Girona, from everything to nothing: the causes
1. Last Saturday night, the sporting drama culminated. Girona drew at home with Elche and were relegated to the Second Division. Had Lemar's shot hit the post gone in, the big party in Plaça del Vi would have lasted two days. But when football really hangs by a thread, it's a sign that things haven't been done right. This bad run at the end of the season (no wins in the last eight games, 4 points out of a possible 24) has been practically symmetrical to a start of the season of continuous stumbles. The condemnation has been the meager 41 points achieved. A year ago, also with 41 points, Girona managed to stay up by the skin of their teeth. On this occasion, there was no luck, and the fans, at the end of the match, pointed to the stands and swayed between supportive condolences and criticism of the players.
2. It's hard to understand how, in such a short time, they have gone from everything to nothing. Just two years ago, Girona touched the sky. They finished third in the League, only surpassed by Madrid and Barça, they obtained 81 points (double what they have now) and managed to score 85 goals, even more than Lewandowski's Barça. This year, they have only scored 39. And, at a goal per game, you go to hell. In that moment of glory, when Girona became leaders of the First Division, Pere Guardiola, president of the club's board of directors, gave an interview to El Periódico with a headline that went around the world: "Girona is the first team in Catalonia". Míchel's team scored four goals against Barça both at Montjuïc and Montilivi, and their vibrant, spontaneous, spectacular and uninhibited football amazed everyone. And this was, paradoxically, the beginning of the end.
3. The Girona players made a name for themselves and everyone fell in love with Dobvik or Aleix Garcia, who were transferred, or with Eric and Savinho, who returned to the clubs that had loaned them out. Girona lost four important players and was going to play the Champions League with a weakened squad without City Group, the club's owner, living up to the moment. The excitement of playing in the top world football competition also turned against the white-and-reds. So much effort during the week to play eight Champions League games with terrible results was paid for dearly in the League. There was no squad for two such demanding competitions. Quique Cárcel, the sporting director who seemed to be the best in the world, has signed a handful of mediocre players in two summers who have contributed little or nothing: Van de Beek, Asprilla, Miovski, Witsel, Bryan Gil, Abel Ruiz, Vanat, Livakovic... In the second year, key players from the best Girona also left, such as Miguel Gutiérrez or Yangel Herrera. And City, much more concerned about Manchester than Montilivi's team, has not committed enough to the project. Loaning out Reis or Echeverri to get minutes was not enough.
4. Without goalscorers, without power in midfield, and with a shaky defense, Míchel could not work miracles. The coach from Vallecas, so integrated and so loved on his own merits, had to struggle to get reinforcements. Some, when they arrived (like Ter Stegen), broke down in the second game. The injuries of so many players have been a burden, but Míchel's aura has also dried up. From the moment he was rumored to be coaching Ajax or even replacing Guardiola at City, the team has not won again. If the players notice that the coach has his head elsewhere, it's bad news.
5. The multiple causes of the relegation are clear. The consequences, beyond La Devesa, are also a hard blow for Catalan football. Next year, only Barça and Espanyol will be in the top flight. In Madrid, meanwhile, they will continue to have four teams, with the added success of Getafe, who will play in Europe, and Rayo, who are about to play the most important match in their history: the Conference League final.
