Barbecues, go-karts, paintball, kayaks and Zumba to revive Girona

Girona"I was really embarrassed, to be honest; but luckily, I wasn't the only one. It happened to all of us. We were there, standing in a room, dressed in Girona's training gear, and an instructor was forcing us to do really strange movements. We looked at each other, completely confused. I'd never been shocked before." The speaker is Jose Martínez. He remembers that unexpected session proposed by Javier Salamero, the coach and sporting director, depending on the season. To imagine what the players felt at that moment, it's necessary to understand the context. In 2012, the team was second to last in the Second Division, six points from safety after winning only four out of 27 matches; and the board had already sacked two coaches, Raül Agné and Josu Uribe. But instead of going to Montilivi every day, Salamero, called in as an emergency replacement, thought it would be better not to go. "It's shocking to have your routine disrupted like that. Because when everything's going wrong, the first thing they usually tell you is that you have to train more. Well, on Thursdays or Fridays we did other things. And it was a success, because we'd laugh our heads off and end up closer than when we started the day, and because we hadn't even started the day badly. This formula doesn't exist. In fact, the first thing we did was beat Deportivo, who were the runaway league leaders and would end up getting promoted." Such is football; that Girona team under Salamero was a success: in 12 matches, they racked up 7 wins, 4 draws, and 1 loss. Players like Jose, Migue, Dorca, Coro, Jandro, and David García, who didn't know how to pose for the Zumba instructor, became unstoppable on the pitch.

Martínez is the tenth player with the most appearances in Girona's history. He played 259 matches between 2005 and 2013, from the Third Division to professional football. And of course, so many years running down the wing meant he saw it all. "We did a lot of activities outside of football, when things were tough on the pitch, to release tension and build team spirit. Salamero was a specialist at that. He'd catch us when we were feeling down and, instead of training, he'd take us go-karting, paintball, kayaking, or Zumba classes," he admits. Perhaps Míchel's Girona, who host Alavés at Montilivi this Saturday (2 p.m., DAZN), stuck in a rut as they are, could benefit from this kind of camaraderie. In La Liga, another bad result could jeopardize the Madrid native's future on the bench. The current Girona and the 2011-12 Girona share the team's worst points total in modern professional football after the first 11 matchdays, with 7 points.

"It was like living for a while in a world parallel to reality. It wasn't exactly like psychological training, but it was similar. It distracted us and made us forget about the points we needed. And we'd arrive at the weekend relaxed and full of good vibes," admits Martínez. Salamero's tactic was also put into practice in 2007 and 2009, when he himself would pass the lamb chops and sausages to Jota, who would put them on the grill set up at Montilivi, where the entrance to the main stand is currently located. The whole squad would gather there, beers in hand. Go-karts have been a regular feature in the locker room in recent years, as in 2018.

Unparalleled Stages

The former player avoids comparing that period with the present. "Getting relegated to Segunda B would have been the end of everything. When I thought about it, I'd say to myself: 'Will I have to go back to the mud again? I'd earn little, I wouldn't get good offers, I'd be out of the running...' Now footballers have good contracts, and we're not talking about leaving professional football. Without meaning to belittle anyone, going back would have been an option, but with all the traveling I've done, with all the traveling I've done. I'd already done it, and I didn't want to play against Hospitalet, Cornellà, or Badalona again."

The legendary Girona number 2 still has a photo of himself in the red and white colors as his WhatsApp profile picture. "Girona is my club. Perhaps that's lacking now. The more there's been talk of Girona pride, the less the newcomers have understood the club's meaning. We've been to the Champions League, yes, but the essence has been somewhat lost. Stuany and Portu are still there, but there's nothing there. We're the ones who deliver a knockout blow when it matters. We suffer because we see ourselves struggling; but I get the feeling that many are calm because they don't feel a connection to the club and it doesn't hurt them as much," he says.

And what about Míchel? "The current form is very bad (20 points out of the last 90), but the team has improved a little lately. I think the club has faith in him, but results always matter. I want to believe he'll stay as long as he wants, but perhaps something else will happen," Martínez concludes.