"Things haven't been done so badly": Girona's small big success at the World Cup

Barcelona“Girona pride helps you go further and never stop. Having three players with a past at Girona who can be starters in the World Cup final means a lot to the club. It is the result of well-done work, effort, and the constancy of many people,” assures Santi Pou, a member of the sports management of the red-and-white entity and a member of Quique Álvarez's coaching staff, to ARA.

This Sunday, July 19 (9:00 PM), Girona will also be part of the Spanish national team that will play the World Cup final against Argentina. Pau Cubarsí, Pedro Porro, and Álex Baena, all three with a past at Girona, are set to be starters. In addition, there will also be former Girona player Eric Garcia, who, despite not having played minutes in this World Cup, can also be proclaimed champion. “All of them share a series of very specific characteristics. They are humble people, who train to improve, with high mental concentration during the 90 minutes and with pride and determination in every action,” explains Pou.

Pau Cubarsí and an unknown past in Girona

Before arriving at La Masia, Pau Cubarsí took his first steps in football with Girona, where he spent four years. “The concentration he showed for 90 minutes in every action, without errors, was out of the ordinary,” recalls Pou, who was then the director of methodology for the white-and-red club. “He’s a very good kid, he always listened with a great desire to learn. Then you put him on the field and he knew what he was doing. He always made the right decisions,” he adds.

Cubarsí was signed by Dani Villar, who is currently the head of analysts for the first team, and he went through the hands of Borja Caballero (at Benjamí B), Manu Garcia (at Benjamí B and Benjamí A), and Sergi Mora (at Aleví C). Born in L'Estanyol, the people of Girona will be able to boast of having a local person in the World Cup final.

Pedro Porro, a leap of three categories

Another of the players trained in the white-and-red academy is Pedro Porro, “Pedrito” for Javier Galiano, the first team delegate for 18 years who retired a few weeks ago. Carlos Moreno, coordinator of the Gimnástico Don Benito academy, where he trained him in his first steps in football, also knows him very well. “He was a child who already stood out from a young age. The difference with the others was his character on the field; his perseverance, effort and humility, but also his competitive spirit,” recalls Moreno, who confesses that he was surprised that he was not a starter from the outset in the World Cup.

He arrived at Girona for his last year as a youth player, coming from Rayo Vallecano. Albert Síria—current sporting director of Girona B—signed him, while Àlex Marsal—then coach of the Juvenil A—was key in his development. At that time, Girona had an affiliation agreement with Peralada, who competed in Segunda B. Porro played for that team, but he quickly made the leap to Girona's first team under Eusebio Sacristán. “He is a very intelligent player and that allowed him to quickly assimilate the three categories he moved up in one go,” says Pou, who recalls how impressed he was by his attitude in training. “He had a lot of ambition, he wanted to be a professional footballer and he showed it to you in every action”.

Álex Baena and Míchel, a key relationship

Álex Baena did not train at Girona, but he was there for one season with the first team, where Míchel was key to his development. “The relationship between the two was not easy, but he earned his place and respect through performance. He is a player with an absolute winning spirit who always gives his maximum,” admits Pou, who was also part of the first team's technical staff that season.

Although he did not start as a starter —he did not play minutes against Cape Verde— he has earned his place in the starting eleven through training and demonstrating his worth. “He is very insistent and never hides. It is not at all easy to change the coaches' decisions during a World Cup,” adds Pou. 

Three cases of players who have been trained, to a greater or lesser extent, at Girona and who could be starters in the World Cup final this Sunday. “It is the triumph of many years of work from the academy, from which footballers like Ilyas Chaira, Gabri Martínez, Àlex Sala or Joel Roca [who will be transferred to Olympiacos] have also emerged. Things have not been done so badly,” claims Galiano. “It is everyone’s success, it is many hours of silent work. When Quique Cárcel arrived at the sporting direction, he established an idea of signing and a way of training and improving players, which are its three pillars,” concludes Pou.