"Girona is Catalan, by conviction and roots; it is one of the banners of our land"

Girona“Our way of working is in Catalan and we must protect that. Girona is Catalan, by conviction and roots; it is one of the standards of our land. We try that, when someone thinks of us, it is clear 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.

Among other actions, the agreement includes a sociolinguistic evaluation of youth football teams; the promotion of Catalan learning and specific vocabulary among foreign coaches and players, and the reinforcement of Catalan's presence in communication via social networks, including the first team. “We have had the account in Spanish for a short time, but not because we want to wage a war on it, not at all, but because it did not come naturally to us to communicate with our fans in Spanish”, added Mas-Bagà, who supported this with data: 90% of Girona's followers on X follow them in Catalan, and the players have better interaction with their fans when they post in Catalan. The club also recommends its sponsors from outside Catalonia to communicate in Catalan when addressing their members, “because that is how we speak”.

“The normal use of the language in areas such as leisure and sport is very important for increasing its social use. Therefore, it is crucial that reference sports clubs like Girona become even more involved in its full normalization. With its presence in the First Division, Girona FC has a reference role that it can exercise”, states Òscar Escuder, the president of Plataforma per la Llengua. In this regard, coach Míchel Sánchez has become a loudspeaker and a mirror of integration: on his own initiative, he asked to attend Catalan classes to be one more within Girona society and now understands and uses it in his day-to-day life. When, a few weeks ago, Girona snatched a valuable point from the Santiago Bernabéu, Míchel, born in Vallecas, not far from there, gave the press conference in Catalan.

The xuixo in the Champions League

Players from other places, like Donny van de Beek, have shown interest in the language and have interacted on social media in Catalan, with the help of club employees. Cristhian Stuani, Girona's main figure, led by example after the defeat against Betis, prior to this Saturday's visit to Valencia (6:30 PM, Movistar LaLiga), by tweeting in Catalan.

When a foreign signing lands at Montilivi, the club generates a series of challenges in Catalan, such as a homegrown player teaching important words to the newcomer. In the era when Girona competed in the Champions League, the club also made various proposals in Catalan to rival fans who happened to be in the city, regarding gastronomy and so they could get to know points of interest. An Arsenal supporter could be taught what a xuixo was, a Liverpool fan could be told to visit the cathedral, or a Feyenoord fan could learn about the tradition of the Cul de la Lleona.

There are many examples that demonstrate Girona's conviction regarding the protection of Catalan: internal meetings are held in Catalan, and all areas take care of the language. In recent years, the club has changed several nomenclatures: from hospitality to corporate hospitality, from business club to club d’empreses and a long etcetera of anglicisms that have been translated. Other visible actions include the fact that the vast majority of songs played at the stadium during matches are in Catalan. Recently, moreover, LaLiga awarded the "Orgull Gironí" campaign as the best strategic brand campaign. The club defines "orgull gironí" as a “shared symbol for all those people who love the Girona region and who value the excellence of the territory in areas such as gastronomy, culture, sport, and landscape, projecting the values of a land with its own unmistakable character”. In the realm of culture, Catalan is essential.

The club has it so internalized that it hasn't had to do active work or impose anything, because it is natural to communicate in Catalan, despite the criticism it receives from a sector of fans from outside Catalonia. "Catalan is part of our identity and our link with the territory," admits president Delfí Geli.