Míchel's big mistake this season at Girona

GIRONAChristian Portuguese, Portu, alongside Cristhian Stuani, has been the hero of Girona's permanence in the First Division. The Murcian has shaken up the Atlético attack in recent weeks: in Leganés he provided an assist and earned a red card, against Mallorca he created the opportunity for the goal, in Valladolid he made a – disallowed – goal before the Uruguayan put the icing on the cake in a heart-stopping final stretch, which the team, Sebastià – having done his homework – scored more than a year after the last time. However, the fates of Portu and Girona could have been very different.

Because in the final days of the winter transfer window, Portu, tired of living in ostracism, asked to leave Girona. A single start, complemented by another in the Copa del Rey and a few minutes in the Champions League, led the fed-up striker to show up at Míchel's office to ask to leave the club because he wanted to play. He carried an offer from Celta Vigo under his arm. However, the Madrid coach wouldn't let him go. He told him he needed him, that he was important to the group. And Portu accepted.

As the weeks went by, however, his situation didn't change. In fact, during the month of February, he only played fourteen minutes (two against Las Palmas and twelve against Getafe). As Girona piled up losses, Portu grew increasingly angry. He couldn't understand why Míchel had told him he was so important if he wouldn't put him on the pitch afterward. His stats from the previous year were excellent, with eight goals in 38 matches despite being a regular substitute. This season, he made his debut against Real Sociedad: he hadn't found the net since May 4, 2024, in the 4-2 win over Barça. He didn't fail in the decisive stretch, racking up 343 minutes and four starts in the five La Liga matches in which the Girona side collected the seven points that saved them. In the previous 31 matches, he played 340. At Reale Arena, with all the cards sold, he only played 21 minutes, enough to score. Portu is a legend at Girona: he is the 32nd player in history with the most matches, 185, spread over five seasons, and has scored 38 goals, a tally surpassed only by Stuani in professional football.

Feeling the sting of relegation, with his patience with new signings completely exhausted—the only player who has yielded any offensive performance is Bryan Gil, who was seriously injured in March—forced Míchel to change his tune. The team "hit rock bottom," in his words, in the first half against Betis on April 21, which ended 3-0, and decided to go to war with Portu and Stuani, not Danjuma, Asprilla, Abel Ruiz, and Miovski. The performance of both sides supports the decision, just as it proves the coach right to have prevented Portu's departure in the winter. What would have become of Girona if they had had to play for survival without him?

"I've made mistakes throughout the season"

Míchel acknowledged his mistake. Asked whether Portu is the typical example of a player who doesn't get the opportunities he expects, but when he does, he eats up the pitch and gives not 100 percent but 200 percent, he was honest: "I've made mistakes throughout the season. Portu started the first matchday, but he hasn't participated as much as he deserved. He suffered a problem with his ankle [he missed nine games between October and November], but once he recovered, it was hard for me to see him."

The Girona manager praises the player's great professionalism: "Portu has continued working all this time and has asked for minutes the way he should, with effort. Often, words are carried away by the wind, but at all times he has been a good teammate and has worked in search of an opportunity. 'I'm here'. He has the appreciation of the fans because he gives everything on the pitch." With the club's continuation in the First Division confirmed, the Murcia native has been one of the players who has celebrated it the most.