Girona FC: The New LaLiga Revelation.

Girona are enjoying a dream start to the season after 9 LaLiga matches having seven wins, one dreaw and one defeat, far exceeding the expectations placed on the club and the squad, and placing the team in second place in LaLiga with 22 points, behind Real Madrid who have 24. Two matchdays ago, the team managed to become sole leaders of LaLiga for the first time in its history, the 27th team to do so since the tournament's foundation in 1929. They are, therefore, a team built to fight for relegation despite the future project behind them, which makes it even more incredible.

So, how can this incredible success of the Catalan club be explained?

First of all, despite Girona FC was founded in 1930, they never reached the Spanish first Division until 2017 when the City Football Group acquired the 44.3% of the Catalonian club in a purchase made a few months after their first promotion. Another 44.3% was held by the Girona Football Group, led by Pere Guardiola, brother of Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola. The CFG holding company, that administers association football clubs, derives its name from Manchester City, its flagship football club, and acts as the club's parent company. They also own clubs like Melbourne City (A-Lague), New York City (MLS), Troyes (Ligue 2), Palermo (Serie B), Montevideo City Torque (Uruguayan First DIvision) or Yokohama F. Marinos (J1 League). One of the core philosophies of City Football Group since its inception has been the mutual supporting of clubs through combined scouting and player and coaching staff sharing. Also developments within Manchester City's academy ultimately lead to a shift in strategy and focus of the group, that permits bringing through youth talent led to the buying of promising players in the early teenage years, many of whom would go on to be sold for a large profit.

In second place, it has to be highlighted the work of the Technical Director, Enrique Cárcel, and the Main Coach, Miguel ángel Sánchez "Míchel" who has transformed in few years a Second Tier squad in one of the current best teams in Europe throught his motivational speeches, his great management of the players and his powerful tactical knowledge. The most used formation (4-1-4-1) by the Coah from Madrid stands out for his ball possesion style (being LaLiga team that loses the fewest balls), using offensive Wing-Backs like Yan Couto, Miguel Gutiérrez or Arnau Martínez with facilities to attack the rival area what permit to achieve easier the opponent's goal. They also use offensive Wingers like Savinho (one of LaLiga players with most successull dribblings) and Tsyhankov who put many dangerous crossings in the rival area for their two powefull and tall strikers Dovbyk or Stuani (one of LaLiga squads with most effectiveness, scoring more goals than expected goals predicted). There are also very important players for the team like their captain and main midfielder Aleix García (the player with more key interceptions in the squad) or the experienced defenders David López and Daley Blind. So that great mixing between veteran players and young talents make of Girona FC a very hard team to defeat.

Therefore, despite playing in a stadium with barely 15000 people capacity, thank to belong to a multi-club ownership, a great coach management and his young rising stars talents, they are in the second position in LaLiga. Even it is very difficult to think in a another 'Leicester City' exploit, it' sure that if they keep this level, Girona FC will achieve a spot in an european competition next season.

By Jorge Expósito.