Míchel cannot hide the impressive reality he creates. gironaThe sole leader of LaLiga. His genetics ask him to be careful, but the Catalan team’s numbers are undeniable. “Our league is not Real Madrid, Barça or Atlético de Madrid. Even though I dream of being in the league of other teams like Real Sociedad, Villarreal, Sevilla, Athletic…who is fighting above? We have 31 points and we are very close to salvation, now we have to look one step further,” said the Madrid coach, who made a great start that will make him the leader after his tenth victory in twelve matches against Osasuna.
Girona, the Spanish ‘Leicester’
We have a whole League ahead of us, but Girona’s progress invites comparisons with unlikely champions such as England’s Leicester, who were crowned Premier champions for the first time in their history in 2016. At this point in the season, Claudio Ranieri’s men had records. Worse than those in Montilivi, They finished 17th at the same stage of the championship last yearIt was tied with Sevilla, which is in the second last place, on 10 points. Against last year’s unearthed Osasuna, the rojiblancos managed to turn the game around in just ten minutes, posting an impressive 2-4.
entry Viktor Tsygankov, Ukrainian international striker who scored 2-3 goals. Fellow countryman and teammate Artem Dovbyk scored the equalizing goal. The two market opportunities, both Girona’s unlimited numbers and the signing of Quique Cárcel, the Catalan club’s head of sports, have recently been renewed until 2027.
While Dovbyk is the top scorer with six goals, Tsygankov has two goals and 29 are in his favor and 15 against him in this team, which has the most firepower in the league. The first one was the new red and white football player in August.. He signed until 2028 and Girona bought 50% of the rights of SC Dnipro-1 in his country for seven million euros.
Strategic investments at affordable prices
Moreover Denmark paid 1.75 million to MidtjyllandA suit that Dovbyk returned to his country and saved 30% on future sales. This 1.89 meter tall was the top scorer in the last two seasons of the Ukrainian league, which was marked by the Russian occupation and lost talented players like this. He did this at prices below market value.
A similar situation occurred with Tsygankov. Playing as a playmaker or winger for Dynamo KievHe scored nearly a hundred goals with his training team. Girona is his first international experience despite being a fixture of the national team.
The transfer fee for 50 percent of the rights of the 25-year-old attacker was 5 million.While its market value was 22 million. An injury in October halted his progress, but his early performance attracted the attention of many European teams who sent scouts to Montilivi.
Completely adapted to Girona
The sports management, headed by Cárcel, had previously tried to add the winger to its squad. reaching ten million bidsbut no agreement was reached. Both players have fitted in perfectly at Girona and feed off each other both on and off the pitch.
The two players live with their families at the club’s training centre. English-speaking colleagues such as Daley Blind, who was one of those who enabled Girona to make a leap in quality, also contributed to its integration. In case of doubt, Tsygankov and Dovbyk turn to Girona’s equipment manager Julius, also of Ukrainian origin. The Catalan club has become a reference in the eastern countryAs the comments received on social networks show.
All of this translates into remarkable performances, especially in the case of Dovbyk, who made the most of his minutes. He scored more than ten goals in the league. His background, superior to that of Morata or Lewandowski, places him in the European avant-garde.
In short, a performance that forces Míchel to break away from the usual discourse of limitation.. “We played a really great game. I don’t see a ceiling for my players.” Unless there is an unexpected shift, the leader of a team that will play in European competitions next year against teams fighting for leadership in previously unattainable statistics said: