20 years of inexplicable resilience

GironaTwenty years after its founding, Uni Girona is stronger than ever. The club, born from the unlikely union of the women's teams of Santa Eugenia and Vedruna, is experiencing one of its most exciting periods. "The essence can be summed up in two things. The first is generosity, because back then, two entities that couldn't stand each other reached an agreement to work together. There are many people behind these twenty years. Directors and sponsors who have taken action because they believed in the project. And the institutions, of course. We fought. And we had to fight." Pere Puig, sporting director and one of the key figures in the founding of Uni Girona, summarizes the virtues of the club, which debuted in the Copa Catalunya in the 2005-06 season.

The journalist Jordi Roura, head of the Sports and Culture section of The Opinion of Zamora, he has summarized in a book (Uni Girona: 20 years of basketball and achievementsThe book chronicles the two decades of Uni Girona's existence. "When Jordi told us he had an idea to write our history, we immediately agreed. It's wonderful to have it written down, because we've been pioneers in many things," says Cayetano Pérez, president of Uni Girona. The book has 264 pages and includes more than 200 photographs.

"I wanted to leave a written record of Uni's history, and with the twentieth anniversary approaching and the merger with Bàsquet Girona on the table, it was a good time to move forward. We've focused on the different adventures of each season. Working with the archives has helped me remember things I'd forgotten. There have been some very critical moments. Every summer, the following summer. The lowest ranking is fifth place; Uni has always been a top team," Roura explains.

"Daring to talk about titles"

The anniversary coincides with a very promising progression for Spar Girona. The absence of Mariam Coulibaly adds an extra layer of difficulty for the team coached by Roberto Íñiguez. "It's very presumptuous to talk about titles. Our real title is seeing the crowd's reaction, for example, on the days of the Valencia and Perfumerías Avenida games. Witnessing the fans' passion and seeing how we compete is our real title. If we were to win one, it would be incredible, but right now it's too bold to talk about it," warns Puig. Spar Girona's season inspires dreams. "We're taking it one game at a time, but it's clear that time is passing and we're still near the top. Qualifying for the Euroleague Final Six would be historic," he acknowledges.

The club's evolution is astounding. "First we won a title, then we went to the EuroLeague, later we reached the quarterfinals... That's why I say that being in the Final Six would be another historic milestone. But we won't put any pressure on ourselves and we don't need any additional motivation," assures Puig, the mastermind behind Spar Girona. "When we started planning the team in the summer, we had it in mind that we wanted to compete for the league title. We built a quality group, but we were aware that it was a small squad. The players were ambitious and came here to develop, and we were convinced that they wanted to bond as a team. Being part of the Catalan League excites us. But I know that the coaching staff's standards are very high and that only by maintaining this level will we be able to continue competing," he says.

"This team inspires us, because that's what it generates, and we're pleased to see how the results have been achieved. And now what's next? To continue enjoying ourselves and making others enjoy themselves. Beyond whether we win or not, what we want is to keep competing, something we've done despite illnesses and injuries," he concludes.