during the warm-up, it was played again over the public address system, we looked at each other and felt that we would go up. In Montjuïc we already put it on purpose. It is without a doubt one of our songs,” locker room sources say. There were no personalized speeches. They limited themselves to dancing and celebrating. Also Aleix Garcia, captain of Girona who caused some controversy in the run-up to the derby by pointing out that he would like to wear the Barça shirt. Quique Cárcel asked him if he still thought the same. Aleix said that he was staying.
Yes, there was a footballer who held back. And he proved it when Yan Couto invited him to participate in an Instagram live. It was Eric Garcia. The centre-back, a starter at Montjuïc, left Barça on loan last summer heading to Montilivi to gain experience but above all confidence. “Míchel's secret with Eric Garcia and with many other players is that he tells them that they can do everything but above all he teaches them to enhance their virtues so that their weaknesses are less exposed,” club sources highlight. And they give, for example, the management with the Madrid full-back Miguel Gutiérrez, who supported Sávio in attack and who later scored his first goal of the season. “Miguel is one of those who needs confidence. It really works for him to be told that he will own his band. That he will play. “Everyone talks about Sávio but his season is impressive,” they say of the man from Madrid who trained at Real Madrid, a club that still retains 50% of his rights.
The Girona squad sang and cheered the victory. But without cava or great stridency. “They want to keep looking up and the key is to go game by game, thinking they can beat anyone. But with what we are seeing, it is impossible not to get excited about other objectives. Of course you think about Europe,” they say from the PGA Catalunya, Girona's base of operations.
Yesterday they watched in amazement as the European press echoed the victory. And they did not stop receiving messages from former players like Álex Granell or Eloi Amagat, who lived the adventure of the first promotion. They both still meet to have coffee with Quique Cárcel because no matter what happens, no one wants to give up good habits.
La Vinya, the team's training center, will not open its doors until tomorrow. Míchel has given his players two days of holiday, something that only happens on big occasions. That's why not everyone got on the bus back to Girona. Some stayed in Barcelona taking advantage of the 48 hours of rest to see their families or friends. Those who returned dined on sushi that the club's team of nutritionists ordered in Barcelona and which also included noodles and rice. Some player joked that some dessert was missing to sweeten the victory. But not. They are strict in all their methods.
Tomorrow the discipline will return with training scheduled for 11:00 a.m. Before, the squad will meet again to have a personalized breakfast that varies depending on the session that each player is going to do and their body composition. After training and under the same parameters they will eat together as always at La Vinya. By then, Míchel will have already managed to get them to only think about the match on Monday, December 18 against Alavés in Montilivi.
