Girona continue to be the envy of Europe but what is behind their sensational season?
Girona are top of the LaLiga table as things stand, a phenomenal achievement after a third of the season gone and in a league with Real Madrid and Barcelona. And all the more remarkable given that the Catalan team were only promoted to the Spanish top division two years ago and finished 10th last season.
The Blanquivermells have only featured four times in Spain's top division, which underlines how significant their recent development has been under the City Football Group ownership.
City Football Group and Mixel
Girona's current project actually began to take shape in August 2017, when the club was bought by the City Football Group, a consortium of investors from the United Arab Emirates who own, among other clubs, Manchester City. It is worth noting that a small stake in the club is owned by Pep Guardiola's brother Pere, who is currently chairman of the board.
Despite a wealth of ideas and resources under the new ownership, it hasn't all been good news. In 2019, Girona were relegated from LaLiga and subsequently had to toil in the second division for three seasons. In 2021, however, they brought in the current manager Michel, who had previously achieved two successful promotions with Rayo Vallecano and Huesca.
And with his appointment, a great story was born.
In their first season under Michel, Girona secured promotion to the top flight and after finishing mid-table last season, they are now competing with the best sides in Spain.
Successful purchases
Despite losing key players such as Santiago Bueno (to Wolves), Oriol Romeu (to Barcelona), Rodrigo Riquelme (to Atletico) and top scorer Tata Castellanos (to Lazio), Michel has managed to rebuild the team and create an even more competitive squad.
Girona are a side with a mix of youth and experience and they added more seasoned players to their squad in the summer - former Manchester United defender Daley Blind and Ukrainian striker Artem Dovbyk have been the standout performers. They have also brought in some interesting young talents, including Brazilian winger Savio (on loan from sister club Troyes) and former Manchester City midfielder Erik Garcia (on loan from Barcelona).
Their recent results speak volumes. In 13 matches, the league leaders have won 11 times, drawn once (with Real Sociedad) and lost once (to Real Madrid). Their stunning position in the league is mainly due to a run of six wins in a row which sees them two points clear of Real.
The key is Savio
Girona also boasts the best attack in LaLiga. They have scored 31 goals (Atletico are the second best with 29) and average more than two goals a game.
One of their most outstanding players has been South American winger Savio. Although only 19 years old, the Brazilian wonderkid is in incredible form and his performances at the start of the season have already attracted the attention of a number of elite European clubs, with Barcelona reportedly at the head of the queue for his services.
Savio has exceptional quality on the ball and is strong in one-on-one situations. It's no wonder he is second in LaLiga for successful dribbles in the 2023/24 season.
The Brazilian talent is the main driving force of Girona's attack along with Ukrainian internationals Viktor Tsyhankov and Dovbyk, the latter is the team's top scorer with seven goals.
Retention or Europe?
A key player on the other side of the pitch is Blind, he became a free agent in the summer and forms the heart of the defence with David Lopez. In goal, former Southampton, Tottenham and Fulham goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga is proving to be calm with the ball at his feet. This corresponds with Girona's philosophy under Michel which is based on possession-based football.
Midfielder Aleix Garcia has also played a key role in the excellent start to the season and is one of the most consistent passers in LaLiga, finding his teammates on 753 occasions.
It's bright times for the club as Michel has a contract at the Estadi Montilivi until 2026 - so there is a sense of stability. Although the club has repeatedly stressed that the main objective this season is to stay in the league, the fans already have European football on their minds. And no wonder.
More surprises in the European leagues
Slask have struggled to stay in the Ekstraklasa over the last two seasons, on both occasions finishing the Polish top flight in 15th, just above relegation. All the more surprising is the season Wroclaw are having. Two rounds before the halfway point of the competition, they sit in first place with a three-point lead, which brings back memories of their 2011/12 championship winning season.
Slask's main weapon is Spanish striker Erik Exposito, who has scored 12 league goals after 15 games and unsurprisingly reigns supreme in the league's top cannons. Young Pole Piotr Samiec-Talar has been making regular appearances at the back in recent weeks, Ukrainian talent Ehor Matsenko is getting more and more space in midfield and Czech midfielder Petr Schwarz is among their best players.
Stuttgart are similar to Slask, with the traditional German outfit also having a dream season after years of struggling. In the last seven seasons, they have twice dropped out of the Bundesliga, only to return to it a year later and fight for survival once again.
On the last two occasions they have just managed to stay up but this year they are at the opposite end of the table.
Although at the turn of November, they lost twice in a row for the first time in the season, they are still in an excellent third place. VfB fans will be pleased to hear that Guinean Serhou Guirassy has recovered and his numbers are incredible: 15 goals in nine games. Chris Fuhrich is one of the league's best passers, while the defence relies on the reliable Waldemar Anton and Dan-Axel Zagadouvi.
Although Nice have long been one of the top teams in Ligue 1, their campaign this year is astonishing. Nice, whose best finish in the previous six seasons is fifth place in 2021/22, are the only side unbeaten in Ligue 1 after 12 games and although they don't score many goals, they don't concede much either - only four conceded in 12 games.
The impenetrable defensive line is orchestrated by Brazilian Dante, who celebrated his 40th birthday in October. The former Bayern defender, who joined OGC seven years ago, is still good enough for the French top division at his age and is one of the top-rated defenders in Ligue 1 along with his teammate Jean-Clair Todiba, who also made his first appearance for the national team this season.
