Liverpool will travel to Catalonia on Tuesday evening as they clash with La Liga's new heavyweights Girona - and Daily Star Sport explores their links with Man City
15:58, 10 Dec 2024
Girona
Girona was once a sleepy town(Image: REDA/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
It wasn't all too long ago that Girona was little more than a sleepy town - not too different from any other Catalan settlement that is dotted along the Costa Brava.
Shielded by the Pyrenees to the north, and the hustle and bustle of Barcelona to the south, it's locked between here and nowhere.
Girona's boom started away from the football pitch: the medieval old town that was used as a filming location for HBO’s Game of Thrones, attracting tourists from across the globe.
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The city also became a mecca for cyclist, with professional's electing to set up shop in the old town. Lance Armstrong once called it home - and the locals are more than keen to tell you that at any opportunity.
Armstrong might not have been aware of a football team as he pedalled into the rolling hills in his blue US Postal jersey - then again, who would, Girona were languishing in the third tier at the time.
Ladislav Krejci of Girona celebrates a goal with teammates during the Spanish league, La Liga EA Sports, football match played between Villarreal CF and UD Girona FC at La Ceramica stadium on December 1, 2024, in Valencia, Spain.
Girona have shocked Spanish football in recent seasons(Image: Europa Press via Getty Images)
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It wasn't until 2008 Girona reached the second tier, their promotion to La Liga would come almost a decade down the line; by then, a lot had changed.
City Football Group (CFG) - the parent company of Manchester City - has a 47 per cent stake in the club. However, while a lot of what happens in Catalonia is dictated in Manchester, it isn't the sole reason to their sudden rise.
“Girona have never had a big fanbase and they tended to get crowds of around 5,000 before their first ever promotion to the top flight in 2017," Mark Sochon, editor of laligaexpert.com, told Manchester Evening News.
Man City
Girona are owned by Manchester City(Image: Offside via Getty Images)
"So, we’re not talking about a huge club with a great football history or tradition that has been eroded away by foreign owners. “They are very much living the dream right now and no Girona fan would have seriously thought they’d ever see their side in the Champions League.
"Having Pere Guardiola involved as co-owner and chairman also helps in terms of the feeling that there are still Catalans heavily involved in running the club."
However, he added: "They still have to abide by the same salary limits as everyone else and it’s not as though their squad is just filled with City loanees."
Michel, Head Coach of Girona FC, celebrates with the team following their victory during the LaLiga match between Villarreal CF and Girona FC at Estadio de la Ceramica on December 01, 2024 in Villarreal, Spain.
Girona will face Liverpool on Tuesday evening(Image: Getty Images)
"It's a mix of everything," Pepe Sierra, founder of supporters group Federacio Penyes, and director Francisco Lara explained to Daily Star Sport earlier this year. "From the players, the manager and the financial support."
It's helped their record signing, Artem Dovbyk, signed for €7.5million, can't stop scoring.
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Liverpool are in his sights next - and Arne Slot can't underestimate the Catalans. It hasn't been a dream campaign for Girona, who have won just once in the Champions League, but a giant-killing against the league leaders - well, strange things have happen in this unassuming corner of the world.