When Mister Marshall stops loving us
BarcelonaThe same summer as Espanyol fans They have welcomed a former NFL football player as if he were Jesus Christ entering Jerusalem., those of Girona They criticize those who not so long ago were their saviors. In football, we need to dream; we already have enough problems in life. And the people who can buy a club are usually people who understand business and communication. That's why they always arrive with flourishes, with pretty words and promising honor and glory. They know how to sell an image of winners that appeals to people. Then... well, the ball doesn't always go in. And not all businessmen are as good as they seem. Or as they think they are.
The sad reality of our football is that we need to wait for a foreign savior. The alternative is to find pride in resilience and identity, in more modest leagues, like Europe or Olot. But even in these categories, historic clubs accept that, to pave the way, an outside investor is necessary, as is the case at Sabadell with an American and at Sant Andreu with a Japanese. If you want to reach professional football, let Mister Marshall arrive and roll out the red carpet.
When the Chinese group Rastar bought Espanyol, it seemed that the final destination would be the Champions League. That wasn't the case. The Chinese would have liked that, but football, Chinese geopolitics, and business are complicated. They weren't that bad, nor are the new arrivals that good. You have to accept that the businessmen who buy your club could have bought the neighboring club. They arrive in Girona or Barcelona after conducting market research, but they could have ended up in Mallorca or Marbella. We like to feel special and think that a Japanese or British millionaire has understood that your club is special. But when things don't go well, it makes you angry to know that the owner is still living like a king in Singapore, as is the case with Valencia.
We should always remember that the businessman who buys your club doesn't love it. Some end up loving it over time, but for them, it's just a business. Or a toy they can get tired of. You need to pray that a good businessman buys you, not a scoundrel. Because foreign investors, as with local ones, have good ones and bad ones. And it's hard to understand why those managers who were so brilliant when they led Girona to the Champions League now seem to be failing or no longer interested. I have no doubt that the people who work at Girona are working their tails off looking for solutions, but others are controlling the rig. I hope the City group, Marcelo Claure and company, continue to look after them. But, whatever happens, I don't like this trend of large groups controlling five, seven, or ten clubs. If an owner owns just one club, he'll look after it more. If you're just one more in a list of ten, you're more expendable.