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.

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).

Several events took place in 2005: Hurricane Katrina caused catastrophic damage in the United States; London was attacked with terrorist bombings on the subway and a bus that left 52 dead and more than 600 injured; Pope John Paul II died, with Benedict XVI succeeding him; Angela Merkel became the first female Chancellor of Germany; YouTube gained worldwide recognition; and same-sex marriage was legalized in Spain.

It was a day marked in red. They couldn't afford to let it slip. And Girona did just that, even though they came close to a magical comeback. Míchel's team wasted almost an hour of play, exploited by a direct rival for survival, Oviedo, to build a lead that seemed definitive. With the score at 2-0, however, a double from Stuani and a superb goal from Ounahi made it 3-2. Just as Montilivi was dancing, in the final play, in the 97th minute, David Carmo equalized. It's the second consecutive matchday in which Girona has dropped points in added time, five in total, following Araujo's goal in last week's Catalan derby.

After a very turbulent course, Girona is facing the summer with a lot of work in the offices. Counting arrivals, departures, returning loan players, and those ending their commitments, it's easy to see around twenty moves, a common number at Montilivi. What few suspected is that one of them will feature Cristhian Stuani. The Uruguayan, who will turn 39 in October, has a contract until 2026. But the fine print is tricky, because the club owes the player a "debt." The player himself didn't vouch for his continued service, despite assuring that his intention is none other than to stay at the club. The one who acknowledged the problem was Quique Cárcel, the sporting director, who also hopes Stuani won't leave Girona. Both parties are already negotiating an extension that would allow the Girona number 7 to return to the club.

Cristhian Stuani is a chosen one. "I don't know if I deserve this much. But today's performance moves me," he said, minutes after the feat, his voice breaking. He couldn't even continue speaking. He had to stop because he was crying. "It's very emotional, very emotional." In Pucela, in Girona's most critical situation in recent times, he separated the waters for the Girona team to remain in the First Division. The victory in Valladolid (0-1) puts permanence in the top flight within reach. It could be mathematically a foregone conclusion in the coming hours, depending on what their direct rivals do.

Cristhian Stuani is a chosen one. "I don't know if I deserve this much. But today's performance moves me," he said, minutes after the feat, his voice breaking. He couldn't even continue speaking. He had to stop because he was crying. "It's very emotional, very emotional." In Pucela, in Girona's most critical situation in recent times, he separated the waters for the Girona team to remain in the First Division. The victory in Valladolid (0-1) puts permanence in the top flight within reach. It could be mathematically a foregone conclusion in the coming hours, depending on what their direct rivals do.

"I've seen a lot of players come through Girona. A lot. Now, if we're talking about players with real commitment, the number drops quite a bit. Having them or not changes everything, everything. Especially when you have to stretch your skills. With them, things are always easier," explains Albert Mateos, who was in charge of the Real Madrid midfield and was tied to the veterans and the Genuine team, of which he is also the creator.

It was the perfect night. It couldn't have been better. Portu and Stuani, finally starting, were providing the adrenaline rush Girona needed. They had made it 1-0, a goal that moved the relegation zone five points away. It was golden, a victory that broke the losing streak. But a mistake, yet another act of selfishness from Danjuma, who instead of holding onto the ball in the 92nd minute and closing out the game, decided to leave it open by waging war on his own, gave Leganés wings, who edged two points clear of their opponents, who knows if they'll miss them at the end of the La Liga season (1-1). Everything remains the same, with the relegation zone three points away. There are fifteen more at stake.

It was the perfect night. It couldn't have been better. Portu and Stuani, finally starting, were providing the adrenaline rush Girona needed. They had made it 1-0, a goal that moved the relegation zone five points away. It was golden, a victory that broke the losing streak. But a lapse in focus, yet another act of selfishness from Danjuma—who instead of keeping the ball in the 92nd minute and closing out the game, decided to leave it open by waging war on his own—spurred Leganés on, who edged two points clear of their chances of missing them at the end of the La Liga season (1-1). Everything remains the same, with the relegation zone three points away. There are fifteen more to play for.

You don't have to be a great expert to know that if Girona wants to have a chance of staying in the First Division, it must play the remaining six finals with players who feel the shirt is their own. At this point, it's already been proven that none of the signings will be the solution and that the squad planning was correct. There's no need to insist further. For the match in Leganés, we must include Portu, Stuani, and nine others. Players who guarantee emotion and performance, because you only have to see what they generate every time they step onto the pitch. They inspire hope. With them, you can dream.

"I've never been so bored as I am now," said some Girona fans after a sleepy first half. Míchel has dug himself in, trying to get a team that isn't working. Against Valencia, he again used Bojan Miovski at the top of the attack. Watching the Macedonian make moves that aren't fully understood is starting to get you desperate. It's true that there isn't much to choose from, but it's worrying that the Vallecas coach isn't correctly interpreting what's happening to him. The whistle on Miovski was resounding. Within a minute on the pitch, Stuani had already created more danger. Within five, he had already scored. For the second time this week, the number 7 salvaged a point, neutralizing Diego López's opening goal (1-1). Relegation remains seven points behind.

The penalty converted by Cristhian Stuani in the Monday's duel against Espanyol allowed Girona earning a very important point for not taking any damage in the standings. This year, in which they've had to juggle three competitions at once, has been disappointing in terms of play and results. They're far from the numbers from last season, which were completely unacceptable, but also from a consistency that would be appropriate for the largest budget in their history.