At 20 years old, Vitor Reis (São José dos Campos, Brazil, 2006) has already experienced more than most people will in a lifetime. "I signed for Palmeiras when I was 10, at 15 I left my parents' house to live in a residence with some of my teammates, and at 16 I became completely independent and moved into my own apartment." The story continues with his debut in the Brasileirão at 18 and a move to a different continent at 19, after Manchester City noticed him and invested nearly 40 million euros. And there's more: six months ago, just before being loaned to Montilivi, also at 19, he got married. "It's a blessing to have my wife by my side. I'm convinced that if it weren't for her, I wouldn't feel so good in Girona." Recently, the couple added a dog to their family.

Girona hopes to finalize several deals during the winter transfer window to climb out of the relegation zone, where they have remained since the start of the season. Currently, there is no position where manager Míchel Sánchez doesn't need reinforcements, whether due to poor form in some areas or a lack of depth in others. These new signings will also necessitate the departure of some players. Therefore, there will be both arrivals and departures.

Pep Guardiola got his way at the Santiago Bernabéu, and City, without playing a spectacular match, did enough to rub salt in the wounds of Real Madrid (1-2) and further bury Xabi Alonso. Real Madrid took the lead through Rodrygo, who scored his first goal in over nine months, but O'Reilly and Haaland, from the penalty spot, soon turned the game around. The Real Madrid manager is on thin ice after suffering two consecutive defeats, but he has saved his job, for the moment, because his team at least fought until the final whistle.

Girona has had a lucky charm in the stands for both of their La Liga victories this season, both at Montilivi: Elinilma Pereira, the mother of Savinho, the star player of the 2023-24 Girona superstar team that broke all the club's records and is now at Manchester United. "Every time I have the chance to support the team, I do it with great pleasure," she told ARA. Elinilma moves discreetly through the stadium. Accompanied by friends, she makes her way to her seat in the stands. She's wearing a red and white scarf.

The City Football Group, Pere Guardiola, and Marcelo Claure, who rule Girona, have changed the club's history. And they've changed it for the better. They've made football a topic of conversation and have demonstrated their seriousness because, in bad times, they not only didn't abandon ship like rats do, but they actually doubled their bets, making capital increases that kept the ball rolling. When you take the full picture, this is an important chapter that can't be ignored, because if Girona returned to the First Division after relegation and won the lottery with the Champions League year, it's thanks to events like those.

Florian Lejeune and Rubén Sobrino have been involved with Vitor Reis for ten years, between Manchester City and Girona. Lejeune and Sobrino were the first, at the end of August 2015, and Reyes has already arrived in Catalonia as the third summer signing and the first loan signing from England. Both clubs are negotiating to ensure the Brazilian's arrival isn't the only one, with winger Claudio Echeverri in their sights. But the Argentine needs convincing, because Roma also want him, and the player seems more inclined to go to the Italian capital than to Montilivi.

Girona has finally got its act together. Finally, after weeks of uncertainty and seeing several players leave the club, but no new faces joining, aside from the return of loan players, Míchel will have his sights set on signings. The first to join the red-and-white project will be Thomas Lemar and Hugo Rincón, both on loan with no option to buy. The Girona side, who are facing a serious salary cap headache, will exploit this avenue thoroughly, as they also hope to sign young talents from Manchester City in the coming days.

Pep Guardiola is a Barça legend. A Dream Team player, he reached the top with a six-team squad in his first season as a top-flight manager. A four-year stint at Barça that seemed short-lived for Barça fans. Since he packed his bags at Camp Nou in 2012, many Barça fans have dreamed of his return, but Guardiola is clear that his future doesn't lie in the Barça dugout. "It's over forever. It was beautiful, but it's over."

Girona is negotiating with UEFA to be able to operate normally with the City Football Group, following a forced pause due to its Champions League presence. The Girona club is "optimistic," although it remains cautious, as European football's governing body has always been quite rigid in its decisions. If UEFA gives its approval, loan deals from Manchester City, a common practice for Montilivi for a decade, will be reactivated.

On the verge of closing out his most complicated season at Manchester City and while immersed in the Club World Cup, Pep Guardiola's coaching staff is introducing new faces. Aside from a notable outlay of 340 million euros in player signings before the end of the 2024-25 campaign, three people from thestaff They've already left, and in their place have come three replacements. They are Pep Lijnders, James French, and Kolo Touré, who come to replace Juanma Lillo, Íñigo Domínguez, and Carlos Vicens.

Sometimes you get the feeling that, whatever you do, you're going to lose. That you're always going to lose, as if you were the victim of a spell. This year, Pep Guardiola feels that, whatever he does, he's going to lose for the first time in his long career. For years, he has tormented his rivals by creating winning projects, but this year, the coach from Santpedor is not getting any results. On a night to forget, Real Madrid made City's wound worse by eliminating them from the Champions League in a match that had no history. It was too easy for a Madrid led by the talent of Mbappé. The Whites are having a big party and Guardiola is experiencing a real via crucis.

City and Madrid will face each other this Tuesday at the Etihad Stadium (9pm) in a match that will correspond to the play-off Champions League knockout stages. Madrid have always qualified for the last 16 in their previous group stages. City, meanwhile, will be looking to play in another round of 16 since the 2013-14 season.

Manchester City and Real Madrid showed their urgency in a round of 32 match in which, a priori, neither of the two teams should have been involved. Neither the English nor the Madrid side did their homework well in the qualifying round and that now forces them to play a two-legged tie in which the Whites got a great haul in their visit to the Etihad (2-3). Pep Guardiola's team was leading on the scoreboard ten minutes from the end, but two errors in the final stages allowed the Whites to take the victory to Madrid, where the return leg will be played.