Once again, Cristhian Stuani came to Girona's rescue at Vallecas. The Uruguayan's shot into the back of the net in the 90th minute earned a draw for Míchel's team, who host Real Sociedad this Thursday (8 p.m., Movistar LaLiga) on a key day for survival in LaLiga. The Girona players still depend on themselves to stay up, but the situation is dire: there are a lot of teams tied with 39 points, including Girona, who could start the match in the relegation zone if the involved teams do their jobs correctly.

It couldn't be anyone else. With Girona losing after a goal by Alemao in the 86th minute and relegation getting closer, Cristhian Stuani came to the rescue for permanence in the First Division with a header in the 90th minute. The draw means the Geronians remain in seventeenth position, two points from the danger zone. There are four teams tied at 39 points, including Espanyol.

The night was dark from the start. Everything failed, in Montilivi. Well, not everything, everything except the fans. The people really knew what was at stake. Instead, Girona only realized it when they were already in deep trouble against Mallorca (0-1). Míchel's team had no response right when they could least afford to fail. The details also didn't help, because Echeverri missed a clear goal and two balls hit the post, and despite staying out of the relegation zone this matchday, it could still get much closer - now they are four points away and Sevilla plays on Monday - and the third consecutive defeat will force them to suffer until the end of the championship. They hadn't lost three games in a row since the first three matchdays of the League.

Girona does not know much about the future, pending a present that forces them to win this Friday against Mallorca at Montilivi (9 p.m., Movistar LaLiga) if they do not want serious problems in a League finale more typical of the Second Division than the First, with a lot of teams involved in the fight to avoid relegation. Míchel's men are fifteenth and have a four-point lead over Sevilla, who are in eighteenth place, the last marked in red. Seventeenth, three points behind the Geronans, the Balearic islanders also need victory at any price. The match has not even started and tension is already palpable in the city.

Girona's knot in their stomach is evident after their visit to Mestalla, where they suffered a defeat that put them in serious trouble (2-1). Míchel's team, who until recently breathed with the confidence of having salvation within reach, now see themselves four points away from the danger zone, with the involved teams still to compete this Sunday, a fact that could bring the drama even closer. Next week's Girona-Mallorca match smells like a final.

“Our way of working is in Catalan and we must protect that. Girona is Catalan, by conviction and roots; it is one of the standard-bearers of our land. We try to ensure that when someone thinks of us, they know clearly that we are Catalan”, defended Ignasi Mas-Bagà, the CEO of the Girona club, at an international symposium on minority languages and football. The Girona entity has ratified its commitment to the country's language and has signed a collaboration agreement with Plataforma per la Llengua to promote and normalize the use of Catalan.

Girona made it big at the Santiago Bernabéu, from where they snatched a golden point of great merit on a happy night (1-1). The result not only brings them a little closer to definitive permanence, but it practically hands the League title to Barça, who could almost seal it if they win today's derby against Espanyol.

Girona visits Real Madrid this Friday (9 PM, Movistar LaLiga) for the seventh time in its history. The most impactful of all, without a doubt, was two seasons ago, when Míchel's team arrived at the Santiago Bernabéu with morale sky-high: the whites had 58 points and Girona had 56. “If we won, we would be leaders. It was amazing”, explains Pepe Sierra, the president of the Federation of White-and-Red Supporters' Clubs. No one wanted to miss that match, which would end in a 4-0 local thrashing that didn't hurt at all. “The expectation was very high, many people traveled. In fact, we had so many commitments that I gave up my ticket so no one would be left out. What did I do? Well, I went to watch it in a bar. We had a good time anyway”, he specifies.

It's not here yet, but almost: Girona took a giant step towards staying in La Liga by defeating Villarreal in an exercise of collective resilience (1-0). With this victory, Míchel's men have an eight-point cushion over the relegation places with 24 points left to play for. It's within reach.

"Honestly, it's better not to know how much money it cost me, all together," explains, laughing, Albert Martínez, who after a lot of years of research, has an enviable collection of Girona items. Among them, all the first kits in the history of the Catalan club. "There are 55 – he says –. Of the first forty years, only four, because they used one each decade. And, later on, one was valid for two seasons." He has searched among antique dealers, sellers, players of all times, and their families to make it possible. Every time he found a relic, before making the corresponding payment, he used to call Jota, the kit manager until last December, to confirm that he wasn't being tricked. "It's difficult, because the club didn't put them on sale until the 2005-06 season," he admits.

Everything has an end, in life. Two of the most important figures in Girona's history, protagonists of the current sporting boom it is experiencing, in which it has strung together four consecutive seasons in the First Division and has real arguments to secure a fifth, have contracts ending in June and their continuity at Montilivi is not clear. Míchel Sánchez and Cristhian Stuani have ninety days to decide their future.

Girona will go into the international break with the same 34 points they had before their clear 1-0 defeat in Pamplona. The narrow margin of victory is only thanks to the outstanding performance of Paulo Gazzaniga, who only conceded a shot from Budimir in the 80th minute. Girona's performance, a stark contrast to their recent form, was disappointing.

Right across from the church in Riudarenes, a town of just over 2,500 inhabitants, stands a farmhouse with stone walls and a beamed ceiling, over 300 years old, proudly displaying the flags of Girona and Catalonia. This is Restaurante Can Cordons. "We try to make dishes respecting traditional cuisine, but with a modern touch," says Pau Turon (Riudarenes, 2000), its owner for the last eight years. "We met at the Girona Hospitality School," replies Gerard Picard (Girona, 1995), the chef. "Even though I'm now in the dining room, I'm also a cook," Turon asserts. That's not all they share, as they are also big Girona fans, although Picard has a bit of a Barcelona side. "Now I'm a little more of a Girona fan than a Barça fan," he admits. Míchel's team visits Osasuna this Saturday (6:30 p.m., Movistar LaLiga).

Just a few meters from the ruins of the Born district, destroyed in 1714—an archaeological site of great symbolic importance—three top-level football executives are chatting. Elena Fort, the Barça representative, beams after the long election night in which Joan Laporta was elected. "We will make sure to continue taking care of the Catalan language," she remarks, chatting with Xavi Andreu, director of institutional relations at Espanyol, and Nacho Mas-Bagà, from Girona. Andrés, who He remains angry about the refereeing decision suffered by Espanyol in Mallorca. He recalls how their official statements "were made in Catalan." The three have just given a talk at the International Symposium on Minority Languages ​​and Sgôr Football, organized by Plataforma per la Llengua.

Montilivi rose to its feet to applaud Ounahi in the final stages of a match he almost single-handedly won. The Moroccan was key to Girona's important 3-0 victory against Athletic Bilbao, creating the play that led to Rincón's goal and scoring the second himself in the dying moments. Gazzaniga kept the scoreline in check with several impressive saves, and Echeverri sealed the win at the end. But the star of the show was the Moroccan, for whom a ticket is worth the price of admission, despite today's high prices.

Strong emotions are intense psychological and physiological reactions such as fear, extreme joy, anger, or amazement, often experienced in high-risk situations, adventures, or significant life changes. It's said that these experiences activate the nervous system, release adrenaline, and generate a feeling of alertness or intense pleasure. Almost 100% of those who attend a Girona match wholeheartedly agree with these statements, knowing full well the stakes they face when the weekend arrives and their team takes to the pitch. In 2026, Míchel's team, along with Elche, has decided the most matches, for better or for worse, after the 85th minute. Up to 5 of the 10 matches they've played since the start of the new year—half of them—have tested the hearts of the fans, who are already accustomed to heart-stopping moments in recent seasons. Because nobody ever knows what's going to happen in a Girona match, which can even lead to surreal comebacks or events that would be illogical elsewhere, just when the game seems settled. At Montilivi, no one can take anything for granted before the final whistle, because there are enough historical precedents to remind us of the famous saying, "Don't say wheat until it's in the sack and tightly tied." They know this well in Girona.

Girona had seen it all but over. They were already imagining themselves heading home angry, and for their own shortcomings. But a Girona native, Joel Roca, appeared to save what was a dreadful match against Levante (1-1), a draw that would have meant a significant setback in their fight to stay in the First Division. The Camprodon native's goal wasn't without its mysteries, because it was initially disallowed unjustly. Those were seconds of utter injustice, transformed into joy when VAR intervened, and after reviewing the footage and confirming the goal was perfectly legal, he reversed his decision. The last-minute point, combined with Mallorca's draw, keeps their cushion above the relegation zone at two matchdays.

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 were going at full speed, believing themselves all-powerful at halftime, confident of a lead against Celta. It didn't matter that it was their only shot, nor that the Galicians had hit the post twice. The Girona players felt capable of anything, but when the visitors finally broke through, their dream came to an end, and they were brought back down to earth (1-2). That mentality speaks volumes about Girona, of course. And after everything they've had to endure this season, who is anyone to tell them how to feel now that they're doing well?

"It drove a lot of people crazy, me first and foremost," says Jaume Duran, scorer of the first goal in Girona's historic return to the Second Division almost five decades later. In August 2008, at Balaídos stadium, the former Banyoles striker became the protagonist of a fairy tale: just two weeks earlier he was playing for Palamós in the Third Division. "I signed by sheer luck, because Girona came to the Costa Brava to play a friendly and everything went my way. Every time I got the ball, I'd sprint past my defender. They were looking for a left winger and the coach, Raül Agné, had already seen me. But that match was key and in less than two weeks I was a starter."